Sons of Anarchy star and Staten Island native Theo Rossi, on filming his new production company’s first feature film here at home, and how charity work helps keep him grounded

by Matt Scanlon

It would be difficult to overstate what a game changer FX’s drama series Sons of Anarchy was for both the network and its costar for all seven seasons, Theo Rossi. At a time in 2008 when The Shield and Nip Tuck were reaching the end of their ratings-dependable runs, and when Rescue ME’s fifth season was delayed because of a writer’s strike, FX was badly in need of an anchor show, one that drew an audience dependable enough to attract advertising revenue as well as provide gravity for shows before and after its Wednesday night slot. Sons of Anarchy proved to be that, and then some; by its third season in 2011, it attracted 4.9 million viewers per week, making it FX’s highest rated series ever to that date, and by the end-of-run season seven finale in
December 2014, averaged no less than 7.5 million total viewers.

For Rossi, who played the tech-savvy Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz in the series, the surprising success of the biker gang drama meant that the longtime hardworking actor had found his stride.

Growing up on Staten Island, Rossi attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Manhattan as well as SUNY Albany, appearing in several theatrical productions for the former. His first cinematic role came in the 2001 drama The Meyer sons, and there have been 11 film roles since, including parts in The Challenge (2003) and Cloverfield (2008). TV roles were more prolific: from 2001 until Sons of Anarchy’s debut in 2008, there were no fewer than 22, principally one- or two-episode appearances in shows like NYPD Blue, Lost, Bones, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Then rode in something new.

“I knew Sons’ casting director and auditioned for several roles in the pilot episode,” Rossi recalled. “In the end, I didn’t get any, but the show’s creator Kurt Sutter said he had this minor role and wasn’t sure where it was going to go. It was this fringe character, and after we did re-shoots on the pilot, that fringe character became Juice.”

Looking back on the story arc of his character in the series, Rossi offered to Hollywood tracker website Gold Derby that, “I will never, ever play a character like that again. He felt every single emotion in a very short amount of time…literally played every emotion. And, as an actor, it’s like a dream job to be put in those situations. It pushed your mind to a place where you don’t necessarily want to go. The show was one of those things that’s going to be hard to duplicate, because it’s like appointment television.”

One of the things that success afforded Rossi was the liberty to make some of his own moves. He formed the New York City-based production company Dos Dudes Pictures in 2012, and wrapped production on its first feature film, Bad Hurt, in late 2014.

“When I started seeing less of the kind of films I enjoy being made, I figured, instead of complaining about it, I would seek out and create what I wanted to see,” he explained. “Films with deep, complex stories that leave you a changed person.”

Set in 1999 Staten Island and based on the play Bad hurt on Cedar Street, the film describes the tribulations of a lower-middle-class city family, with Rossi playing Todd Kendall, a middle child son with more than the usual amount of center-sibling challenges. Scheduled for theatrical release in February, the film co-stars Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Karen Allen and Michael Harney (True Detective, Orange Is the New Black) as his mom and dad.

“[Bad Hurt is] the raw truth of how a family struggles to find balance and love in a household that has children with developmental disabilities and combat induced PTSD, to name just a few complexities,” explained Rossi.

With no fewer than seven new projects in the offing, from TV shows to books, Dos Dudes is sat_ end by what the Islander once referred to as “all my friends that I grew up with; even my mom is involved.”

On the deliberate decision to film on the Island, Rossi explained that, “we knew, especially for our company’s first film, that we needed as much support as we could possibly garner. Filming where I grew up, and knowing that New Yorkers always have each others backs…this wouldn’t have been possible if it had been produced anywhere other than Staten Island.” As for the cast, he added, “When you’re filming an independent Film over the course of less than 20 days, you need people who are not only talented, but who can roll with the unexpected.”

In addition to upcoming 2016 film roles in the psychological thriller When The Bough Breaks and the drama Low Riders, it was announced last year that Rossi is set to costar in the Net_ ix produced television series Luke Cage, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios. It is the third in a series of shows (including the recent
Marvel’s Jessica Jones) that will ultimately lead to a Defenders crossover miniseries.

The actor is also involved in a considerable number of philanthropic organizations, not least as an ambassador to the Boot Campaign, which works with multiple non-profits to help raise money for wounded soldiers and those returning with post-traumatic stress disorder. Along with friends and family members, the actor also founded Staten Strong just days after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the city as well as coastal New Jersey; the charity has to date rebuilt three homes for Staten
Island victims of the disaster. He has also appeared in a Humane Society ad campaign that focuses on educating the public and boosting support programs for the more than 300 million street dogs worldwide. In true 21st century social media fashion, he also founded Go Get It LIFE, with a mission of providing “the positive motivation you need to live your best life possible,” according to its site (gogetitlife. com). “We are an international community of like-minded people who are sharing stories of personal achievement and giving back to others.” From “How To Fix Your Credit For Free” to “Tricks To Survive The Holidays” to “Save A Life, Become An
Organ Donor,” Go Get It LIFE showcases first-person accounts of generosity, community activism, and the lasting benefit of good advice, and also offers a line of associated apparel.
Lastly, Rossi is an enthusiastic advocate for A Very Special Place (another Island-based charity), which provides a comprehensive network of programs and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

The actor, with wife Meghan McDermott, welcomed his first child, Kane Alexander Rossi, in June of last year. They live here in the city.

“Ever since Hurricane Sandy, I decided I wanted to move back here and raise a family,” he said. “One thing that always stood out to me was that Staten Island is a community that sticks together.”