How important is it for those who achieve dazzling success in the world of entertainment to take their positions as role models for today’s youth seriously? For multi-faceted rising star Enzo Zelocchi, an American cinema actor, director, writer, and producer, the importance of being able to inspire others couldn’t be more critical.
Throughout his career, the creative has showcased a dedication to strong values, industry equality, and throwing his weight behind positive messaging. Recently, the actor decided to add another feather to his cap and mastermind a game-changing healthcare technology platform that aims to democratize access to wellness in the United States as the “Amazon of Healthcare”. If being the right kind of role model counts, then in Enzo Zelocchi, we find a true pro.
Being Looked Up To By a Generation of Young People
Where the biggest stars within the world of entertainment were once placed upon a lofty pedestal, today’s celebrities have a very different relationship with their fans. Access to millions of followers on Instagram—something that bonafide influencer Enzo Zelocchi is all too familiar with—provides the opportunity to connect with today’s youth in a far more profound way.
Those in the spotlight are often admired because they’ve worked tirelessly to be successful, and the resulting prominence helps their audience feel that following a similar path is a dream worth pursuing. For Zelocchi, this particular role-model badge of honor certainly rings true.
Somewhat jaw-droppingly, the cinema actor has traversed a diversity of professional fields, including working as a fashion model; acting in commercials, television, and cinema; donning the caps of a movie producer, writer, and director; honing his marketing skills in academia, and entering the sphere of healthcare as an entrepreneurial CEO with a vision for making the world a better place.
They say that the best kinds of role models inspire self-belief and teach you something valuable, and in Zelocchi’s case, the message is simple. When asked if there’s anything he’d like his fans to know, he shared: “Listen to your heart, believe in yourself, and go make your masterpiece!”
The Details That Define a Role-model Mentality
So, what does it mean to step into the shoes of role model and leader within today’s hybrid digital and real-world reality? For Zelocchi, beyond actively chasing an ever-expanding skillset, it has meant things like championing minority talent within the entertainment industry. It has meant casting and guiding phenomenal child actors in his self-penned features, including Charlotte Labadie, who played Irene in his moving masterpiece My Little Princess, and real-life Ukrainian refugee Emiliia Nimak who co-starred in No War, a Zelocchi feature set in war-torn Ukraine.
Enchantingly, the decision to make the film No War was driven by Zelocchi’s awareness of the plight of so many young people in present-day Ukraine, often displaced by the constant barrage of Russian attacks. In fact, Zelocchi changed tack on a pre-planned production of a zombie film that was already scheduled. Instead, he chose to mastermind a script set in Ukraine and cast Nimak as his supporting actress despite her lack of cinema experience.
Like No War, which caught countless imaginations and earned Zelocchi dozens of nominations and awards for his roles as writer, producer, director, and leading actor, another film to be met with great acclaim was of course My Little Princess. In this tale, Labadie played the terminally-ill daughter to Zelocchi’s fictional father as the pair endured the journey of childhood cancer treatment in modern-day America.
As Zelocchi researched ahead of writing the script for this emotionally-charged artistic endeavor, he became poignantly aware of the shortcomings of the healthcare system in the United States. In this regard, he sites Michael Moore’s heart-wrenching documentary Sicko as a significant influence, but also the simple act of placing himself in the shoes of a father beholden to a healthcare system in peril.
Harnessing Modern Technology to Kick-Start a Healthcare Revolution
Driven to relegate the struggles of the characters that he created for My Little Princess strictly to the world of fiction, Zelocchi began brainstorming something truly exciting. He envisioned creating a technology-centric healthcare platform that could democratize healthcare for Americans. Thanks to recent advances in things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain, the creative knew that there has never been a better time to redefine the way our healthcare system operates.
Since its inception, Zelocchi’s platform A-Medicare has been dubbed the “Amazon of Healthcare,” and given its progress so far, that comes as no surprise. Leveraging his public persona and substantial online following, Zelocchi drew together some of the best minds to develop its central blockchain-backed database, ever-growing package of technological solutions, and hotly anticipated smartphone app. This momentum can be traced to a man on a mission; Zelocchi hopes first to change the way healthcare is administered in the United States, and then around the globe.
The Self-Realization of a Very Modern Role Model
Unquestionably, the world is changing quickly, and more than ever young people want to follow the voices and leaders that speak to them the most deeply. Vitally, the celebrities that are willing to share not only their passions and achievements but also their hopes and vulnerabilities are those that gain the most traction. They help us experience life from a new perspective, embrace new ideas and, with a little luck, make a real difference within our communities—whether that’s at home, locally, nationally, or even internationally.
It’s exciting to see someone with this exact role-model mentality sweeping up numerous accolades within the realm of entertainment, but it is even more exciting to see them striking out with a bold idea and the courage that only comes with self-belief. In this sense, Zelocchi joins and expands the pool of positive role models looked to by American youth, ranging from Michelle Obama to Dwayne Johnson; from Miley Cyrus to Tyler Perry. Now, those of us who need some inspiration can add Enzo Zelocchi to our go-to list. He provides a clear and loud example that anything we dream of can be achieved.
Enzo Zelocchi – “NO WAR” – Trailer
Enzo Zelocchi – Midnight in Paris
https://instagram.com/enzozelocchi