ACTOR
BIOGRAPHY
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This Is My Story
ACTOR. STUNT MAN. MARTIAL ARTIST. ENTREPRENEUR.
"THE NAYSAYERS TRIED TO KEEP ME FROM LIVING MY DREAMS, BUT I KEPT DREAMING, AND I KEPT ON LIVING. I NEVER STOP INVESTING IN MYSELF; THE PAYOFF IS WHAT I LIVE FOR.” - ZLG
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Throughout his acting, stunts, and martial arts career, he has been described as a Renaissance man. Some have compared him to Buster Keaton for his physical comedy, Peter Sellers for his wry sense of humor, and Jackie Chan for several of his abilities and charm. As a dramatic actor, he can embody the role of a villain with a rugged look, the passion of Antonio Banderas, and the intensity of Gary Oldman, with a touch of Italian attitude for extra spice.
Zak was born in Rome to a Sicilian father and a beautiful mother from Umbria and has led a dynamic and passionate life. As an actor, I am well-rounded, charismatic, and professional. He aims to express his talents on stage, in writing, and on the big screen as an artist in body and soul.
He spent six years at the Academy of Art studying photography in Italy. I have appeared in numerous films and television series and have experience on both sides of the camera, with a strong understanding of constructing action. Zak will continue to work in acting and as a stuntman and collaborate as a fight choreographer to develop films and fitness products with his unique and inventive approach.
Zak's debut as a director is the non-budget action/drama feature film "Rules," distributed in all retail stores and streaming in the USA. He is also an accomplished screenwriter and has produced numerous short films and become an award-winning actor. After over two decades, he finally executive produced, produced, wrote, and acted as lead actor in his passion film project, The NEXT BIG HIT (2023), a martial arts musical comedy.
He is a multiple Italian champion in Martial Arts and Kickboxing, having won the European Championships title twice, as well as the Pro-International Championships. He is also a fitness expert who has produced several successful exercise videos. In fact, he created and produced the very first exercise video, "TaiBox Kick To Fit," in 1998. To co-host the video, he hired Ellen K, a radio host personality from 102.7 KIIS FM. The video reached number 6 on the Billboard video chart.
Zak is also an actor with comedic talent. His skills were showcased in the romantic comedy feature film "Everybody Wants To Be Italian." He also guest starred on the prime time TV show "Medium" (NBC) as serial killer Julian Piers. In 2016, he played Adomo Valocco in the American crime film "Live by Night," opposite Ben Affleck, which was written and directed by the Oscar-winning director Ben Affleck. He has also worked as a Stunt-Actor on "Judas the Black Messiah" and had supporting roles in "RED NOTICE" (with Dwaine Johnson), "The Morning Show" (with Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell), and was a stunt performer in "Mayas MC," "The Rookie Feds," "Hollywood," "S.E.A.L. Team," "Rush Hour," "Criminal Minds Beyond Borders," and "NCIS Los Angeles," among others.
You may also recognize Zak from several national commercials featuring Conan O’Brien, and Jamie Lee Curtis, and spots for Mercury Insurance, Samsung, and AT&T.
He started with a passion for teaching karate and kickboxing to both children and adults, as well as promoting fitness and well-being. He also aimed to showcase his skills on the big screen. He open and owned two sports clubs in Italy, when he moved to Los Angeles he created and taught the TaiBox Kick2Fit fitness program at various places, including Crunch, Spectrum Clubs, Bodies in Motion, 24 Hour Fitness, to mention a few
He has been training for most of his life and has earned four black belts ranging from first to third degree in various martial art styles and fighting systems. He has studied under renowned masters and champions such as Hirokazu Kanazawa, Toshio Yamada, Dan Innosanto, Dev Barrett, and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Additionally, he spent time in China perfecting his moves and forms through rigorous training at the Shaolin temple and continues to train in Wing Tsun and Filipino martial arts.
During tough economic times, Zak considered acting in adult films out of desperation but ultimately did not have the courage to go through with it. Despite facing multiple rock bottom moments in his life where he lost everything, he never lost his will, health, or happiness. Instead, he constantly reinvented himself to reach his ultimate goal of acting and filmmaking. Interview of his reinventing: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-zak-lee-guarnaccia/
Zak is a genuine individual and a unique independent filmmaker who resembles a superhero that has come straight out of a comic book.
The story is about Zak Lee Guarnaccia, an unconventional entrepreneur in the entertainment industry. Despite breaking the rules and making an action film called "Rules" with almost no budget, he doesn't consider himself a hero because heroes follow rules. Zak is the Owner/Executive of LightRow Productions, LLC, and is currently developing several feature films. Additionally, he is the inventor and Full Patent owner of the X3S BENCH exercise equipment. Zak is also an animal activist and environmental defender, having loved animals since he was young. His main goal in life is to make a positive net. impact on the planet.
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