A former Port Allegany man can list Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren among his previous co-workers.
On Nov. 21, Creed II –– a boxing movie as part of the notorious Rocky series –– was officially released to the public.
What locals might not have known while watching the film is they may have been seeing a familiar face –– Sam Meola.
Meola, a Levittown native who lived in Port Allegany for a few years, appeared in Creed II as a “corner military security guard” for Drago’s team during the final fight. He says he has been an actor and stunt fighter in major motion pictures, as well as a few independent films, for over 10 years.
“I didn’t have a major part in Creed 2 unfortunately,” he said. “I was Drago’s team corner military security guard during the final fight. I basically had to stand with them and look mean,” he said with a laugh.
Meola confirmed he was able work alongside stars like Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone –– two of the biggest names in the movie industry.
“(I worked) more so with Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu, simply because I was in their corner. Being in the union, I was able to speak to everyone in the cast –– even “Stitch” Duran, known from (the) UFC as a cut man/corner man,” he explained.
Meola’s career doesn’t end at Creed II either, as he explained he will be premiering in two more movies that will appear in 2019.
He said, “I (am) in two more films coming out next year as well. ‘Made in Chinatown,’ which is a spinoff from the Sopranos, and “Glass” from M. Night Shyamalan.”
Meola offered some advice to those who are looking to get into show business and make it onto the big screen.
“Get involved in theatre. The more experience you have, the better. Also, (take part in) independent films. Put together a demo reel, (take) acting classes,” he explained.
Meola also noted the importance of investigating an agency’s notoriety before associating with them for potential acting roles.
He said, “Check for local casting agencies, accredited only. Be aware of scams. If someone says that you have to pay money to be in a movie, it’s a definite scam.”
