Few actors can say they’ve worked with some of the most notable names in entertainment like Morgan Freeman, Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Mel Gibson, Emile Hersch and Tye Sheridan. Meet Dylan Flashner, a charismatic and talented star on the rise who has appeared in over a dozen feature films in the last five years, with another seven projects soon-to-be released. Not only is he a talented actor, he’s also a gifted singer-songwriter and musician, and through his production company, has produced nearly 40 films with the goal of highlighting stories from those who are underrepresented.
Born and raised in Boston, Dylan Flashner wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to become an actor or pursue an artistic career growing up and attended Chapman University to earn his degree in Business and excelled as a collegiate athlete. “I was around 21 when I felt I was confident to get into this. I think it was an advantage to come in a little later than most people do. I was a little more mature and set in my ways, and I didn’t have that confidence until after I was out of school.”
Many actors are taught to treat their acting careers “like a business”, something that Dylan admits he wasn’t entirely sure how to do. “It’s almost ironic,” he laughed. “I started a production company when I first got in as an actor and saw a lot of things that actors weren’t involved in and I wanted to see if I could get my hand in there. One of my first acting jobs came about and they needed some help in production so I got in on the production [level] and I built a company based off of that and we’ve produced 30 or 40 films in the last 6 years. I guess I did treat it like a business but I wasn’t really sure what that meant at the time.
When it comes to skills that may help an actor achieve success, Dylan shared that self-motivation is key. “The ability to just get yourself to do it and show up is a huge skill that a lot of people lack. Even I lack it sometimes. 80% of it is showing up, the other 20% is doing the actual work. Show up and be self-motivated to the point that you won’t stop until you’re successful.”
A standout film that Flashner has produced is Mutt, which centers on a transgender man in New York City who unexpectedly rekindles broken relationships from throughout his life in a single day. “We’re trying to tell stories that haven’t been told before. I think we need more representation from other groups that haven’t had the chance to get out there. It’s making the rounds at festivals right now and did Sundance and the Tribeca Film Festival already.”
Learn more about Dylan by watching our full interview above, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @DylanFlashner
