Believing is half the battle

Meeko Gattuso’s first performances were in his Auntie’s bathroom. He would set up his phone and press record. That bathroom is where he received the practice that boosted his confidence. “I always lip sing songs. If I had a Jay Z song, oh my man, I was in that bathroom I put on those earphones. I was Jay Z,” said Gattuso. Gattuso auntie’s bathroom was the place where he would go to shut himself off from the world and do what he knows he was destined to be.  Now 48, Gattuso still performs in the bathroom, and it still brings him joy. 

“I always wanted to be an entertainer it didn’t matter whether I was rapping; I was singing I always wanted to be a part of that,” said Gattuso chowing down on a plate of corn beef hash. “But I didn’t believe. To me that was like man, that’s impossible.”  

Gattuso is a clear example of why no one should judge a book by its cover. With a face full of tattoos, it is easy to think that

Gattuso is a menace and a danger to society. If someone looks at his past of selling drugs, he would fit the description. But acting changed his life and getting cast in the hit tv show Euphoria is his chance to become a superstar. Euphoria is an HBO drama that follows a group of high school students through their lives. Gattuso stars as Mouse, who is a drug distributor and bad news from the teens.   

He knows firsthand about drug distribution. 

Growing up in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s showing your talent was consider being different and that wasn’t the coolest thing to do. What was in fashion, was being a gangster so that’s what young Meeko did. He hid is love for entertainment from others. 

Gattuso’s mother passed away early in his life, which cause him to move to his aunt’s Nydia Marrieo house in The Bronx. It was here he began to run the streets and started to abuse drugs. He grow apart from his family. It came to a point where whenever he received money his family knew they wouldn’t see Gattuso for a couple of months. They knew he was on the streets using drugs. 

Gattuso and his friends turned his aunt’s neighborhood that was once full of retirees into a neighborhood full of drugs addicts. Gattuso would fight, rob and sell drugs. Young Gattuso knew the streets were no good. He knew that there were better things for him in the world. 

“I used to take the train and go down to the village,” Gattuso said, as he gets up to pace back and forth in his aunt’s living room.  

“When I used to see the village, I used to be like oh wow! I would see an Indian talking to a Spanish guy. I never seen that before all you saw in Spanish Harlem was black or Spanish. Every day I would be like f*** the hood,” he said.  

As his drug use grew worse, he knew he had to change, he was afraid that he would take his own life. 

Growing up in a religious household, it is no surprise that Gattuso turned to God.  

“I believe in the power of prayer. I seen shit happen with the power of prayer. Said Gattuso 

One night he went down on his knees and prayed that he could have the strength to stop abusing drugs. “The next day I didn’t get high,” he said. 

To his surprise he stopped cold turkey and move to Atlanta where he figured he could stay away from the drugs. During this time Gattuso started to write small notes to himself like “try new things,” and “you can do anything you set your mind to.” 

“Now he’s come to learn life and loving himself because all that time he was trying to seek himself and trying to find who he was” said Marrieo over the phone.   

He traveled back to New York and found that his old neighborhood has less crime. But soon after He got picked up in a sweep. Gattuso found himself in jail. A sweep is when police arrest anyone in an area where they feel there are suspicious activities. This maybe seem like bad luck, but in fact it was serendipity because he met someone who would interduce him to Adam Leon.  

Adam Leon is the director of Gattuso first movie “Gimme The Loot”.   

“As soon as he saw me, he said I’m doing this movie and I think you’ll be a great part. I was like hell yeah!” said Gattuso. 

It would be a year before Gattuso heard back from Leon. but throughout this time Gattuso stayed out of trouble and worked on his acting using Instagram. 

Gattuso showcased his bathroom talent on Instagram not caring what people would think. After posting a few videos, people started asking if they can be in his videos. Gattuso welcomed everyone from family and friends to the neighbors in his aunt’s building with open arms. One of the first people to join in on his videos was a 19 year girl who lives upstairs, She taught him songs from her home country, Bangladesh. 

“Social media saved his live also. Instagram save his life for some reason he gravitates to that,” said Kevin Olivencia, Gattuso cousin. 

Adam Leon call Gattuso back one year later and asked him if he was ready. “Hell, yeah I’m ready,” said Gattuso. 

“My job was to be better than everyone in that movie and I did that. I stole the show,” he said as he banged on his chest. 

The movie “Gimme The Loot” sold out at the MoMA. 

This impowered Gattuso to grind harder, and to not let anything come in his way. After Gimme The Loot, he played in King Jack, Queens of Glory, and The Monster, which were all independent films. 

 Gattuso is now starring in a play called “Feel my plan” as a convicted felon at The Tank theater. From the applause, it was clear that he stole the show. 

The audience loved his roaring voice, which shook the theater. He walked in circles on stage dragging a wooden chair screaming “C.O C.O I need some water C.O”. Everyone stared at Gattuso as he stomped around stage. The other actor stepped to the size and pulled out their phones to record his performance. 

Documentary Producer Frank Granziano who is filming the play watch Gattuso and was amazed. 

“Meeko is like the wild spirit of the show. At critical points that voice, just comes and motivates everybody,” said Granziano.  

Gattuso’s voice and energy is what the producers loved about him for Euphoria at the audition. He didn’t think he had a chance of getting the part because of the large number of other actors who auditioned for the part.  

But he did something right because a few weeks later Jennifer Venditti who is a film and casting director calls Gattuso to tell him that there are two finalists for the past and was one of them.  

At the time he already exceeded his expectations and told himself. “If I don’t get it, I’m not going to be sad. Imma be really happy I came this far.” said Gattuso 

Never allowing himself to have self pity 

Later, that day Gattuso received another call from Venditti. This time with the good news that he got picked for the part.     

“I went to my knees like Yoo is this happening” Gattuso dropped down to his knees reenacting the moment. 

Gattuso said that he lived through drugs and jail. If It had not been for his Instagram, his family, his friend, believing in a higher power and in himself he wouldn’t have Euphoria and everything has today.   

“Believe and you shall achieve,” he said.