This Hawaii influencer is racking up TV and movie credits — and looking for his big break
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - He has nearly 44,000 Instagram followers and a budding Hollywood career, but Russell Satele still considers himself an introvert.
“I was never a class clown, I was always kind of in the back of a class kind of just staying quiet not really interacting, only interacting with people I knew and was comfortable with,” he said.
In high school, Satele busted out of his shell, trying out for wide receiver on the Mililani football team. But it was his odd jobs in college that pushed him toward the entertainment business.
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Satele says bad experiences from washing dishes to warding off a naked homeless woman while working security in Haleiwa made him realize working a normal 9-to-5 wasn’t for him.
His first venture into content creation came with 6-second comedy skits on the now defunct social media platform Vine. Satele eventually caught the acting bug and started working with the comedy troupe “Lethal Giggles,” which he helped form.
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Slowly but surely, Satele began booking roles — from TV commercials to drama series to movies. His credits include “White Lotus,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Magnum P.I.,” and “Doogie Kamealoaha.”
Satele has also worked with stars like John Travolta and Bruce Willis on the film “Paradise City” and Michael Fassbender in “Next Goal Wins.”
Of course, show business — like social media — is full of rejection.
Satele says he recently got passed over for a significant role that could have been his big break.
But he’s been at it long enough to know his next opportunity is just one audition away.
“If I can book a role that can be life-changing and just put me in the position where I could possibly inspire other people that you know, show them that you know, it’s possible for a local boy to be able to do this kind of stuff then I’m with it,” he said.
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