Rising star Kazy Tauginas is a former restaurateur and Golden Gloves boxer turned actor.
Growing up just outside of Chicago, Tauginas played a different sport each school year, settling
on figure skating before he discovered a natural talent for boxing after college. His grace on the
ice helped him in the ring, where he fought in 13 amateur bouts.
After trying his hand in the restaurant business, Tauginas turned to acting and writing, a passion
that led him to the New York Film Academy, where he graduated from their Acting for Film
Conservatory program.
Tauginas has appeared in numerous theater, film and television roles. His television credits
include “American Rust,” “The Equalizer,” “Blue Bloods,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,”
“Person of Interest,” “Turn: Washington’s Spies,” “The Blacklist,“ and “Sneaky Pete.”
Tauginas’ film work includes “The Equalizer 2,” “John Wick,” “Dolemite is My Name”, “Sollers
Point,” festival darlings “Lolat,” “Eleanor,” “Odd Man Rush,” and most recently in the indie
horror movie “Shimmer.”
After writing several short films (and starring in over 20 of them), Tauginas drew inspiration
from his mother who’d been diagnosed with Lupus, and his own boxing experience, and
decided to write “Standing Eight,” a short about a boxer who is forced to retire and contend
with life outside of the ring after being diagnosed with systemic lupus. Since its completion,
“Standing Eight” has played in festivals around the world, and taken home 11 awards and
numerous nominations. The film is available on Amazon and all major platforms, with proceeds
going to Lupus Foundation of America.
What do you love/ hate about your character in “Shimmer”?
So, with every character I play, I fall in love with that character. I try to find all the nuances and methods of operation I can to make that character come to life. That becomes difficult if you judge your character. If that make sense? Blas is a very self-centered, ego driven man. He’s probably what many would consider the quintessential toxically masculine male. He doesn’t care how he’s perceived. He has no filter. Those are always the most fun characters to play.
What makes a good scene partner?
First and foremost, a good scene partner shows up to work. You would be surprised at how many A-listers need to be coaxed out of their trailers to head to set. A good scene partner is committed. A tell-tale sign of taking one’s work ethic is whether they know their lines. They understand the circumstances that they’re in. I suppose it really just comes down to preparation. Lines can change, but if your scene partner knows the context of the scene and how they feel about the events in the scene, we’ll make magic.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage/ film set to do the scene?
Turn off my cell. No distractions.
If you weren’t an actor, what would you have liked to have been?
There is nothing like being an actor. I absolutely love it. You get to step into another life on camera and then step back into your own. How else would I have all these experiences? For a long time, I thought that there was literally nothing else I could do for a living. Then, the pandemic hit… Because of all the changes happening around showbiz, I realized I might need a side gig for a while. I recently got my real estate license and I’m LOVING IT. I was just having this discussion the other day and I mentioned that I wished I would’ve become a realtor right out of college. I really like helping people. Especially first time homebuyers. So it looks like I have found another love. Which is truly a blessing… And being with Century21 allows me to help potential clients anywhere in the country.
Which of your roles was the most challenging for you to capture?
I’ve never really had difficulty getting into a character’s head. But two roles come to mind that posed unique challenges for me. I did a play a few years ago called “Rope” where I was the lead and played a character named Wyndham Brandon. He was a talker. So for me, the raw memorization of a three act play which was mostly driven by my character was a challenge. Going from on-camera work to stage work always poses some unique obstacles… Screen actors are used to taking small bites. Memorizing a scene and then going and doing it. For the stage, there is no luxury of small bites. You take the whole thing down in one swoop. No editing when the spotlight is on and you’ve got nowhere to run.
The second role that posed a unique set of challenges for me was the indie film, “Invisible Love”. This was an incredibly unique production for more than one reason. It was a Chinese, American and Vietnamese production shooting in historic Hoi An in Vietnam. There were three different languages being spoken on-set and all required a translator. I would do a take, then the director would talk to the translator and the translator would tell me, then I would respond and the message would be relayed. In the end, it took longer to communicate but it was really a fun way to work.
How do you avoid divulging exciting plot twists before they air?
That’s easy. I keep my mouth shut and let people enjoy the surprise. 🙂
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
“Turn off the Noise”.
If you could be a superhero, what would your superpower be and your superhero name?
To cure illness. The character’s name would be The Healer.
Would you rather be the one in a movie who gets the hero/heroine or the baddie with all the good lines?
Bad guys always have more fun.
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
“Which crypto should I invest in today?”
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Bill Murray.
As a public figure, how do you think being hailed as a role model impacts others and what pressure does it put on you?
I don’t really feel any pressure to do anything. I’m simply myself. I honestly don’t consider myself a role model. I’m just an entertainer and I try to live my life by a simple code. The code is “Do the right thing. Even if it makes things harder”. I am passionate about Lupus Awareness because that disease affects my mother. There is a fine line between fighting for a cause you’re passionate about and pretending to care. I think a lot of actors have really good publicity teams that make them look like role models, but when they’re behind closed doors they’re screaming at production assistants for waking them up in their trailer to bring them to set. To me, THAT is hard. Having to wear your public face and your private face. I don’t have to worry about that since I am very comfortable in my own skin. What you see is what you get. I think audiences and the public often idolize the people they see on screen. They conflate the character with the person playing them. Just ask William Atherton who played Peck in Ghostbusters about that phenomena. So there is a certain expectation of actors to be who they are on screen. To that I ask, would you approach George Clooney for medical advice? He did play a doctor in 109 episodes of ER… of course not. I think a lot of people in my industry take themselves incredibly seriously. We’re entertainers. We pretend to be other people. Let’s not put ourselves on pedestals. It’s our job to take people away from their own lives and for a brief moment, help them forget their own problems and difficulties. We offer an escape. I always try to keep that in perspective for myself.
