The phrase came from a former NFL player (Tampa Bay Bucs) Sabby Piscitelli aka Tino Sabbatelli currently working in WWE NXT . I first heard him say it on the show Breaking Ground on the WWE Network, it stuck with me and I started thinking about the words and how they apply to me and what I'm trying to accomplish in my life.
Lets be honest in the entertainment business, weather t's music, movie, tv etc. it's very easy to acquire an inflated ego quickly, you have people wanting you to sign things, takes pictures wanting to talk to you when just a few months ago no one knew who you were. it's overwhelming at times, right.
This is where STAY HUMBLE come in for me, I love talking to fans, meeting them, signing stuff and taking pictures with them. Like I said a year ago NO ONE knew who I was and now I have people asking me to sign a DVD or a business card, take a picture with them etc. Does it get hectic? Yes. Does it get out of hand some times? Yes. Does it freak my wife out when it happens? Yes. but this is all part of my job as an entertainer, writer, director, actor etc. my fans are the ones who buy my DVD and support Wicked Carnival Productions. Stay Humble means even when you have 50 people asking you to sign DVD's take pictures etc. and you want to go home and sleep, stand there and fill their requests because a week from now you could be where you were a year ago with no one knowing who you are.
The first time someone ever asked me for my autograph I was in the grocery store with my wife we were looking at some tomatoes when this girl walked up and said "Are You Jamie Santamore"? I said "yes I am" She said "I've been following your movie on facebook and twitter, I can't wait for it to come on on Halloween, do you think I could have your autograph" ? I pulled out a business card and a pen and signed it for her and she said "Thank You" and I thanked her for her support and she walked away. It was fun and cool to have it happen in my small town. I have received autograph requests from all over the globe, it's nice to have such a global fan base.
I stay humble because I know where I started, when no one believed in me and thought I was crazy for thinking I could make a movie in Maine, I know how much I have had to overcome, many setbacks that would cause others to just quit and go back to what they were doing before they got this crazy idea. and after everything I have been through to get to where I am right now I still stay hungry
STAY HUNGRY is something that really is important to me because I'm a motivated person an example of this would be about half way through filming Sins of Man : Rise of Mortis I started thinking about how I could make Sins of Man II : Vengeance better. and once Rise of Mortis was released I started working on four new scripts. I always want to stay hungry and never rest for too long on what I have done in the past because I want to grow as an artist .
Are MONEY and FAME my ultimate goal ? Hell no ! would having a huge house and a fast car, and having more money then I could possibly spend make life easier? sure it would but it also presents more problems then I want to deal with. I want make movies for the sake of leaving my mark on the world of film, for fans who love watching movies and f money and fame come with it then I will cross that bridge when I get to it
STAY HUMBLE, STAY HUNGRY :)