Last Updated on April 7, 2021
Actor Andy Magro went from living in a small town in Germany to being surrounded by some of Hollywood’s finest. One of Andy’s most prominent roles as an actor was in the 2011 Golden Globe-nominated film A Dangerous Method. In it, Andy played son of Sigmund Freud, Jean-Martin alongside Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender. Andy says being chosen for the role of Jean-Martin has served to provide him with a constant source of inspiration and motivation. Mostly based in Europe, Andy has appeared in numerous German feature films, TV shows and series, short films, commercials and print ads. Additionally, Andy is an Intellifluence top influencer in Germany. You can learn more about Andy on social media or on his website at Andymagro.com.
Can you give us the brief back story of how you became an actor?
Well it’s a little bit complicated because I started acting when I was twelve years old. As I was born and I grew up in Germany the problem was that I am living in Stuttgart in the south of Germany and Stuttgart is not a common film city. You know, the movies will be shot in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne so I had the difficulty to move there or to take just for an addition and so I started to going to some auditions there and many parents helped me with that of course. Then an agency, my first German agency, contacted me and they signed me and then I started with small roles, and then supporting roles, and following to leading roles in German TV series like SOKO Leipzig, Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst.
I think in America it’s called America’s most wanted, and SOKO Leipzig is like CSI, the crime TV series and then I participated in different kind of commercials. But my biggest role and the break into the international film business was definitely when I had the audition for Dangerous Method with Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender in the leading roles [and] it was just awesome that I could take part in this audition. I went there in Cologne just for ten minutes and then they told me ‘we will let you know.’ Okay then I drove four hours with the trade for ten minutes audition and I was just like “okay I won’t get the role”. But then after a week I got a call that David Cronenberg booked me and I was completely freaking out and [that is] because the problem in America is you need all the permissions to work like a one visa or green card or you are an American. So my sister is American she was born in New York and my parents lived in New York for ten years but I don’t have the citizenship. So I have the German and the Italian one and the thing is that I am not allow able to work in The US so my luck was that Hollywood came to me instead that I came to Hollywood
At what point did you branch out into influencer marketing? And when was your “ah-ha” moment when you determined influencer marketing was a viable revenue stream?
Well I think without social media nowadays it won’t be possible to go ahead cause even the producers and the directors, casting directors, and every person who is in charge in the entertainment business they are looking for sharing. So if I have a lot of followers I am in contact with many people all around the world there is a big possibility that the movie will get a high visibility and this will make sure this will sell tickets so the production will earn a lot of money, And I think even if you think on a private sector if I won’t use social media how do i get in contact with everyone else because if we don’t have the people who are watching us why do we do films, why are we shooting it doesn’t make sense then. So I just have to thank all the people who are supporting me, who are watching me, or following me because without them no one in the public area would work.
As a successful influencer, actor, music artist, model, philanthropist … I’m sure the list goes on… How do you structure your average day to accomplish as much as you can in an efficient manner?
Just doing it. You know, you don’t have to think you just have to do what you feel to do and if it feels right then probably it is right. There are some days when it is really difficult because I am just waking up and I am telling myself what should I do today in order to be more successful than I was yesterday. And I just realized it a month ago when I founded my own foundation and this is a great chance for me to show other people that I want to give back what they give me.
I think every celebrity or person who works in this is business or also people who just do a normal job should pay more attention to social causes, should make donations, should participate more in this kind of thing because it could happen everywhere something very bad like catastrophes. you need [to] just help. I can get every help – I would like to get any help which is possible to get.
You started the Andry Magro Foundation with the goal of speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves and helping those who can’t stand up by themselves. Can you tell us about some of the causes your foundation supports?
Well in the first instant I support the WWF the campaign safe tigers now with Leonardo DiCaprio because he definitely is my idol since I was a kid. He’s the reason why I started my foundation. He is a great actor and he does a lot for people so that’s why I started my foundation because I said to myself “hey he does a great job let’s support him” and that’s the first cause I support. Then my foundation works in every kind of sector really every kind of sector.
If I get let’s say I get a thousand dollars of donations I won’t give those thousand dollars to just one charity but I will split the amount and divide it into let’s say twenty thirty different charities in every different sector like animal welfare, poverty, meristem protection, animal protection, homeless people, kids who don’t have a home or have problems, the environment, so every sector.
What does 2019 have in store for Andy Magro?
I have some auditions upcoming for international for an Italian feature film I just can’t name the name of the movie of course. Sorry for that. Then different kinds of German products as I have a new German agency. We just starting out to elaborate some projects and in a month I will be at Berlinale in Berlin so this is very important for me because it’s my first one I attend and I hope to create some new connections there because networking is another great thing we can do. Also I have the possibility to speak about my foundation and so making and creating some projects for my foundation during 2019. Then some shootings for different kind of magazines on Italian magazine and well let’s see what 2019 has for me.
Where do you see influencer marketing in the next five years or so?
Really good question. You caught me. Well I think like I said before social media is the future because every every every child has a mobile phone. So my nephew for example I think was seven , eight when he got his mobile phone so they can use it better than my parents and that’s the point. Very young people start to navigate and use Instagram and Facebook and other apps and I think everything will be Internet.
Internet is [a] great future [because[ without internet I wouldn’t know what companies would do or even me as a person. There wouldn’t Netflix for example and I think commercials like we know them will get less because publicity will be done in my opinion via social media. So let’s say I don’t know M & M’s for example will pick an influencer, an actor, or someone else and they will share it with social media instead of TV or movies. Cause I think that Instagram and all the other social media apps people use them then going to movies or watching TV. I know a lot of people who don’t have a tv for example. I don’t know how they do it. I think social media is really important and it [will continue to] get more important [with every year] that passes.
Andrew is the Head of Client Services for Intellifluence and has a background in communications. He is committed to helping brands get the most out of their campaigns and is the co-host of the Influencer Spotlight series.
