JOE MANTELLO

Photography by Luke Fontana

@lukefontana

Hair by Adrien Alcantar

@adrianalcantar_

Styled by Max Cadillac

@itsmaxcadillac

It’s a typical Hollywood story. A bright-eyed young man from Rockford, Ill., makes it to Los Angeles with high hopes, big dreams, and the talent to take him all the way to the top. Not everyone can say they’ve had two huge blockbusters in a single summer, but if you know Joe Mantello’s backstory, you’ll know the actor and director is no overnight success.

Mantello’s body of work in theater over the last, a two-part play about HIV in 1980s New York City, is still revered and discussed in acting classes across the country. Of course, acting in the play was a prelude to what ultimately became a long and rewarding directing career.