Michael Lombardi is an actor, producer, and musician. Michael first achieved widespread attention as a series regular playing a young firefighter in the critically acclaimed FX series, Rescue Me. Some of Michael’s other television credits include Blue Bloods (NBC), Castle (ABC), and CSI Miami (CBS). Movie credits include 2015’s Last Knights with Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman, the independent feature film, Cayman Went, and the Oxygen networks’, Banshee. Michael can also be seen in the HBO series, The Deuce, and the indie feature film, Central Park. When not acting, Michael can be found on a tennis court or performing his original music.
With his latest project, Sno Babies, Michael takes on the dual role of actor and producer. Set in a middle-class suburban town, Sno Babies takes a look at addiction in a seemingly unlikely place.
On September 8th, 2020, Matthew Barouch spoke with Lombardi about his experience making the film.
One of the first things I noticed besides your role as Matt in the movie is that you’re also a producer on the film. What was your experience balancing those two hats and how did it impact your performance and the movie?
I started out producing small plays in New York City and that’s how I caught my break as an actor. Denis Leary’s assistant came to see a play that I had produced called Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley. Denis has been a big mentor to me. We first did a show together on ABC called The Job, then another show on Comedy Central, and finally Rescue Me, which went for seven seasons. It was a heck of a ride and he was a producer and actually the star of Rescue Me as well, so I realized how much I learned from all those years of being with him – not only on set for the 100 episodes we did, but even previous to that.
With this film Sno Babies, I was actually first brought on as an actor, then I was asked by the writer, Michael Walsh, and the director, Bridget Smith, to come on as a producer. I really thought they were winners. I loved the way they ran their set and I liked their work ethic, their commitment to the story, and their commitment to the message to tell the story. I then brought the film to Allen Kovac. He is very closely affiliated with Nikki Sixx, the bass player from Mötley Crüe, and they are both on the board of the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI).
Sno Babies is the first feature of Better Noise Films, Allen Kovac’s new company. Allen brought all these incredible musicians together for the soundtrack and the song “Maybe It’s Time.” The song is going to be a vehicle for our message and he’s giving all his proceeds to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI).
Being a producer and an actor is not easy, but it is easy if you can’t do anything else, meaning you’re so committed to the story and the project that there’s nothing else I can do with my life when I find something I’m this into. I look back now at all the work that’s been done and say, “Wow. I can’t believe that.” I think this film will bring awareness. Let’s say, at the least, could save lives, but it’s definitely a journey.
I think that’s a very inspiring attitude. Tell me a little bit more about the partnership between Sno Babies, Better Noise Films, and the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation. You talked a little bit about how that collaboration came to be, but can you tell me more about what the hope is, what that will entail?
Better Noise Film’s profit on Sno Babies is all going to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI), including the artists’ royalties from the soundtrack. Additionally, Better Noise is matching the contributions to that. Global Recovery Initiative is the first and only national community foundation dedicated to, and funding support to, people with substance abuse disorders. They are lowering reuse, reducing the stigma and just creating a place where people can go for help.
Better Noise is an independent content creation company. For over a decade there has been Better Noise Music, of course, and now we’ve started a film division in which I’m head of production.
My band Apache Stone had a record deal back in 2009. My band was also written into Rescue Me and we did a few charity events. Allen and I became friends from those events and we always said, “Hey, we have to do something.” When I was working on this film as an actor, I was with Allen and Nikki Six and told them about the project. This was when there was no trailer for the movie. There was only a story that I was working on.
Then Allen called me on a Sunday and said, “Come over.” Five hours later, we were sitting in his den and his son came in and said, “Dad, come on it’s Sunday! Let’s do something.” Allen jumped right in. Allen and I worked it a bit and he made some incredible comments as a producer of where he wanted this to go in order to spread the word. He really put his touch on it and here we are.
Let’s talk about the relationship between music and storytelling for a minute. I’m actually also a singer-songwriter in a band, and I’m fascinated by how music can be used in storytelling. What do you think the music in this film lends to the storytelling and the overall impact?
First, I think that all the musicians involved with this film who have stepped up and supported it have first-hand experience. For instance, Tommy Vext from Bad Wolves, obviously Nikki Sixx from Sixx:A.M. and Mötley Crüe, and also Amanda Lyberg from the band, Eva Under Fire. Her family was directly affected, as are most people I speak to about this story. When you’re consumed by something, you can’t help but talk about it. Everyone has a story. I think first and foremost, they all really hold this cause close to their heart and the songs are tailor-fit for the film.
For me, lyrically and musically, the mood and the message fit, but the beauty is when you capture that on film. Obviously the score and the song placement needs to enhance the story of what the actors are telling in that scene. That’s where Allen comes in. He’ll place the music in different parts depending on the message being sent in that scene. And again, music is storytelling. All these artists are telling a story with their song. The beauty is also that a song, lyrically and emotionally, can mean one thing to the songwriters and can be interpreted differently by the listeners. There’s a vibe. Allen will say things like “More drums here,” or “Let’s start with a bigger guitar riff” to catch and enhance this moment of an actor. I think he’s really amazing having been a music manager for 40 years, representing all these incredible bands.
I’ll go a step further and tell you that in this new film that we’re doing together, The Retaliators, not only do we have all these musicians doing this soundtrack, but they also make cameos. Five Finger Death Punch is one of the bands and they play a motorcycle gang. And the thing is, it’s not gratuitous. It’s not like you’d watch and be like, “Oh jeez. Is this an ad for Five Finger Death Punch?” If you didn’t know the band, you wouldn’t know that they are a band. There are eight incredible cameos. I’m one of the leads with Marc Menchaca from Ozark and Joseph Gatt from Game of Thrones. We’re pretty close to finishing now, but the point I was making is that these musicians, taking these acting parts, killed it. They were incredible because they’re storytellers. They’re committed when they go in. So, I think the two go hand in hand. For me as an actor, sometimes I’ll listen to a song to motivate me for a scene.
I understand that entirely. You mentioned how all the people involved in this either have personal experience with this epidemic or know someone who has. For those who maybe don’t have as much experience with something like that, is there anything you hope the film will teach or shed light on?
Yes. First what I would like to say is that when you’re watching this film, you could say, “Oh come on. This is crazy. This didn’t happen,” in the moment. That’s certainly not the message. But I guess the broad story here is that this is true to life. You may watch the movie and think it’s not. If you do your research, you’ll see that it is. I think the way this story needs to be told, it has to have a touch of Hollywood or else it wouldn’t be entertaining. However, this film is true to life. A beautiful young girl is taking her SATs and her parents are being so supportive of her and wanting the best. They’re so caught in trying to make her life great that they’re not able to see some of the things that’s going on right under their nose and how horrible it is. So, I think you can learn from that because that happens. I’m not even just saying with opioids and heroin, but it can happen with anything.
The other message important to me is that people who can get over this can go on to do great things. I think that’s the message at the end of the film. You can go on. There are people who are ex-addicts or recovered addicts who have gone on to be lawyers and doctors and teachers and great things. For me, and I’ll go out and say this publicly now, it’s terrible to say, but when I thought of heroin years ago, not recently but when I was younger, I thought it was this dirty ugly horrible thing and you don’t think that these are people’s brothers and sisters and sons and daughters and look at it that way. They’re human beings who are smart and can go on to make our world a better place. I’d like people to leave with a touch of that when you hear this story and see that it’s a disease and it can happen to anyone.
Follow the film on social media: @snobabiesmovie #LetsSaveLives
Visit the website: www.snobabiesmovie.com
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity by Silvana Truppi and Taylor Taglianetti.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER
Matthew Barouch is a musician and singer-songwriter from Staten Island, New York. He is the rhythm guitarist, lead singer, and songwriter for the rock band Above the Sun. You can listen to Above the Sun’s music on all digital music platforms and watch their music videos on YouTube. Matthew graduated with a degree in psychology from Princeton University in 2016.
Instagram: @bandabovethesun
Website: www.abovethesun.com
Empty Words music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yAJStceLeQ