The acting graduate's latest movie role has the potential to open new doors.
Daniel Marin ’06 is not new to the spotlight. But his latest movie role has the potential to open new doors for the acting graduate.
Marin is one of the lead actors in the Costa Rican film “Presos” (Prisoners), which is among the more than 81 titles that have been nominated for “Best Foreign Language Film” at the 88th Academy Awards this year.
Voting for the Oscar nominations begins Dec. 30, and Marin will find out if “Presos” will continue in the process in January. “Competing for an Oscar is a long shot for any film,” he says. “But it’s amazing to be in the running for it.”
Whatever the outcome, Marin will continue to forge his own path. Prior to his arrival at Elon, he was on his way to playing professional soccer in Brazil. After an injury, he decided to fully commit himself to acting and began taking acting workshops. “I’ve been interested in acting my entire life,” he says. “I was always the clown in the family; I always wanted to perform.”
At Elon, he pursued different interests. A quote by James Dean inspired him to be as well-rounded a person as possible in order to be a better actor, and he still uses the lessons learned from classes in and outside of his program. “I wanted to learn something, not just how to perform in front of people,” Marin says. “If you’re just doing acting, that’s very limiting. To be a good actor, you have to live your life.” What he learned at Elon was the foundation of who he is as an actor. “I don’t think I’d be as good as I am if I hadn’t [gone to college]. Having gone to Elon was the beginning of who I am.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2006, Marin began his career with a recurring role on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He found success in commercials, and is also the official voice in Spanish for a fast-food company. His film career was launched when he starred in the 2008 award winning film, “El Primo” (The Cousin). Despite his many accomplishments, Marin says he doesn’t think he would consider himself a “success.”
“I think success in this industry is what you make of it,” Marin says. “Do I feel successful? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But I think that’s part of the fun, and I know if I keep walking down this path, eventually I’ll be able to call myself ‘successful.’”
Marin lives in New York City, where he will direct his first film in 2016 and hopes to focus on writing his own pieces.