Delpaneaux Wills is an US actor, raised in Sierra Leone West Africa. Upon his return to the states, a teenage Delpaneaux struggled with his love of 3 things; football, acting and medicine. In the end, acting won out! Since then Delpaneaux had acted on stage and screen with roles in “Darktown”, ” The E-ring and the original Lifetime movie, and ” Chasing a Dream”. We recently chatted with Delpaneaux about what’s new with him.

Mandy: You had a decision to make between, medicine and acting, and you chose acting, why?

Delpaneaux: In college I played football at San Diego State and transferred to graduate with my BA in Micro Biology from Whittier College. I was well on my way to becoming a doctor but then I changed by mind. I was an EMT and a Microbiologist but this was not my passion. I went to college with actors Geoff and George Stults. So I went up to Los Angeles, to hang out with them. After being around them, then hanging with my cousins actor Arvie Lowe Jr and producer Richard Harding, my eyes were opened. Acting seemed like fun and something that would help me reach people in all areas of life by doing great films. I enrolled myself in an acting class and shortly after that, I was blessed to audition and quickly booked my first lead in a vampire film called Dark Town. I played the character of “Rakeem”. I have been in love with acting ever since then. It seemed I had my father’s knack for acting as he was a theater actor in college.

Mandy: You’ve worked in TV, Film, Web Series, Video Games, etc., what has been your favorite outlet so far?

Delpaneaux: I have enjoyed film because most of the films that I have done have given me the opportunity to fully mold into a character. I also love to do Voice Over work. I was some of the African voices in the hit video game Modern Warfare 3.

Mandy: Is there any area that you have yet to work in, that you would like to?

Delpaneaux: I would like to direct film at some point in the future.

Mandy: “Sand Sharks”,a SyFy movie you worked on was recently released on DVD, and you also worked on a second SyFy movie called “Desert Storm” can you tell us about your roles in those movies?

Delpaneaux: In Sand Sharks I played the character of “Willie” the social media guy. He is the sidekick of Jimmy Greene who is played by Corin Nemec. Willie is the fun loving, fly off the cuff sort of person who is smart yet a little crude at times.

In Desert Storm, I play a meteorologist named “Fishel”. This film is about the end of the world in the film 2012 with a bunch of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The people in the film have to build ships, etc. to survive, yet there is a lottery system to make it on the boats. My character sees the storm first and I have to tell them how to survive.

Mandy: You were at Comic Con to promote Draven, a graphic novel you are part of, can you tell us more about your involvement in that? Was this your first Comic Con? How was it?

Delpaneaux: Draven is a graphic novel that is set in an alternate universe where the characters are based on historical figures of time such as Napoleon, Hitler, and Caesar. My character, “Skul” is a cyborg from the future that crash lands on an earth-like planet in that Alternate Universe. The story is told through my memories as my character becomes more human and moves through the story.

Comic Con was insane. I have been a fan on comics ever since I was a child. I recall reading Thor and Captain America with my grandfather. This was the first chance that I had to make it down to San Diego. It was great to see all types of people who came to Comic Con from hard core people who dressed up to regular families with their children.

Mandy: You did all your own stunts for the Hallmark movie, “Chasing A Dream”, do you like doing your own stunts?

Delpaneaux: I love doing my own stunts. For Chasing a Dream I did all of my own stunts. Since it was a track film I had to draw from my days in high school competitions running track and field. All of the extras were pushing me to run faster and it was over 100 degrees so we were exhausted.

Mandy: Do you like to use Facebook and Twitter to interact with fans and to promote projects?

Delpaneaux: I utilize Facebook /FB Fan Page and Twitter to get the most out of my social networking. I like to use it because I can reach a lot of people and share all of the projects that I am involved in. I just created an event for the upcoming premiere of Sand Sharks through Facebook in order to promote it.

Mandy: What’s your favorite movie?

Delpaneaux: Don’t laugh but my favorite film is The Princess Bride.

Mandy: What would your dream role be?

Delpaneaux: I would love to do a role where you engulf yourself in a character for 18 months to 2 years such as Lord of the Rings, whether it is a Western, Medieval or Period Piece. I would also like to do a film that changes peoples lives; a role that people want to go home and call their friends about. I would love to be a series regular on The Walking Dead!

Mandy: Any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?

Delpaneaux: Yes thanks. Besides Sand Sharks showing on September 8th on SyFy channel. I just finished a film called The Unbreakable Sword, staring Eric Roberts and I. A period piece based in Kenya in 1914 when the Germans and English occupied Kenya. I play the character of “Rovumba” a local Kenyan that is loyal to the Germans. This film is about a British Officer and his missionary niece that trek across dangerous East African terrain pursued by the enemy natives intent on stopping them from reaching the distant outpost.

I have a film that I just finished called Use Me Up. I play “Obi”. The film is about giving up power. I play a lawyer that is the best of what he does. He is in charge all of the time at work yet when he goes home he lets his girlfriend dominate him. His family and friend do not understand his need to relinquish control.

Check out more about Delpaneaux at his official website and social networks… click here
 


SAND SHARKS PREMIERES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012 AT 7/6C ON SYFY

Prehistoric sand tiger sharks attack a wild beach party following an underwater earthquake.

Cast includes Stargate SG-1’s Corin Nemec, Brooke Hogan, Vanessa Lee Evigan, Eric Scott Woods, Gina Holden, Edgar Allan Poe IV, Robert Pike Daniel, Hilary Cruz, Delpaneaux Wills, Julie Marie Berman, Jack Kennedy and Andrea Pineda.

Interview by Mandy Raytik