Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with actor, model, and philanthropist Rick Mora. Mr. Mora has had a long and varied career, he is perhaps most recognized for his role as “Ephraim Black” in the worldwide blockbuster Twilight. However he has appeared in many other movies and shorts throughout the years, Mr. Mora is a friendly guy who was gracious enough to chat with me and talk about his life, career and being a Native American in Hollywood. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Born Richard Mora to a very young Yaqui and Apache mother. She was a hippy and I spent the first seven years of my life on a cattle farm without running water or electricity. I graduated college and spend 25 years as a teacher. One of my best friends encouraged me to pursue acting and modeling. The rest is history.
You have had a varied and successful career, spanning modeling, film, and TV, which aspect have you enjoyed the most?
I have loved it ALL!! Modeling was great when I was young and I had so much to learn. The travel was insane and I loved getting to experience places that most people only dream of visiting. I also love getting a movie in an interesting location where I have to stay onset for an extended period of time. Television roles usually keeps me local so I can go home at the end of the day. Personally, I think I like movies the best because I get to experience new places, cultures, and ideas.
Have you visited any interesting or unusual locations for your work?
I have been very blessed. I can honestly say that the entertainment industry provided me with experiences I would have never imagined. Traveling around the world over and over has to be the ultimate experience. I have ridden bareback through the hills of Argentina, run through the jungles in Brazil, walked the streets of Spain, floated through Amsterdam canals and eaten schnitzel in Germany.
You have a role in the upcoming film “Red Man’s View” can you tell me a little bit about what role you will play?
This is an interesting question. I can’t really tell you anything about Red Man’s View other than my character name is KUTTUPPUIH KWINAA and Thomas is a nice man with a great vision for a cast and a concept. He is one of many who work endlessly to bring their visions to reality. It’s very common to sign on to projects in their early stages. Some projects make it to the screen but many don’t. It’s the nature of the entertainment business. This is one of the many projects I’m working on that I hope make it to the screen someday.
What is your favorite movie or TV role you have played?
Most people expect me to say Ephraim Black in the flashback sequence from Twilight. That’s the role that changed my entire life, but I would have to say my favorite role would be Brother Wolf in my classic B western horror film: The Dead and the Damned. It was also an honor to work opposite Ben Chaplin in this amazing movie called: Little Boy. How many can say they have been in a movie blessed by the Arch Bishop and the Pope himself?
There are many Native Americans in Hollywood, Is the Native American acting community close-knit?
I would like to think so. We all know one another and social media has made it easier than ever to stay connected. I have been in this business for over 25 years and at some point, you end up working with everyone. Not everyone is in Hollywood. We are spread out from Canada to New Mexico and beyond, but we all keep one another in mind when working on projects and we all try to be supportive.
What is your favorite movie?
I can’t begin to pinpoint a favorite movie. I wanted to become an actor as a child watching Ricky Schroeder in The Champ. I loved all the brat pack generation films, the comedy of Mel Brooks and the Star Wars compilations…before computers ruined the franchise. I guess my favorites change with my moods.
Switching gears, a bit now, you describe yourself as a “spiritual pathfinder” can you tell me a little bit about that?
I have been working extensively over the last few years on providing guidance and inspiration to those in need. It covers a very large platform, pulling from many different aspects of life such as Spiritual Faith, religion, science, culture and current trends. I like to provide information that speaks to the soul. People seek understandings through titles, so I came up with Spiritual Pathfinder. I am neither a shaman nor a psychic. I do possess some darn good intuitive skills. Most people have great intuition if they simply took the time to listen and learn how to empathize with those around them. I am very blessed to also walk the red road with a tribal elder which lends a significant amount of insight to the understanding of a person’s spirit.
I want to thank Rick Mora for taking that time for this interview. To learn more about Rick Mora and his career check out his website here or follow him on Social Media on Instagram and Twitter