Matthew Toffolo interviewed Elvis Maleko about his first short film “The Aloha Within,” which he wrote, directed, and acted in. Elvis explained how he was born on August 20th, 1977 – the same day Elvis Presley died – and was named after the iconic singer by his Hawaiian parents, who were big fans. He discussed his background in entertainment, including performing fire knife dancing for 25 years and being part of a traveling luau show family that performed across the mainland. The film explores the behind-the-scenes struggles of a Polynesian performer named Mark dealing with personal tragedy while preparing for a luau show, with all the dancing scenes representing Mark’s internal thoughts and emotions. Elvis revealed his connection to professional wrestling through his uncle Afa Anoa’i (one of the Wild Samoans) and discussed his decision to retire from performing to focus on filmmaking. He expressed interest in making more films, including potentially expanding “The Aloha Within” into a series with help from his family connections in Hawaii and among writers from shows like Breaking Bad.
https://www.instagram.com/elvis_maleko
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