Actor Turns Hollywood Hills Break-in Into Indie Film Showcase

“The man was wearing a button-down shirt and pants, dressed as if he was coming home from work,” Salazar tells FishbowlLA. “The cops later told me experienced thieves dress like that to blend in with the neighborhood.”

“That’s one of the angles we explore in The Insomniac,” he continues, referring to the resulting film set to premiere at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatres on June 6 as part of the Dances With Films festival. “Anyone can just waltz into your home and dramatically change your life in one quick second. And it’s usually the more inconspicuous individuals.”

Salazar plays John Figg, a man who seemingly has it all until a break-in turns his life upside-down. Ironically, the only reason in real life that Salazar, who also produced the film, was home at the time was a last-minute change involving an earlier movie project.

“We had a meeting scheduled with the publicist of another film I was working on,” he recalls. “We were supposed to meet with one of our actors regarding press and PR strategies. The actor had a last-minute conflict and had to miss the meeting, so we canceled altogether.”

Salazar still lives in the same Hollywood Hills home. He says he likes the neighborhood enough to deal with the memories of that fateful morning. On the other hand, the Miami native may not be spending quite as much time on Hollywood Blvd. beyond the night of the big Dances With Films premiere.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, a man jumped me out of nowhere and stole my phone from my hands in the middle of Hollywood Blvd.,” Salazar (pictured) reveals. “I hear that’s becoming a common problem. People are getting robbed for their phones. I didn’t even have a chance to react. Luckily, it happened so fast that I ended up with a couple of minor scratches and nothing more.”

Salazar is also currently at work on a book titled The Change Revolution, about how he dealt with the tragedy of losing, all before the age of 25, his parents, step-parents and grandparents. “I try to write a little more each day,” he says. “I want this book to be as insightful and thought-provoking as possible, so I make sure everything in it has substance.”

“The book deals with the difficulty in accepting change in one’s life, particularly when the change can be viewed in the moment as awful or unfair. I write about the grief of losing many loved ones year after year after year; the pain it brings, the anger, the loneliness, and ultimately, the acceptance. I want people to read it and relate, and to understand that even in the toughest of times, something good is right around the corner.”

The Insomniac was directed by Monty Miranda, winner of an audience award at SXSW in 2009 for his debut Skills Like This, and features John Heard in the role of Figg’s boss. More info on the film here.