He’s in two of the films nominated for Best Picture at this weekend’s Academy Awards—as well a movie still in theaters across the country—but you won’t catch Mike Malvesti on the red carpet.
You’ll catch him, instead, quietly working to keep Milton Academy beautiful and safe.
Malvesti, a member of the Facilities Services team, has found his niche as a film and television actor, a side job that has had him rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood’s most esteemed stars. There he is in American Fiction, playing a police officer; in The Holdovers, hawking Christmas trees to Paul Giamatti; in The Town, playing the guard of an armored car that Ben Affleck targeted for a heist; in “Madame Web” as a trucker. Malvesti also scored a recurring role on the HBO series Julia* as Benny, Julia Childs’ cameraman. You might have seen him in popular commercials, as a detective in Boston Strangler, or going toe-to-toe with Rosamund Pike in I Care a Lot. See his full filmography and a sizzle reel on IMDB (be advised, some of the clips feature violence and adult language).
At Milton, Malvesti is a key member of the best facilities team in the business, providing landscaping services and plowing roads and walkways in the winter. He takes acting jobs in his free time.
A lifelong movie lover, Malvesti made his way onto the big screen through a combination of proximity and persistence: He noticed just how often the Boston area is used for filming, and began auditioning at open casting calls. As a native of neighboring Quincy, Malvesti’s authentic Boston accent—an accent that trips up even the most talented thespians—and blue-collar roots have made him perfect for certain film and TV roles.
“If you absolutely want to do it, and you can’t see yourself doing anything else, then just do it,” he told the Patriot Ledger recently. “Just keep at it.”
*Speaking of Julia, Milton had its own cameo in the series—the campus was used as a filming location. Milton Academy has also served as a backdrop in The Witches of Eastwick, The Social Network, and The Box, as well as several commercials.
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