Omar Mora Earning His Triple-Threat Status: Producer, Writer & Actor
Juggling A Medical Career and Staying True To His Art
By Elia Esparza
As if he hadn’t achieved enough Omar Mora a medical doctor, pushed the envelope further by earning his Hollywood triple-threat status with 30 Days With My Brother, an independent film he wrote, produced and stars in. A poignant drama about two estranged brothers, starring Mora and Adrián Núñez, who reunite after a 17-year separation, but struggle to get beyond the tragedy that tore them apart. 30 Days With My Brother, directed by Michael May, premieres on April 6th at the LatinoMediaVisions (LMV) event at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. For information on LMV premiere, Click Here
30 Days With My Brother rolls out nationwide on April 8th at select AMC Theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Orlando. The film also stars Stefy Garcia, Evelyn Michelle, Amy Schloerb and Enrique Fosse. Written by Mora and produced by Moras Productions and M&F Entertainment.
Puerto Rican-born Mora studied medicine and while halfway through his residency in New York City decided he would also study acting and filmmaking. We recently caught up with him to ask about his unique background and how it came about.
Latin Heat: Tell us about how 911 changed your future. You’re a doctor and now you’re also a screenwriter, producer and actor. How? Why?
Omar Mora: I was doing my residency in New York City at St. Vincent’s Hospital in nearby Greenwich Village, when the towers were hit. I was one of the doctors working at one of the trauma bays at Ground Zero. We mostly handled burn victims. Being right there in the middle of this war zone was surreal to me. I found myself in an out-of-body experience as if I was watching it all out side of this bloody area. And right there in the middle of this unbelievable tragedy it hit me, life is just one, so live it! Life is just too short not to pursue or live out all of your dreams. After my life settled down a bit, I enrolled at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts to study acting. Eventually, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my acting.
LH: Once in L.A., the life of an actor can be challenging financially and emotionally, how did you manage it because you were still a working physician?
OM: I worked for myself. I opened up a medical office and gave myself a flexible schedule to allow me to go out on auditions and acting classes. It wasn’t easy, but having a profession where I could hang my shingle on and work only as needed, gave me more freedom. Working as both a doctor and as an actor-filmmaker really is a blessing.
LH: Medicine and writing have really come together for you, hasn’t it?
OM: It just comes natural because both the science of medicine and writing has always been a passion. When 30 Days started to evolve, the writing process was organic, so naturally my role in the film developed into a medical doctor.
LH: You started your second career as a writer. Tells us about that.
OM: My desire and passion to get stories out drove me to write six feature film scripts in 2012. And, in 2013, I wrote my first literary novel, Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru based on one of my film scripts. I will continue acting and writing until I die. That’s what I enjoy and fulfills me in life. Also, my company Moras Productions produced our first short film A Busy Mind, which was distributed by PBS in 2014.
LH: 30 Days With My Brother is about two brothers who are estranged. Why this topic?
OM: Because the bond of brothers is the perfect love in the sense that no matter where they are or how old they are or what happened between them, brothers will love and protect each other to the end.
LH: What do you hope audiences take away with them after watching 30 Days?
OM: That family is the most important. And, if you have a bad relationship with your sibling and/or your parents because something happened in the past, you better reconcile with them and forgive. Don’t wait for the other to do it before you, you should not wait. Sometime life doesn’t give you the time to do it, the time is now.
LH: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
OM: I see myself making movies, writing, acting and producing. I have six other great scripts that I will do. Especially, I’m looking forward to do the superhero script I wrote. It’s an original story and I can’t wait to see it in the big screen. Yep, I want to be a superhero! Also I will do medicine more freely, because I will do it for free and bringing it to the communities that needs it.
Thank you Omar and congratulations on your first feature film. It is poignant drama that hits all the challenges of a family dynamic.
Mora, a generous and compassionate philanthropist has been the spokesperson and a medical volunteer of Selva In Action, a non-profit organization that works in the Amazon Jungle in Peru.
Follow 30 Days With My Brother on social media: Twitter: @30DaysBrother Facebook: https://www.facebookcom/30dayswithmybrother IG: @30DaysWithMyBrother
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