Austin Rappold

Austin Rappold grew up in a small town in NJ called Vernon. There wasn't much to do in Vernon since it was mostly woods so naturally him and his friends had to use their imaginations a lot to think of things to do. At home, He lived with his mother, father, and brother. His Mother worked for UPS until 2000 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. Austin was three at the time. It wasn't until he was eight years old that he realized his brother Danny had Aspergers which is a condition on the Autism spectrum. Austin's father Daniel was a hardworking electrician who introduced him to movies at a young age. Movies were a way for Austin to escape everything. Any problems at home or worries he had, left when he was watching a movie, he was obsessed. himself and his friends began to make films that they would later show to their families for fun. They weren't good, but they didn't care, they just wanted to create stories. In addition to movies, he was very passionate about music and taught himself to play the guitar. Austin hated school and had zero confidence when he was young. The school was just a place for him to get bullied by older kids, and get told to do things he had no interest in. It wasn't until he started playing sports and training in martial arts that his confidence would grow. Throughout Highschool, Austin played football, Sprinted in track, and became the captain of the varsity wrestling team. Through all of this, he gained tremendous confidence. Unfortunately, confidence wasn't enough for Austin to deal with problems at home. To Austin It felt like every weekend he was taking his mother to the hospital or taking care of his brother because his mother was too sick to. All of this forced him to grow up fast. he had to find outlets. Austin started traveling to New York City for auditions when he was nineteen years old. At first, it was going smooth, he was getting parts and building his resume until the spring of 2017. Almost a year had gone by and he hadn't gone on a single audition. he knew it was time for a change. Austin signed up for acting classes that fall and trained all fall and winter, things felt like they were going in a good direction. It was 3 a.m. on a January morning when Austin was awakened by his father's voice yelling for him. He jumped out of bed and ran to his parent's room where he saw his mother lying on the floor convulsing from a seizure. She hadn't had one since Austin was a baby. Following the flashing lights of the ambulance was a moment he'd never forget. Austin and his father questioned whether or not they would speak to his mother again. Once they arrived at the hospital immediately a code grey was announced over the speakers as they watched all of the doctors rush to his mother's hospital room. They were moved to the waiting room where Austin saw his father cry for the first time. Finally, after a few hours, a doctor had emerged from the E.R. to inform them that Austin's mother was going to be okay. This night changed Austin's perspective on life and made him realize how precious it is. He said to himself "enough is enough" He was done waiting for someone to tell him that he's good enough, he knew his worth. Austin sat down at his desk, wrote a screenplay, and created his own film. "The Girl" would be the title. Austin directed it over three days with a non-existent budget. "The Girl" is currently on a festival run, it has won a few awards and will be screened at a few festivals. He's very proud of this and will continue to create. Show less «