Check Out Mateo Palmitier’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mateo Palmitier

Hi Mateo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I basically came out of the womb a 6 ft, 300 lb lineman, so football was an easy option for this Midwestern kiddo. What I didn’t expect was a total 180 into the world of arts & entertainment.

My own personal Troy Bolton moment began in middle school, where we were required to take a music class; band, orchestra, music history, or choir. I couldn’t be bothered to learn an instrument & I hated all things history, so off to the choir room I went. The plan was to hide in the back row & lip sync, but turns out sooner or later the rhythm is in fact going to get you & when it got me I found out I could actually sing. Who knew? (insert shrug emoji here) It especially took me by surprise considering the hearing loss I developed due to some childhood illness/ surgeries & the fact that I had a hole popped in my lung as an infant so my breathing had always been trash. All in all, it seemed singing was the last thing you’d find me doing.

But, in the infamous words of that one guy from Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way,” & I somehow found my way to the stage.

Later that year I saw my first ever stage musical. That was the final nail in the coffin. I traded in my football pads for some jazz shoes & journeyed into the world of theatre. Senior year I attended an open call for the national production of the show, Hairspray, & spent the better part of the next year flying across the country for rehearsals & tour.

After tour I was invited to LA to work with the House of Mouse, but chose to give life the good ole fashioned college try instead. I spent the next two years studying classical & jazz voice at Western Michigan University before transferring to Belmont University in Nashville, TN. During that time I began writing & working as a backing vocalist, playing with acts like CeCe Winans, Judah & the Lion, All Sons & Daughters, Anthony Evans, Ben Abraham, Laura Bell Bundy, David Davis, Griffin Peterson, Dwan Hill, & others.

In 2013 I stepped into the artist world for myself & released an EP with songwriter/ producer, Casey Brown, titled, A CALL TO ARMS. A few weeks later I found myself playing music across the pond with some friends & fellow musicians, among who include Russell Dickerson, Daniella Mason, & Skye Reedy.

When we got back to the states I began a domestic tour across the Midwest & Southwest, & then, seemingly out of nowhere I took a sharp right turn into the world of humanitarian aid & disaster relief. I dropped music altogether & spent the next 7-8 years doing everything from youth work to rescue & trauma care for the human trafficked, racial reconciliation, feeding the poor, etc…

I thought I was destined for life on the mission field, so things really took me by surprise when I felt an inner voice calling me back to Nashville in 2021. I spent the next two years quietly working away on a new album with friend & producer, Jesse Harvey, & in 2023 we released the first single from the project. Around the same time I began work on a secondary music project, a collaboration with drummer/ producer, Jared Kneale. titled Saint Elura.

Life only got stranger when I had a seemingly random thought, “I think I miss acting.”

What.
The.
Fudge.

It had been nearly 14 years since I’d done anything acting related, so the very thought of acting was downright alien to me. But, I figured, “Why not? Lets explore it.” And explore it I did.

A few weeks later I found myself in an acting class. A few weeks after that I was on the set of a feature film. While on set some dude asked me, “Do you do stunts?” I shook my head. He replied, “Dang. You look like you should do stunts.” Turns out he was the stunt coordinator. Cool. The next week I found myself in a stunt class & a few months later I booked my first stunt gig.

I spent the next 2 years booking a wide array of projects ranging from music videos to short films to musicals, feature films, yada yada yada… On the one hand, I loved the work. I was grateful for the work. Especially considering the recent WGA & SAG strikes. But on the other hand, something was missing.

I wasn’t booking the types of roles I dreamed of playing. They were good roles. Fun roles. But there were stories stirring inside of me that I wanted to tell. So, I turned to writing & wrote a series of short films, got together with some friends & produced them. It put a bug in me, which led to starting a production company with my buddy, & after producing a series of interviews, commercials, etc… this year we’ll be taking on our first feature film, a script that I’d been developing throughout 2024.

All in all I’d say life is pretty weird. How’d I get to where I am today? I don’t know. I don’t even know where I am most of the time. It’s a bunch of little yeses I guess. Partnered with some giant leaps of faith, & couple of hefty breakdowns, good friends, & wallah! You too can live the ever-so-bizarre life of a hybrid singer-songwriter-actor-stuntman-writer-producer.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? In the words a true millennial… LOL.

This road is WILD. Yeah, sure, sometimes it’s smooth. But other times it’s a gravelly mess. And then there’s those times where it becomes a 16 lane freeway & everyone’s driving on the opposite side & you have no idea what you’re doing, but then suddenly you’re in a 25 & you’re like, “Dear God, can this thing go any faster?”

So, yeah. It’s not smooth, but it’s fun. (mostly)

I think one of the biggest struggles I’ve personally come up against is simply that of myself. Art, whether it be music or acting or writing, is of the self, & because of that it’s inherently vulnerable.

I remember the days following my first EP release were absolutely dreadful. I had this inner critic that wouldn’t shut up. “What have you done? They’re going to see you now. They know you now. It’s out there forever for people to judge. Did you notice so-and-so didn’t share it? They must not have liked it.” Etc, etc…

Being an artist can be tricky because the truth of the matter is that art is subjective. What one person loves another person loathes, so you have to remember to not let yourself rise & fall on the praise & criticisms of other people. You have to know yourself. Know what you stand for. Know what you’re after. And then, at the same time you need to remain open to feedback & advice. That in & of itself can be a struggle… Knowing what advice to take to heart & put into practice, & what advice may be good, but not right for you.

I remember when I was first meeting with different agencies & managers there were a handful of them who liked me but “didn’t know what to do with me.” Some really liked my music, but didn’t know what to do with me as an actor. Some were the opposite. Some wanted me to change my sound or my look or my style to market me a certain way or pitch me for certain types of projects. The thing is, some of their thoughts were valid. I saw the marketing prowess. It made sense. But, it didn’t make sense for who I am & what I personally feel called to, & that’s a struggle. Waiting to partner with the right people who get you can be a struggle.

Beyond my own internal world, there have been so many external factors ranging from the rise of streaming (both musically & in film/ television), an ever-changing social media landscape, the evolution of traditional label deals & surge of indie artists, learning how to be business savvy as a creative, & recently the WGA & SAG strikes.

So yeah, it hasn’t been smooth per say, but it has been an adventure.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Thanks for asking!

A little bit about me… I’m a full-time creative in the world of music, as well as film & television.

I currently have two music/ artist projects in the works. The first is a solo project under my own name, Mateo Palmitier. The second is a synth-wave pop collaboration with my buddy, Jared Kneale, under the moniker, Saint Elura. I’ve been writing & releasing music steadily with both projects over the past two years. My most recent single, “Those I Loved Along the Way,” released on January 10th, 2025, & my next single, “Still Seeing You,” is set to release on February 14th.

I also work as an actor & stuntman. Two years ago I found myself on the set of my first feature film, working with Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, GA. Since then I have landed a handful of other SAG features, & had the incredible privilege of working opposite actors such as Jonah Hauer-King, Zoey Deutch, Kerry Washington, Arden Myrin, Jesse Hutch, Dylan Arnold & others.

Most recently my best-bud & I have launched our own production company. After producing a handful of commercials, interviews, & short films we are excited to step into the narrative world & will be shooting our first feature film later this year. The film is one I wrote in 2024 & I am beyond excited to be co-directing this project with a very talented cast & crew!

What were you like growing up?
Word around the street is that I was born part fish because I basically lived in the water. Most days you’d find me swimming in the pool or walking the creek with a net in hand trying to catch frogs & turtles. Other days you’d find me on my aunt & uncles boat tubing, water skiing, kneeboarding, but definitely not wakeboarding. (I was never able to figure out that sideways board action.)

But, being from Michigan, time on the water was limited since winter was always right around the corner or happening. Still, that didn’t stop us from being outside snowmobiling or skiing on the weekends. (Again, not snowboarding. Apparently balance is my weakness.)

I was a pretty active kid & preferred being outdoors & doing something rather than sitting around & watching something.

Being from a big Italian family & growing up 20-30 minutes away from all my cousins, my family were my friends. If I wasn’t with them, I was probably just playing on my own. I was a nice kid, but I was also nervous around other kids. I didn’t tell anyone I was nervous, I would just be kind & then keep to myself. I’m not sure where it came from, but I’ve always been a tad socially anxious. I was the kid who was friendly with everyone, but not really close to anyone. It’s interesting considering each of my siblings have had the same best friends their whole lives. The friends they made when they were younger continued to be their best friends through middle school, high school, college, & some of them are even best friends to this day.

I on the other hand was a bit more independent. If I wanted to go to summer camp & no one could go with me, I’d just go. If no one wanted to play, I’d just do my own thing. I think part of it was independence, another part was imagination, but still another part was self-protection.

It was part imagination because if I was on my own I would just make up stories in my head & live in them. I loved the worlds I would create on the inside. I think that was the start for me as a storyteller.

It was part self-protection because as I mentioned before, I came out the womb looking like a cross between Hulk Hogan & Winnie the Pooh, so I was picked on quite a bit because of my weight. I did swim, but usually had a swimming shirt on. I did play sports, but I wouldn’t change in the locker rooms. It really wasn’t until the back half of high school that I found a sense of confidence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mateopalmitier.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mateopalmitier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mateopalmitier
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxljQRRv9ecLvQxGy16uwOg
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sEQud4rpfsHbGPhdl7WZE?si=0y5RPIWRTe-EaLkQXXhVdA