By Shayne Fujii
Being in a profession you genuinely love and feel passionate about is something we all strive for in this day and age. 1995 Mid-Pacific graduate Bobby Silva is a great inspiration to us all, achieving that true American dream. Actor, story builder, casting director, producer, and director are just some of the many amazing roles Silva has excelled in over the years.
Born and raised in Kailua, Silva, who is of Portuguese, Japanese, Scottish, German and Hawaiian descent, comes from a very modest family and was very outgoing as a kid. “I was never shy, never afraid to speak my mind,” he says. “I always used comedy to get attention.” These traits helped him develop the necessary skills to thrive later in life.
Silva attended Mid-Pacific from the seventh grade and says his experiences at the school truly shaped and prepared him for his success in life. Discipline and hard work quickly became ingrained in him right from the beginning. “I got dropped off every morning at 6:00 a.m. to clean the gym as a scholarship worker and caught the bus home at the end of the day,” he says. “Scholarship work taught me the value of hard work.” Silva also was a member of the first boys hula class as an eighth grader. “Mr Cassapang (the school’s hula instructor at the time) made me proud to be from Hawai‘i and helped me connect with my Hawaiian heritage,” says Silva. “I loved being in front of the camera and he really gave me that push to be a performer.”
After graduating from Mid-Pacific, Silva attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and earned a degree in political science with a minor in sociology. His intent was to go to law school, but he had a change of heart. Silva was introduced to stunt work as a member of the waterman team while in school. He did stunt work on Baywatch and also did an episode for the Power Rangers show. “I had so much fun jumping out of helicopters, learning martial arts, and tactical training during my college years,” says Silva. “This awakened the urge for me to do this full-time instead of going into law.”
After discovering his career niche, Silva decided to pursue his dreams as an entertainer and moved to California in 2001. While going on auditions as an actor and stuntman during the day, he ran a nightclub as head of security at night in Los Angeles for eight years. Being a Hollywood bouncer, hanging out with rock stars, working out at Gold’s Gym with celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the late Carl Weathers, and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) opened the doors for Silva, getting him into big pictures and opportunities. He was handpicked to be a boxer in the movie Million Dollar Baby by Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hillary Swank while continuing to do work in the Transformers movies.
Silva is now in the second phase of his career, focusing on casting, producing and storytelling. He moved back to Hawai‘i a few years ago, working remotely from home as a freelance producer working with a few companies like Netfilx and Amazon Prime. Leaving the night scene and married with two young children, Silva says, “I’m living a great life now, got to move back home, get to spend time with my family and kids while still working remotely doing what I love.” Silva gives this advice to youngsters today: “Work hard, pay your dues, and do not take shortcuts.”