Benjamin FarrenAd
Michael Salamone's journey has traversed several ways: from sports, sales, video games, social media, poetry, modeling and on-screen acting, Michael is what you might describe as a jack-of-all-trades.
Adept at reinventing himself at every stage and making the most of opportunities, Michael's passion for life stands out, among other things.
He grew up very daring and adventurous, wanting to explore every aspect of life and dive into any career he could. His journey and success as a content creator began when he was 7 years old when he and his friends created videos in the neighborhood.
When he discovered social media — quite inadvertently — and the opportunities that content creation offered him, Michael, also known as Anubace on social media, knew it was a path he didn't mind exploring further. In his characteristic manner, Michael Salamone isn't one to pass on any opportunity, whether or not it is something familiar to him.
According to Michael, when he began creating content for TikTok as Anubace, he needed to learn about the content-sharing platform, how it worked and how it could change his life. He began posting content without an inkling of how far it would reach and how quickly it would get there. He had yet to learn that people outside his immediate environment could view what he posted on TikTok.
"I didn't know I was sharing this little piece of my heart with the world," says the 24-year-old. "I posted this, not having any social media presence ever. I just propped up my phone on my desk and just started reading my poem."
He recorded himself reading one of his poems in a unique style, uploaded that on the internet, and went to bed without thinking much of it. By the following day, when he pulled out his phone to go online, the comments had poured in, and that spurred Salamone on to master the art of succeeding on TikTok.
"People started reaching out to me and sending me their poems, and I was making threads. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, these poems are awesome!'" he says. "I immediately took interest. I jumped on the opportunity to help other artists in any way I could!"
With all of the success he's achieved at various levels in the art industry, Michael Salamone has been focusing on his acting skills and making a name for himself as a successful actor. Of course, making acting videos online is part of the territory, but Michael isn't stopping at that.
As he says, "I started writing scripts. I filmed my first movie last year. And then this is my second year of acting."
In addition, the hard-working rising star gushes about his acting plans for the upcoming year. He already has three shoots in the works this year, and he's definitely "killing it."
Once he began making traction in his content creation and networking, which he does deliberately, Michael decided to get into modeling even though he hadn't explored that specific industry before. "I was able to become a New York fashion runway model. I've modeled for a bunch of clothing brands."
Aside from working as a model and representing clothing brands, Michael has a keen fashion sense and hopes to use that creativity more professionally someday. "I used to sell T-shirts. I still do. I'm working on a new clothing line right now. I like fashion, and I also design clothes," he reveals.
However, when he was younger and before he got involved in modeling, acting or content creation, Michael had a different ambition and path he saw his life heading down. He wanted to build a career in combat sports.
"I had wrestled all through my entire life. I started wrestling when I was 4 and played sports," he says. Aside from sports like football and baseball, he had a particular interest in grappling and martial arts like jujitsu. He took part in almost every kind of sport he could find, and he did them well.
Michael Salamone is currently working on his own production company, Promethean Creations. Salamone intends for his company to create opportunities for artists of every medium. Their first film, Shark in the Dark, is centered on mental health issues and provides commentary on how isolating it can be to live with an invisible illness. The film is based on Salamone's life.
An interesting bump in Michael's road to fame came when he had a close call while in college. He started bleeding internally out of nowhere, and it was quite a fright for the young student, who had just lost his mother a short while ago due to mental health complications.
Thankfully, he was able to push through that rough episode and apply himself to other areas of interest, such as starting his e-sports initiative. Being an active gamer, Michael had to figure out the most competitive video games and how he could build a brand for himself out of his passion for games.
Another topic of interest for the Peter Parker look-alike is mental health, which he says affects many people. For a man like Michael Salamone, mental health awareness is a topic that hits too close to home.
"My mom passed away because of a mental health struggle. And I struggled with depression, anxiety, and PTSD", Michael said.
Because of these experiences, Michael always strives to promote positivity. He looks at the positives, absorbs the necessary lessons, and then moves on rather than focusing on the negative aspects of individuals and situations he may run into.
"I think it's so easy to be negative, and it's super easy to find something wrong, " he says. "But I always try to promote that mentality of always trying to look for the positives and be positive. The world's a good place; and you need to find the good things in it."