Kazy Tauginas is an actor, athlete, and advocate. You may recognize him from his work in John Wick, Dolomite is My Name, The Broken Tower, and most recently, as Ari in the box office smash The Equalizer 2, starring Denzel Washington. Kazy has a passion for bringing awareness to Lupus in film, a cause close to his heart. After writing several short films (and starring in over 20 of them), Tauginas drew inspiration from his mother who’d been diagnosed with Lupus and his own boxing experience, and decided to write “Standing Eight,” a short about a boxer who is forced to retire and contend with life outside of the ring after being diagnosed with systemic lupus. During the spring of 2015 he oversaw two successful Kickstarter campaigns to fully fund the film. Since its completion, “Standing Eight” has won ten festival awards including Trinity International Film Festival’s Best Short Film, and is currently nominated for another four. Tauginas advocacy for the disease is driven by passion and rooted in art and we are excited to share his interview with you. for more on Kazy Tauginas, please read out exclusive interview below.

Where are you based?
Good ole NYC.

You have a very interesting background as a former restaurateur, golden gloves boxer, and now actor/producer? Can you give us more insight into the story of your life and how you got to where you are today?
Long story short… I grew up in an incredibly diverse community, Oak Park IL. , about twenty minutes from the Chicago loop. Believe it or not, my sport of choice was figure skating. Wanting to pursue my skating and attend college led me to the University of Delaware. At that time, it was one of the only places where the school worked in conjunction with the ice skating program. Eventually I became disillusioned with the sport due to the politics and traded in the skates for boxing gloves. A decision I have never regretted. I competed in the Golden Gloves out of Pennsylvania. Shortly after I graduated from U of D, I ended up buying into a 24 hour diner. It was a very unusual situation. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, or wrong place-wrong time depending on the perspective. I ran the place for almost 5 years until the lease was up and the landlord tried to get me to sign a new lease which benefited him significantly more than me which would’ve been a huge financial mistake. Walking away from the restaurant business which I worked so hard to develop was really heartbreaking and brought me close to depression. By the grace of God, I had the intuition that the diner probably wasn’t going to work out as we grew closer to the end of the lease agreement. I was bitten by the acting after I stepped in for an actor who didn’t show up to a film shoot that was using the diner as a location. After that brief experience, the idea of becoming an actor just stayed with me. In the fall of 2008, the writing was on the wall for my diner so I applied to attend the New York Film Academy’s Acting for Film Program. So when the diner closed in Nov 2008, two months later, I was back in school at NYFA. That was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I took full advantage of everything their program offered. When I graduated in the fall of 2009,, I was financially broken. I ended up sleeping on a couch for 2.5 years. I worked in catering, then waiting tables. Every step I made forward in my acting career was fought for with blood, sweat and tears. I worked my way up from indie films, to industrials, to commercials, and eventually into mainstream film and television. I realized that developing my own content was going to be critical to my success, so I took up writing. It took me five years to get a manager. But once I did, it was off to the races. In 2017, I was able to walk away from my job at Cipriani Midtown and become a full time actor from booking a prominent role in “Equalizer 2”. Since 2009, I’ve produced my own award winning short film, entitled “Standing Eight”. I’ve had the honor of working on numerous film/tv productions opposite my childhood heroes, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Queen Latifah, Keanu Reeves, Tony Danza among others. It really has been an amazing journey. Though every victory has been hard fought, I regret nothing.

Your most recent film was Odd Man Rush -- a film based on a memoir by Bill Keenan about his hockey career. Did you have any experience with hockey or ice skating before the film?
I guess I covered some of this in the previous question. I was a competitive figure skater from the age of 12 until about 21. So I had plenty of experience on-ice. Different skates though. Haha. I figured a hockey movie would be a great way to combine both my athletic talents… boxing and skating. Ironically, my character, Dumi didn’t get involved in any brawls in the film. But he does dance his butt off! I had so much fun working on “Odd Man Rush”. It was such a great experience.

In Odd Man Rush, you and your character Dumi have Lithuanian heritage in common. Was this a coincidence or did it happen by choice?
I was officially offered the role of Chara (who was of Latvian heritage). Soon after, I spoke with the director, Doug Dearth. He loved that my heritage was Lithuanian and was open to my idea of renaming the character. So with his blessing, I came up with Dumi, translated my lines into Lithuanian and let the ad libs fly when we were on set.

How has your boxing experience aligned with your acting experience?
I think my background in fighting has definitely helped in certain cases especially when a role would call for some physicality. I’ve always taken pride in the fact that when it comes to fight sequences; I can handle doing my own stunts. Coordination is key! Ironically, I was often overlooked for boxing roles despite my experience. So really, I’ve only played a boxer twice. Once in the film “The Broken Tower” and years later in my own film, “Standing Eight”.

You also have screenwriting and producing experience. We would love to know more about your film Standing Eight (which you also star in). You call this film a “labor of love”. Why do you feel this way? “Standing Eight” is a short film about a boxer who is forced to retire after being diagnosed with Lupus. The story follows him as he battles with the idea that he’ll never be able to fight professionally again. I not only acted in the film, but I was actively involved in every stage of production from inception. I can honestly say this was like attending graduate school for filmmaking. The film is a labor of love because my mother suffers from Lupus. She’s been fighting the disease since before I was born. A few years ago I came to a point in my career where I really wanted to do a project that carried some emotional weight. So we came up with the idea of a boxer (which I wanted to play) getting Lupus (to honor my mother’s journey). I definitely used my mother as a reference and there are moments in the film that mirror my mother’s journey verbatim. Initially, I would say the film began as a love letter to my mother and then came to grow into something else entirely when the Lupus Foundation of America caught wind of it.

Jejune loves that the proceeds from Standing Eight go to the Lupus Foundation of America. Can you tell us more about the work they do and the impact they have in research?
I think the Lupus Foundation of America is a wonderful organization from the people at the top like Steve Gibson to all folks who run the regional support groups. It’s an organization that is truly committed and really cares about those who suffer from Lupus. I’ve been honored to walk alongside them at numerous events on both coasts of the country. I’ve been able to tour the facilities at Exagen, a cutting edge diagnostic company that was the first to develop a stand alone test for lupus. I’ve lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill to vote to increase funding for research. The Lupus Foundation is working on cutting edge stem cell research that could be a game changer for those suffering from the disease. I’m so grateful to have developed a relationship with this wonderful non-for-profit.

Why was doing this film and donating to the Lupus Foundation important to you?
As I was in preproduction for “Standing Eight”, I began interacting with a lot of lupies on social media. So many were suffering with conditions both similar and different from my mother. I realized there was a huge problem with Lupus representation in film and TV. Millions of people suffer from the disease, yet it rarely has been used as a plot device. I then knew that my film was more than just a way to support my mother’s fight, it was there to support everyone suffering from the disease. My end goal, even though I wasn’t sure of how I would get there: was for the film to be a vehicle for raising awareness. In 2018, I walked the red carpet in Hollywood for “The Equalizer 2”. Being that the event was going to get a significant amount of media attention, I decided to wear a lupus awareness pin. LFA caught wind of it and they reached out. They asked to promote “Standing Eight'' and our relationship has continued to grow ever since.

What do you hope viewers take away from Standing Eight?
Ideally, I want the film to be a conversation starter about Lupus. It’s only 27 minutes long, so we can’t be everything to everyone when it comes to the effects of the disease, but we can spark thought. I really felt it was important to give the Lupus community a product that is easy to find and share, hence why we landed on Amazon. I’ve received some incredibly heartfelt messages about the film and the effect it has had on audiences. LFA held a premiere event in Hollywood and several regional chapters have screened it at support groups and fundraising events. So I think it’s safe to say that the film is hitting some of the right notes within the community.

Jejune’s Issue 30’s cover is of a contortionist with lupus. What would you tell athletes with lupus?
First of all, that’s amazing! What an inspiration.

I would say to do the best you can and be mindful of how hard you push your body. With Lupus there is always a price to pay when you push too hard.

What are areas of lupus that you think are most misunderstood or overlooked by people who are not familiar with the disease? What would you like the world to recognize more about lupus?
“Well, you don’t look sick” is probably one of the most frustrating things one can hear when they have Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where your body’s immune system attacks healthy organs and tissues. Lupus can kill. It is life changing for many people. When their immune system attacks a lupie, they may not have any visible signs of sickness. For example: someone suffering from Lupus may be experiencing debilitating joint pain which no one else could physically see. My wish is for the outside world to immediately recognize Lupus as the debilitating disease that it is. Those who are battling the disease need support, both emotional or physical. It’s really not easy. I saw my mother and father both give up all career aspirations to basically live a life that totally revolved around keeping her healthy. The constant trips to the doctor, chemotherapy, steroids, immunosuppressant drugs. The life of a Lupus warrior is not easy. I know many others who have been dealt that extremely disheartening deck of cards and I truly feel a little love goes a long way, especially for Lupus sufferers.

Due to Covid-19 many people with auto-immune diseases are experiencing a much higher risk being in public and accomplishing everyday tasks. Besides wearing masks and proper sanitization, what do you think can be done to help those with auto-immune diseases during the pandemic?
Well, looking at what my parents have been doing I think it can be used as an example for others. My father, being my mother’s primary caretaker, always wears a mask when he’s out. All the necessary shopping is done during off-peak hours. Anything brought into the home is cleaned with disinfectant. My parents have been avoiding crowds for years since my mother is on imuran (an immunosuppressant), and that goes without saying. Based on the information at the recent Virtual Lupus Summit, there is no research on the safety and efficacy of the new vaccines regarding Lupus patients, so there’s really nothing I can offer regarding that aspect other than - consult with your doctor. I think that mental health is really important. Ironically, I would warn people not to spend too much time on social media, whether they suffer from autoimmune disease or not. Self-care is critical. Finding time for exercise, rest, relaxation, meditation are all necessary for maintaining some form of balance. Also, staying in touch with friends and family, even doing something old fashioned like a phone call can really uplift someone’s spirits. Use good judgement, pandemic or not.

What has your life been like during the pandemic? How have you been staying positive during shelter-in-place? How has your mother been doing?
I think despite the pandemic, my mother’s lifestyle really hasn’t changed much. She has really limited social mobility because of her medications. A cold can be dangerous to someone on immunosuppressant drugs. She’s making the best of it, like she has been for years.

Just like everyone, my life has felt a bit like the movie “Groundhog Day” for a year now. Same day, over and over and over. I’m exaggerating, but it’s almost true. I think I’ve made the best of it. Acting work has been limited, production is up and running, but not yet at full steam. I’ve been writing. I’ve taken drawing back up and made sure to invest time into my sketches every week. I’ve committed to reading a book a month. I also have taken time to enjoy the quiet moments. Going for runs. Taking walks. Cooking. I made a conscious decision to step away from social media and focus on being in the moment and appreciating the good things in my life.

What is your life motto?
My favorite quote comes from Muhammad Ali “I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”

To learn more about Kazy Tauginas, please follow him via the below platforms:
kazytauginas.com
Instagram: @KazyTauginas
Facebook: @officialKazyTauginas

Kazy Tauginas - Raising Awareness for Lupus in Film