Writer, director and star, Juan Pablo Di Pace on 'Before We Forget'

You don't owe anything, because you can't predict that. Award-winning actor Juan Pablo Raba is making his shift to behind the scenes, sort of. He stars in the film Before We Forget, which he also co-wrote and directed. The coming-of-age romance is making its way to streaming on all major platforms on Tuesday. Juan Pablo Raba, nice to have you back on Good Day. We were just talking about this when you were taking this around. to some of the film festivals i know and then we we got the the audience award here in new york after i spoke to you and it's been wonderful mind-blowing tell us a little bit about the journey of this film because this has been quite a journey for you yes yes but independent film is always a journey and uh you start small and then you hope that people like it and you take it around the world and and we did we we took it it's been like a year and a half of festivals and things and 17 awards later here we are putting it out into the the world so people can actually watch it at home so this film is personal to you tell us a little bit about what it's what it's about and and why you wanted to write it co-write it yeah this film is something i mean i wanted to to be a director for the longest time even though i've been in front of the camera for most of my life um and i needed that one story to to to be that film and this film has been inside me for many many many years uh my best friend andres pepe estrada who's now a very celebrated editor uh we used to be the videographers of school when we were kids and so we always said we gotta make our film and so we co-directed before we forget and it really is about memory and celebrating those years in teenage when you fall in love for the first time and how a memory that can be so beautiful and so intense like falling in love can also be traumatic at the same time and how that leaves a mark in you and even when you're 40, 50, that mark is still there and you can't sort of move on in relationships because of that interesting yeah first loves right um how long did it take you to this whole process to get this this film oh yes yes it's like four years in the making and and now we're coming up to yeah to four years it's it's a long process it's like writing a book it's like planting a tree it's like having a child you know you have to devote yourself you sleep it you eat it you you wake up with it uh it's very different from acting for sure well congratulations and we can see it is it out there now it's out there this tuesday This Tuesday? This Tuesday. Okay, and we can see it where exactly? Amazon, Apple, Fandango at home. Okay, meanwhile, you've got a lot going on, okay, before we forget. Before we forget, we're going to see this movie. But before we forget, you're rehearsing for Schmigadoon. You're going to be on Broadway. Yeah. What's that like? Amazing. It's like a dream come true. As you know, I've been to New York many times. I've sang in the stage. I was doing one-man shows I was doing other countries in terms of their, you know, West End but I've never done Broadway and it's been a lifelong dream of mine to do it and it's finally happened I had given up on that dream so when they called and they said if I would like to join for a short time on Schmigadoon playing Doc of course I jumped at it and I'm so happy So when do you premiere? When's your debut? I premiere next Saturday not this Saturday, next So do you know all your lines? let us in one because if we come to see you i'm in that process right now i'm learning all my lines i'm learning the songs i'm rehearsing with the with the cast today for the first time so today's the first time well yeah yeah with people because i've been rehearsing with the director so um yeah do you have to dance and everything a little bit dancing how's your dancing by the way well let's say i i was on dancing with the stars so so i right i i could i yeah i can do a step you can do okay this is gonna be good and so just four weeks four weeks uh yes october 24 november 22. and then what are you going to do juan you got a lot of free time and then i'm going to go and make my second directorial film oh you are later in early next year is it a sequel to this you know it's a completely different story completely different world um although love is a big big uh thing in it and and i i hear that you also have a holiday movie coincidentally nikki deloach from the Hallmark Channel, Nikki come in here he had no idea that Juan was in the movie with you, yes he's my co-star, how much do you love him? we love him, not as much as you know what, we love him, hi friend, hello, so wait do you have like a romantic thing on in the Hallmark, yes it's a Hallmark film, yes we kiss, we do all the things, oh we celebrate Christmas lots of Christmas, he's busy, he's got his own film, he's gonna be on Broadway, I know you're only here because you have an event coming up, yes tomorrow, but you can come back because next week he debuts, I know I'm so proud of him and I'm so, everybody go watch his movie please, he's such a gift, he's such a talent, please go see his movie anyway, I love it, Juan, thank you so much, congratulations, we love you, we'll get a break, a leg on Broadway and and check out his film before we forget and please stay here, I'm gonna stay, stay um we're gonna talk about the Hallmark movie that I want to find out about the kissing scenes when we come right back