Justin Aguila

A maverick Hollywood director, a legendary calculus teacher and an Oscar-nominated actor changed Justin Aguila's life forever. Justin's passion for acting started as a student during his time at Garfield High in Los Angeles, where a scouting director cast him in the Warner Bros. film "Stand and Deliver" starring Andy García and Edward James Olmos, who went on to receive a leading actor Oscar nomination. The film about math teacher Jaime Escalante in addition to having been cast in a short film ("Love in the Ruins") by director Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "Doctor Strange") left an undeniable impact on Justin who went on to pursue graduate studies at Columbia University, where he studied journalism and screenwriting. As a journalist-with experience in digital, TV, radio, print and social media platforms-Justin's conversational approach has landed him on top television news programs on NBC, FOX and Univision, among others, as an entertainment breaking news specialist. Justin's hosting work includes interviewing celebrities on red carpets for major networks such as CBS, NBC and Billboard magazine, from the Academy Awards to the Emmys and the Billboard Latin Music Awards, among others. The Los Angeles native, who has also lived in London and New York, earned his producing chops at NBC and CBS, where he was mentored by film critic David Sheehan and went on to become an associate producer on his nationally syndicated specials such as "Hollywood's Leading Ladies" featuring Janet Jackson, Julia Roberts and Sharon Stone, among others. Justin was part of a team that won several awards, including a Golden Mike. Early in his career, Justin's producing chops were tested on a quiet L.A. weekend as his NBC newsroom internship came to an end when his boss assigned him to help produce a breaking news story about actor River Phoenix, who collapsed and died in West Hollywood at the age of 23. In his feature film work, Justin has also appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures/Happy Madison Production of "Bedtime Stories" starring Adam Sandler; "The Soloist," starring Jaime Fox and Robert Downey, Jr., and the hit CBS show, "The Mentalist." As an award-winning journalist, which includes recognition by the Associated Press for his feature writing, Justin has worked on high-profile stories from the death of Whitney Houston to ranking and writing about the industry's most innovative executives through Billboard's long-standing Power Player Lists. As a profile specialist who was taught academically by a senior editor from The New Yorker, Justin has specialized in profiles, contributing stories to the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Nexos, San Francisco Chronicle and The Washington Post, among others. Some of his pieces include cover stories on America Ferrera and other high-profile names such as Jennifer Lopez, Eugenio Derbez, Jenni Rivera and Ricky Martin. As a Latin music expert, Justin's work as a music critic has been featured throughout the NPR network and news documentaries on subjects such as the late Tejano singer Selena. Justin continues working on several projects, including books, plays and his next film project in addition to motivating new generations through his volunteer and nonprofit work.