From writer to producer to actor, New Rochelle native and Iona College alumnus Rudy Cecera can now add professor to his long list of credentials. He will now use his hands-on experience to teach a new generation of writers.

Having written for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” this Emmy Award-winning triple threat has come back to his alma mater to inspire a new generation of journalists.

Starting out as a comedy writer, playwright and screenwriter simply looking for a means to network within the industry, Cecera hustled his way into interviewing the stars. It was through this experience that he came to realize that his other skills complimented this specific form of writing. When asked what style of writing is his favorite, he cannot narrow it down to a specific one. He dedicates his time equally between all professions.

“It’s good to stretch, it’s good to try different things and challenges” Cecera said.

He expanded his late night and stand-up jokes into writing and performing in comedy sketches, one act plays, two act plays, TV sitcoms/dramas and short films. This ultimately led to the penning of several feature length screenplays.

“Don’t be lazy,” Cecera said. “[Laziness] is the biggest enemy a writer can have.”

For the past five years, Cecera has written extensively about silent film actress Mabel Normand. First, in 2010, with his film “Madcap Mabel,” then in 2013 with his film “Mabel’s Dressing Room,” which he shot in New Rochelle with several Iona college students. Cecera co-produced the 2013 movie along with professor Mike Damergis.

When asked about his experience working on his projects, he recounts a meeting with another producer who was working on a film about silent screen actor Rudolph Valentino. He decided to team up with the producer and send him the work that he had completed so far. The producer lauded the film, saying, “I love it, and Rudy loves it, too!”

After some initial confusion, it was revealed that this producer claimed to talk with the very deceased Rudolph Valentino. Sometime after this incident, a separate individual contacted Cecera wanting to see the completed film. She had reviewed it by saying that she loved it, and Normand did as well.

Being skeptical of his interaction with the previous film producer, Cecera asked her if she was able to speak with the deceased. Her response was, “No, I was Mabel! I was reincarnated!”

While trying to network his own scripts and projects Cecera became a film reviewer which gave him access to several film festivals, including Tribeca. In addition to networking, he had to justify his reason for being there by actually interviewing filmmakers about their work.

He started enjoying the process and became an entertainment journalist for several online and print publications including Puretimes’ magazine Screencomment. He currently writes for Mstarz, where he combines his knowledge of show business with his experience in comedy writing to create humorous articles and lists about current day celebrity culture.

“[My goal upon coming back to the Iona and teaching journalism was] to give [students] what [I] never had – hands-on experience and knowledge of what it really is like to be a journalist, as opposed to reading a 50-year-old book just talking journalism,” Cecera said.

With his background and industry experience, Cecera certainly has the ability to make this a reality and teach this next generation of journalists.