The life of an actor seems quite glamorous to most people. And rightly so, considering Hollywood actors can be seen attending red carpets, film premieres and fancy events, such as the Met Gala and the Academy Awards. However, most actors don’t enter the profession for fame or money. These are just the perks of the business. Instead, they become actors because they have a deep passion for the craft, especially as it allows them to immerse themselves into a particular character. Thus, most actors will tell you that the profession allows them to live multiple lives within a single lifespan. The very talented and versatile actor Brandon Carrillo is no different!
Born in Cape May, New Jersey, Brandon is an American boxer turned actor, who feels privileged that he gets to live numerous lives because of his chosen profession – acting. He moved to Los Angeles after his eighteenth birthday, hoping to obtain more roles and opportunities. The move would prove fruitful as he landed some big roles, but that’s not why he became an actor. Instead, he was always intrigued by the idea of disappearing into roles as different characters, considering it a blessing. He also thought the craft helped him develop in his personal life. “Acting gives you permission to explore things about yourself that you never dared to do before,” Brandon Carrillo shares.
Since most actors play different roles in every big screen project or TV production, they find some characters to be more relatable than others. It’s only natural. From Nick in Power Book 2: Ghost to an old Western cowboy in a play a few years ago, Brandon has a number of notable characters to his credit. While the former was his breakthrough role in Hollywood, he particularly enjoyed playing a gun slinging cowboy who didn’t follow the rules in the latter. The fact is that every child has dreamed of being a cowboy at least once in their lives, and the role allowed the actor to live out his dreams on stage in front of hundreds of people.
A cinephile who enjoys watching films, TV shows, and plays that he finds relatable, Brandon Carrillo is particularly fond of the Rocky franchise, starring the great action star of the 80s and 90s, Sylvester Stallone. What is interesting is the fact that before venturing into the world of acting, he was an amateur boxer. However, he instantly found the movies relatable because he could see the attention to detail put in the movies to ensure they adhered to the rules of a proper boxing match. Moreover, Brandon also found the titular character, Rocky Balboa, extremely relatable because he’s always overlooked and counted out by people. In addition to his love for the Rocky movies, he’s also particularly fond of Garfield because the cat loves lasagna. Who can blame him for relating to the character?
Apart from finding relatable characters on the golden or silver screen, Brandon has also been inspired by some characters that have greatly influenced his acting career. For instance, Keanu Reeves’ character in Moneybag profoundly impacted the boxer turned actor, and he hopes to play a similar character at some point in time. The renowned actor’s character in the film has a good heart but constantly makes wrong decisions. According to the Power Book 2: Ghost actor, Keanu’s character taught him that there will always be some rough edges, but you ultimately get the final say on how things play out.
Since moving to LA, Brandon Carrillo has continued to carve a name for himself. Besides featuring in Power Book 2: Ghost, he has also bagged roles in Big Time Adolescence and the Best Worst Weekend Ever. One thing is sure that his journey as an actor has been a rollercoaster ride. However, he’s looking for more challenges to hone his craft. He wants to branch out from comedic roles into more dramatic ones. But good things will come in time because this dynamic young artist believes he’s the master of his own fate.
