At 17 years old, Raphael Alejandro has already made a name for himself in the world of entertainment due to his amazingly talented skills as an actor, starring alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Salma Hayek, Emily Blunt, and The Rock “Dwayne Johnson.” You may be familiar with Alejandro as he has appeared on the Disney Channel and alongside the likes of Eugenio Derbez and Hayek in his breakout role as “Hugo,” in the 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover, showcasing his versatile on-screen talent. Last Friday on August 23rd, Netflix released Alejandro’s latest project, a coming-of-age film titled Incoming. The film centers around the experiences of 4 teenage boys navigating the pressures of high school.
Telling us what viewers can expect, Alejandro provides insight, “So I play Connor, one of the four main boys and it’s basically about a group of friends that are freshmen going into their high school year who don’t know what to expect and they’re getting invited to their first major party and all the craziness that comes with it.” Adding, “One of the things you can definitely expect is a lot of the media is comparing it to Superbad and stuff and obviously it’s like in a raunchy kind of R-rated comedy genre. So, I’m really excited because that kind of thing hasn’t been really shown in my generation. I don’t really remember anything other than Superbad recently that exemplifies that R-rated comedy, but I think that this is absolutely hilarious and when I had read the script I knew I needed to be a part of it and especially knew I wanted to be Connor because it was making me laugh out loud. The whole project was just amazing to shoot because it was hilarious both on and off set and the chemistry that we had as the four boys.”
According to Alejandro, the film has an encouraging message for viewers, “One of the things that I absolutely really love about the project, in general, is that it has an amazing underlying message about being yourself and that you shouldn’t compromise yourself to fit in with some kind of in-crowd. So, I think that being a part of a movie that radiates this message is really something I’m really fortunate to be doing.” The youngest of 3, Alejandro was introduced to acting at a very young age as his two older siblings Bruce Salomon and Dalila Bela are also in the field. Inspired, Alejandro fell in love with the craft, kickstarting his career earlier than most. At 17, his resume is quite impressive and continues to grow as he takes on more and more projects. Speaking of working with Mexican film icons Eugenio Derbez and Salma Hayek, Alejandro reflects on their time together while filming How to Be a Latin Lover in which he played Hayek’s son and Derbez’s nephew. “It was really amazing honestly,” he said. “Working with Eugenio Derbez, we would always do shenanigans and pranks on set. And then Salma Hayek, obviously not only is she an incredible actress but both of them really made me feel like I was part of an on-set family, and she really just sort of took me under her wing and taught me everything. She really felt super maternal, and it was amazing being able to work with both of these awesome Latino legends.”
Of a multicultural background, Alejandro is originally from Canada and is of Brazilian and Panamanian descent, “I actually speak Spanish and Portuguese, and I was born in Montreal, so I speak French as well. It’s a very diverse background, and all these different cultures and things I’ve experienced have all shaped me as a person and especially when it comes to my acting career,” he explains. Adding, “I’ve done a ton of different auditions and roles where they incorporated some of my languages and some of my heritage which I’m very fortunate to be able to do so. Being able to represent the Latino community in every single one of my roles is something I hope to keep doing in my acting career,” Alejandro said. Speaking on the pros and cons of reaching success, Alejandro offers the following insight, “I think in every profession, especially in professions like acting where you’re going to start to reach a certain level of popularity it comes with a certain territory,” he said. Adding, “I’ve definitely lost friends and even gained friends. I think that the best remedy is having great people behind your back that you trust. I’m very close to my family and I trust them 100%. So having a good crew behind your back that believes in you and supports you is so essential.”
What’s next for Alejandro? He plans on continuing to act and work in a variety of different projects and roles, and is currently also starring in Apple TV’s “Acapulco” alongside Eugenio Derbez. “I think obviously I want to continue acting throughout my entire life and more specifically get into producing and acting in my own projects. I think that’s a huge goal for me,” he said. Advice for other young Latinos, “I think whatever you want to do and if it’s your passion just go full on in and don’t let people try to convince you that you don’t belong there. If that’s your passion then go for it. Reach for the sky 100% and don’t look back. You will meet people along the way that will believe in you and you’ll meet people that are haters, but all you have to do is just keep going, keep working hard, and keep moving forward.”
Follow Raphael Alejandro on Instagram here, and be sure to check out Netflix to watch Incoming.
