Juan Felipe Restrepo talks importance of acting and living his childhood dream
Growing up in Colombia, Juan Felipe Restrepo always found himself drawn to the arts. From a young age, he learned to play the guitar, draw, stain glass and write stories. However, it was acting that he fell in love with, and he knew even as a child that he was meant to pursue a career in acting. When watching a movie, he wouldn’t watch to simply be entertained like so many other kids, he studied the actors, analyzing their choices in every scene. This passion for the craft only intensified as he aged, and Restrepo has since spent his life dedicated to the performing arts.
Now an internationally sought-after actor, Restrepo has shown the world just what he is capable of. His film Prodigal Son is currently being shown at several prestigious international film festivals, and Restrepo is taking home award after award for his captivating performance. This is hardly his first taste of success, and in the last year alone has worked on several acclaimed films, such as Cage and Bangin Lanie. He also shot the pilot for the new Syfy series Those Who Wear Mask, where he will get to explore a more comedic role.
“I love everything about acting. I love the fact that I get to send a message to people through such an active way. Acting is pure expression and creativity embodied. I get to be someone else, get to see the world through their eyes and tell their story. It is just very fulfilling to be able to get into their mind and understand their way of thinking to ultimately embody it and talk with the same level of confidence and education as they were on their time. You become multicultural, your horizons expand,” said Restrepo.
Earlier this year, one of Restrepo’s more recent projects had its premiere. The music video for the Spanish band The Zephyr Bones for their hit song “The Arrow of Our Youth” asks the question: what if your soul can be transported to the first summer you fell in love? The video follows Danny Trejo, the younger version of whom is played by Restrepo, and his childhood summer love Suzy many years after their last encounter. They connect their memories and feelings through items, actions and situations they were involved with during their teenage years, and finally find a way to go back in time and meet again once more in the past.
“I really like that the video allows us to breathe, it has the perfect summer, relaxed vibe that we need after being trapped on our reality for so long. The story paints many colors for every viewer, it makes you smile or laugh and makes you wonder how love is so mysterious, how things change from one moment to the other, and how we are destined to be with the one who brings only happiness to our life, no matter the age or the time it takes for them to be together for good,” said Restrepo.
Since its online premiere on YouTube, the video has received rave reviews in many Spanish publications. It also has made its way to many film festivals, including the Medina Film Festival in Spain and the Portland Music Video Film Festival in the United States. The success has been gratifying for Restrepo, but not a surprise. He knew right away that the video would be great.
“Sometimes I get this feeling while doing a project, where I already know is going to turn out well. Maybe it was because I was working with an esteemed actor like Danny Trejo, or maybe because the crew, the director and the producers were really prepared and had a clear idea of the vision they had for the project, whatever it was, it just made me feel really excited and at peace with the project. I put my all into it and it paid off,” he said.
Music videos provide a unique challenge for actors, as they have to express themselves solely through body language rather than dialogue, as the only sound is the song. Restrepo was more than up for the task.
His character was a “bad boy” who at the same time was a romantic, so he had to combine those two distinct personalities into one person. Restrepo decided to look tough with his little moustache and be very bold, confident and straightforward with the actions in each scene. His co-star felt it easy to work alongside such an attitude, and everyone on set was greatly impressed with the actor’s approach.
“Working with Juan Felipe is great. It is very pleasant to work with him; he is very respectful and professional. He is a great actor; he has a natural talent for dramatic interpretation. He understands what the important needs are of the scene and executes it without hesitation,” said Eric Boadilla, Director of “The Arrow of Our Youth”.
Restrepo recalls working on the video as an amazing experience. He was able to work alongside one of his idols, the prolific actor Danny Trejo, while exploring his versatility as an actor on a medium he had never done before: music videos. At the end of the day, he found he was just doing what he loves most, telling a story.
“I admire the power of destiny and love throughout this story, it tells you that when two people are meant to be, the universe will plot in order to make them get together once more. When you find that special other that really makes you the better version of yourself, you can’t just pretend to forget and move on. You can mask it, sure, but you never really forget, at some point in your life there will be little details that will always remind you of that person. That is what the story is about,” he said.
Check out “The Arrow of Our Youth” music video here.
