Rising Star Goya Robles: “Surround yourself with people who are better than you at what you do; Learn from them”

Surround yourself with people who are better than you at what you do. Learn from them. Make them part of your community. If there isn’t a community already in existence in the part of the industry you want to excel in, create it. There is something about innovation that excites people and makes them want to help. Find your own voice. What do you want? What is important to you? What are you doing to speak that into existence? The money and the influence are just a self-expression of your actions — they’re not the point. And most importantly, create. Creators have access to an enormous source of energy. We listen with imagination and depth. And if we don’t create, that energy will turn on us and destroy us. Energy needs to flow, so create the means in you to let it flow.

I had the pleasure to interview Goya Robles. Goya is an American actor of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent. His portrayal of heartbreaking, volatile and vulnerable characters are a stamp in all of his work. He is currently playing the role of “Yago” as a series regular alongside Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd in the hit TV series Get Shorty, which is entering its third season on EPIX (and can also be seen on Netflix). Goya has starred in numerous independent films, including a lead role in the feature film 11:55, starring John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Victor Almanzar, David Zayas and Julia Stiles. Goya played the role of Jackie in the Actors Studio production of The Motherf*cker with the Hat in Los Angeles. He starred in the LAByinth Theater Barn Series staged reading of Mark Borkowski’s play Valentino’s Wing, starring Michael Shannon and Annabella Sciorra, directed by Ellen Burstyn. He played Raul in Extremities and Richard in Crystal Clear, both…