Rising Star Jason Avalos: “Why we can all benefit from a movement of self-love right now”
A movement of self-love is something we can all benefit from right now. We live in a constant “better ourselves” kinda world. So many of us missed a few lessons growing up or weren’t taught what self-love looks like. It’s such a great place to grow from rather than “oh I’m not good, or pretty, or smart enough” yet but starting from a place of self-love can bring a little brevity to growing as a person. Maybe this should be a non-profit group?
I had the pleasure to interview actor Jason Avalos. Jason grew up in Long Beach where he attended Los Alamitos High School. At 15 he studied at the prestigious Hollywood acting studio The Shop where he studied under John Homa and Andrew Magarian. Jason majored in Theater in college in San Diego where he became excited to direct and write. In 2005 Jason started Film School. In 2006 had his first breakthrough as an actor in the play “One Booth Joint” in which he was given a great review in L.A. Weekly, and was chosen by ABC/Disney to be one of their top Native American actors to look out for. After some time living, and studying in Paris, Jason graduated film school in 2008. He premiered his acting/directing debut film “Waiting for the Miracle” at the Cannes Film Festival, and went on to study writing with Quentin Tarantino. In 2009 Jason acted in several features playing roles 180 degrees from one another such as a Natural Born Killer character in the action/adventure film “Treasure of the Black Jaguar” and a Ron Burgundy character in the comedy “Pirate’s Booty”. Jason has also co-starred in the short film “Devil Land” and the award winning short film “Use As Directed”. In 2011 Jason was brought on by the Emmy winning director of “Hacienda Heights” to help restructure, and pen scripts for the show, a “West Wing” meets “Sopranos” drama, which features some of Latin Hollywood’s most recognizable faces such as Julio Iglesias Jr, Steven Baur from “Scarface”, and Eva Tamargo.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Long Beach, California, a microcosm of surf, skate, and gang culture. I had to join a little gang at age seven to have anyone to hang with on my block. I spent the days at the bowling alley my mother was a manager at so I was the little prince of the bowling alley and a master of pinball, pool, and bowling.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was in a college rep theater company at Mesa College in San Diego, also where Annette Benning studied. I always got the weird parts that no one else could do. I never got the lead. That taught me to make the most of those parts and to make them my own. But I also really wanted to be the leading man. I realized that Latinos often are not the leading man unless it’s Zorro. So I started writing and directing. That’s the only way I could avoid being thug #3 all the time.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the most exciting stories is when I had a short film “Waiting for the Miracle” which was a thesis film in film school. I entered it into the short film market at Cannes at the same time I studied abroad in Paris. Each year a Masterclass is taught at Cannes and that year was Quentin Tarantino. So here I am just finished film school, living in Paris, studying with Tarantino, and I was invited to come live with an Italian family of filmmakers who liked my short film and gave me a chateau for free while in Cannes and made me a guest of honor to their soiree. The chateau had a baby grand piano and looked upon Cannes. That was my first film festival experience.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Probably how much I move my hands, especially coming from theater. My first film acting coach use to make me do the whole scene while sitting on my hands. I still have to be careful of that one. The camera sees everything, and if I use my hands now, it may be a calculated gesture for one angle of the camera and then settle.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I just shot part of a new sci-fi short film out in Kamas, Utah and now flying back to LA to shoot the other portion. It is a Black Mirror type thing using VR, Dance, Giant Alien Pods, and a very cheeky revenge story between 2 ex-lovers. It’s the first sci-fi I’ve acted in, and I’m excited for people to see me in this.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I have a feature film I’ve been working on for two years and looking to raise money for that right now which has to do with 1st gen Latinos in East LA, the music industry, and how to overcome anxiety, trauma, and self-sabotage.
I’ve just put together a writer’s room for a new series all about the insanity of social media, bullying, and troll culture. I am playing the lead character in that who…let’s just say he is out for blood.
Diversity representation is at the forefront of everything I do. One reason this is important is so we can see ourselves in a new way on film. It has the power to make us strive for more in our lives. I had no idea how much I needed to see Miles Morales in the new Spider-verse, but when I saw it, I legit cried.
Another reason is minorities, and their families, are being targeted politically right now, so representation is a billboard-sized reminder that we are America too. We are not your side chick.
The thing I’m most excited about is getting to what the future will bring for diverse stories. Diverse superheroes, more diverse horror movies like “Get Out,” etc. Diverse rom coms…where is the Breaking Bad or Ozarks, West Wing, with Latino’s or lesbians?
It affects the culture by enabling every American’s power and nudges equality on the playing field as a whole. It says “We know and you know.” We should be paid equally, offered jobs equally and our values and value systems should be respected equally.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1) If you are a Latino, you’re expected to look very suave and sexy and even have an accent. Hollywood likes their Latinos spicy. It’s changed, but not much. When I was with a particular agency, they always put me in the sexiest audition rooms and rarely comedy rooms. I’m more of very handsome funny neurotic, so it’s like you put Ben Stiller in a room of Brad Pitts.
2) If you’re going to be a Latin filmmaker, make sure you make very Latin-centric movies or be Guillermo Del Toro. I make American movies with POC people, but I wish someone told me how difficult that would be. I am trying to get a 1st gen Latino movie made right now, and investors/producers want more burrito jokes, more gangs, and more salsa music.
3) It’s okay to have a relationship or family while you’re “on the rise”. The old way of thinking wasn’t that way, but now I think it’s becoming the norm and can provide that work-life balance.
4) Don’t drink all the free drinks. Okay, this one I stole from Greta Gerwig. I take it as kind of don’t drink the kool-aid. For two years, I went to all these premieres, ate all the free executive pitch lunches, drank all the free booze, and got very little work done. Carve time to socialize but be wary of your time.
5) 85–90% of the people you need are already your friends. Moving up the ladder is a unilateral move — it’s not about finding one of these magic gatekeepers. Most of the people I work on movies and shows with are friends from acting class, producers from films I’ve worked on, people I work out with.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I do yoga, gym daily, and I just finished taking a sabbatical from acting for two years to became a stronger writer and director. Get a therapist. Seriously get a therapist. Here’s my big tip on this. Your career is this magical boat…ok yacht, because let’s manifest on this vast journey with a ton of destinations.
When something or someone is pulling your boat down, then get rid of it Marie Kondo style baby. Drinking became one of those things for me. So I quit a year ago. My yacht is sailing beautifully now.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
A movement of self-love is something we can all benefit from right now. We live in a constant “better ourselves” kinda world. So many of us missed a few lessons growing up or weren’t taught what self-love looks like. It’s such a great place to grow from rather than “oh I’m not good, or pretty, or smart enough” yet but starting from a place of self-love can bring a little brevity to growing as a person. Maybe this should be a non-profit group?
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I wrote as an assistant for Lance Khazei, an Emmy nominated comedy writer, for about five years. That helped me move from the actor who likes to write to an actual screenwriter and television level writer. I got to work thru the story, dialogue, re-writes, punch-ups, how to understand feedback and critique. He pushed me out the nest and said “Hey, you’re ready to be in any writer’s room. Go!”
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment” — Oprah, the queen bee.
Right now, I’m very focused on playing the cards I have, with what I have, and who is around me to the fullest and best I can at this moment.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
As an actor, the moment is all we have, and our character’s don’t know their future unless they are magic AF.
Ava Duverney is at the forefront of telling POC stories on every level and making a change. I would love to sit down with her and see how I can help those changes in the Latin community and the POC community at large. I just launched my production company to create stories in digital, television, commercial, and as a platform for the community. Her production company ARRAY is really on point.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
I’m mainly on INSTA @jasonavalos_ or twitter @JasonAvalos or Drop a line on my production company website — TheSchoolhousePictures.com.
Jason Avalos
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2592528/
http://jasonavalos.wordpress.com/
