Rising Star Peter Mendoza On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview with Elana Cohen

Know that sometimes you need to grow in your understanding. I was so driven to be the best and when I couldn’t understand or didn’t know how to apply what was told to me, I would beat myself up. But like life, sometimes you mature into your understanding. You just need to be patient.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Peter Mendoza.

Latino actor, stuntman, and one to watch Peter Mendoza stars in season 2 of HBO’s Emmy-nominated series “Perry Mason.” His breakthrough role came in portraying Andreas in the Netflix limited series “From Scratch,” starring alongside Zoe Saldana and Eugenio Mastrandrea. Peter has TV credits on shows like “NCIS,” “Shooter,” “Snowfall” and appeared in the films DEAD BULLET, NATHAN’S KINGDOM, and PARASITES.

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Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

My mom used to be a stripper in Los Angeles. Now for a lot of immigrants when they first come here, they don’t have many opportunities and for women stripping is a way to survive. My mom would say that I was such a good kid that when she was pregnant with me, when she’d go to work, I would mold myself in such a way, you couldn’t tell she was pregnant. My mom was a single parent and while she was working she left me and my little brother in the care of a Chicano family in East LA. They had been here for generations, so they were pretty Americanized. While my mom was working they were my family. They became my mother and father, and their sons and daughters would become my brothers and sisters. And growing up in East LA you only had four options: Get a job, join the military, get in a gang, or deal drugs. Thankfully this family, as tough as my upbringing was… for example, my adopted father would take us boys out to the backyard in tighty-whities and we’d have to dodge him shooting us with BB guns. That’s horrible, I know but that was life. It was a very nuanced experience. My adopted father was like an OG cholo hold the G. Short and stocky, but his voice alone could rock you to your knees. A flawed man, but a hurt man, he too had a tough upbringing. He was raised by the streets and would get his education from” Gladiator school.” That’s what they called Juvenal Hall. He was also a strong representative of Machismo. He too had his loving side. He would take us camping at KOA Camp, we would go to the movies, and theme parks. He too was gentle and loving, in his own way. My adopted mother was practically a saint. Very generous. Very religious. She would take in homeless people; bathe them, clothe them, feed them, and give them a place to sleep. She would pray over them and never ask for anything in return. So in the crossroads of my life when I’d have to choose who I want to be. Seeing both sides, I could choose the best of both worlds. Growing up, the culture in the media always purported the stereotype that Latinos were lazy, job stealing, drug trafficking murderers. So, we had a skewed view of the vibrant multicultural community that surrounded us. We regarded the “Puro” Latinos as chuntie and paisa. Unfortunately, we didn’t know any better; and my real mom growing up seemed to not like me much, maybe because I looked too much like my father. My mom was just overworked and tired and to have this high energy child bug her for school money was a nuisance. The reason my mom worked so hard was to keep a roof over our head. She made a huge sacrifice but to a child she wasn’t present, so I latched on to my adopted family. Living the immigrant experience. Sitting in the back of the van, while they gave their true adopted children preference, living under conditional means. We are now stronger than ever. as with my real mom. But my mom wasn’t really equipped to be a mother of small children. As I got older, I could understand her reasons, choices, and pain. And establish a bond that is now unbreakable. My real father was a drug dealer, a womanizer, and had an anger problem. He was also tall, dark, and handsome. He could talk his way out of a paper bag. He took advantage of that. My poor mother was the victim of his insecurities but as a father he was my everything. He was my peace. I was too young to fully understand the dynamics of their relationship but to my little brother and I he was the man we wanted to be. Toys R’ Us was Disneyland. He used to drive us around in these nice convertible’s and take us to these nice homes, I thought he owned but these were his stash houses, I would later find out. My father was James Bond and when I was younger I used to make up these stories of him jumping out of airplanes and driving on rooftops. I would later find out that these were freeways, but I didn’t know. He would go to jail when I was nine. He was jailed for possessing a firearm, wads of cash, and drugs in his car. This was his third strike. So, after his nearly nine year jail stint in a correctional facility, he would be deported to Mexico. My last memory of him would be at Toys R’ Us at Christmas time. The first PlayStation had been out for about a year, but it was still a pretty hot item. He bought us one and asked me if I also wanted a Nintendo 64 for myself. I was never the selfish type and told him no, I’ll share with my little brother. I never saw him again in person after that. That was the moment my peace went with him. Ever since then, I would have to fight. Fight for respect, for love, to just belong. In all the bad there was so much good. They taught me manners, to respect your elders, to be of service, and speak with pride. They were old school. So, we grew up listening to oldies, circus disco, and The Gypsy Kings. They would tell us, “you may be from East LA but you are not meant to stay here.” They meant the culture around us. They would always insist that we respect ourselves. I am here because of the lessons, experience, and wisdom of these human people who gave so much of themselves to give me the chance to be here today.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

Jean-Claude Van Damme. I always attribute the movie Hard Target as the movie that inspired me to want to do this. I initially wanted to be an Action Star. Growing up, we watched WWE back when it was WWF. I used to watch The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. I would copy Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. I used to be called Bruce Lopez, haha. But there was a moment in Hard Target where Van Damme does a front flip over a burning trash can. Totally fake. but to a kid that was it.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Zoot Suit for Center Theatre Groups Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration. I was an understudy. I was the only one that was not part of the ensemble. It was a tough experience because as rewarding as it was to work with Luis Valdez, Daniel Valdez, Rose Portillo, and Demian Bichir, it meant nothing if I couldn’t be on that stage. It motivated me to work harder. I was watching all these great actors doing what I wanted to do. By then, my fire had dimmed a bit but that experience forced me to reevaluate what I was in this for. It didn’t matter how much I was getting paid, the theatre, or the people. If I wasn’t on that stage, I was dead. Through Zoot Suit I found my managers who saw the play and thought that I was the lead because that particular day I took over a role for a smaller part because we lost an actor and they were training the new guy so I stepped in i n his place. So there was a little insert in the program with my bio that said Understudy Henry Reyna. They left this wonderful message about how they enjoyed my performance and if I had representation. I was bowled over. Wow. So I called and after five minutes they realized they made a mistake. The conversation turned awkward, and I felt so bad, but they said you know what, we’d still like to see you, come in and we’ll talk. That day, I wanted to dress to the T, but I figured that wouldn’t be honest, I don’t normally dress like this. I’d like for them to see me for who I really am. I came in and just monologued. And because I was myself. They took me on. It has been the most rewarding experience. Samantha Stewart was my lead manager and she got me here. So a big thank you to her. I wouldn’t have gotten “Perry Mason” if it were not for her support and dedication.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?

Yes, I had an audition for Los Espookys. And I was trying to find the funny in the lines and it just wasn’t working. I was working with my mentor, Tom Atha, and actor friend Sebastian Fernandez. Sebastian came up with this great idea. He said, “This character is Emo right? You remember in high school, all the Emo and Goth kids were devoid of emotion. Very deadpan. I think if you play it monotone and disconnected, that could be funny.” So I did. And they were roaring with laughter. Now, sometimes in acting I go method because certain roles require full immersion. So I got to the casting office in full Emo regalia, hair slicked over my right eye, black skinny jeans, and a black sweater shirt. I walk in in-character, drained of emotion. and I’m really excited. This is a great, bold choice. And as soon as I opened my mouth I knew I had made a mistake but I had to commit. I could see the casting director’s faces, with almost abject horror but I couldn’t stop. I wanted to tell them it was just a choice. But I was too far in. So I leave, in character. Laugh as I’m outside the office then I receive a call from my managers. They asked how the audition went but in a suspicious tone and seemed to say something else. I said “it was good?” with shaky confidence, and they said the casting directors called her asking if I was an actual actor, they said yes, then they said, “have you seen him act?” And when I heard this, I explained my reason for the choice. So they called them back and explained. They were relieved and wanted to see me again but not make that choice. Didn’t get it, but it was memorable. So sometimes the risk regardless of the outcome is the reward because, to play it safe, not exploring all of our intricacies can limit our ability to grow. And I got a kind of callback. And Tom and Sebastian are still my friends. We laughed so hard.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m making my professional directing debut with Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, a Spanish language theatre company in its fiftieth year that focuses on classical and contemporary Latin American plays. It’s called The Misfortunes of a Household/Los Empeños de una Casa. We opened Feb. 17 — Mar. 5 in Spanish and Mar. 10–12 in English at Plaza de la Raza in Lincoln Park in Lincoln Heights.

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

I never understood when older actors and celebrities would say, “If you love something as much or more than this, Do That.” But after being in this business, I understand. Being an actor can be very demanding and rewarding but also very heartbreaking. You must possess a thick skin and grace with yourself. You receive so many no’s and close calls. It can be demoralizing. And yet so uplifting. I am a better person because I’m an actor. You are a career auditioner. That is your job and the perk is getting to work it in a longer form. You really have to love this. You cannot do this for the money, the fame, or the notoriety. You’ll flounder. I’ve seen so many fade away because they didn’t make it in the way they felt they should. It’s the waiting game and you have a 50/50 chance. Those are great odds. It’s life and death out here. Don’t waste your time with anything that doesn’t make you happy. This business is run by people who don’t see you for who you are but what you can offer and what will bring in the big bucks and we think they will see the work, the dedication, the dream, but it’s a business first and artform second. So you have to be willing to adapt when necessary but I promise you, in spite of that, this is such a gift. Don’t take this or yourself for granted. It is a privilege not a right to be an actor. If you possess the gift of storytelling. Challenge it, push it, and glorify in it. It is your duty as a human being to reflect the very best and worst of all of us but also the joy, and amazing innovation we possess. To show the world we still matter. We exist. We are not done yet. Not by a long shot.

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?

We are more than just immigrant stories, two to three jobs, drug-dealers, and gang bangers. There is so much more nuance in these communities than I think has been represented in the media. We are not cannon fodder and just entertainment. What about the ones that don’t speak the language, the melting pot of the eastside, the disparity and complicated language and racism of their own people that exists in these communities. Where are the poets. The activists. The people who have succeeded without the MAN in their way. The race wars between Blacks and Browns. Or the history of our people in the entertainment business like Ramon Navarro, the first Latino Latin Lover who challenged Rudolph Valentino, who was a gay man, and killed for a couple thousand dollars. Tiburcio Vazquez who lost all that his family had during the westward expansion after the Mexican-American War. His family were landowners who were stripped of everything so he became a bandit as an affront to everything they took away. He was who inspired Zorro. So many stories that need to be shared.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

You don’t need to know what to do, you just need to start

When I first started, I didn’t know anything about the business, headshots, acting websites, etc… and I leaned on my mentor. But he had not acted since the 90s and so much changed. All he could do was help me with acting. So I had to teach myself through trial and error. I failed a lot, but I learned what not to do. Because of those experiences I am here talking to you.

Know that sometimes you need to grow in your understanding

I was so driven to be the best and when I couldn’t understand or didn’t know how to apply what was told to me, I would beat myself up. But like life, sometimes you mature into your understanding. You just need to be patient.

Patience

We feel like time is against us, but time is not the enemy it is an ally. The journey is what is more rewarding. If I shot up to the top in my early twenty’s I would have squandered it. This has been a long time coming but because I had to struggle it made the wins all the more satisfying. It humbled me. I’m so grateful it did. It grounded me and taught what mattered. That success is what you make of it and not what others say or what society thinks.

Study

You must be a forever student. Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you are done adulting. There is so much to learn, see, and do. Watch the old masters. The early beginnings of this business. Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd. World Cinema. Jacques Tati, Masaki Kobayashi, Yasujiro Ozu, Marcel Carne, Luis Bunuel, Akira Kurosawa, Lindsay Anderson, etc. Plays, Television, Books, History. Know where you came from. How we innovated. And where we are going. There is so much to learn and love. And it makes you more well rounded.

Love yourself

Sometimes we can blame ourselves for our shortcomings and yet it has nothing to do with us. You don’t owe anything to anyone. If you’re having a bad day. Have a bad day. Cry. Rage. Celebrate. Give yourself grace. It’s a marathon not a race. I promise, if you keep knocking someone is going to answer.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Do not make this your life. This art form draws from experience and if you have no life without this then who are you when you’re not working? There is so much to experience. Have a Life because I promise you that is the best education and training you can ever get. This is an extension of who you are but not all of you. Go make friends, see movies, dance, travel, and read a good book. Soak up all that life has to offer. This will always be here when you get back.

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. :-)

The homeless problem in Los Angeles. I find it embarrassing that we have one of the biggest economies in the country, yet there are about 60,000 people living in the streets. It feels almost post-Apocalyptic. Where is the money going? We must hold our representatives accountable for their hand in this problem and stop paying them six-figure salaries for half-assed work. We must be better. We are better. What example are we leaving to the next generation and the world by our lack of resolve?

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?

Tom Atha. He was my first acting professor when I got to college. It’s because of him I even have a career. He invested in me. I was a poor kid from East LA. I couldn’t see past the four blocks in which I lived in. But he saw something in me. A Spark. So, he opened up his home and his heart. He told me,” I’m gonna bet on you. You have something special, and I believe you can really make it and change the conversation on what Latinos can do. If you work hard and stay dedicated, I will offer you all the resources you need.” And he did. He gave me a home in which I can grow and understand myself. I don’t recognize the man that I am now compared to then. I could’ve never imagined I could be and do the things I have done. It’s been a DREAM. He gave me that 50/50 chance. I am here today because of him. And I’m not done yet. Not by a long shot.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“It gets worse before it gets better but it gets better.” Sometimes life can force your hand and you can’t see the light but if hold on a little longer you’ll find that you are a lot stronger than you think you are. And sometimes we think the light is at the end of the tunnel but sometimes it’s in the darkness. Maybe YOU are the light, and you just need to see it for yourself. Give yourself the permission to fail. Failure is just a lesson you haven’t learned yet. I promise you if you fight with all your heart. Eventually the world will rally around and show you a world you never you could be a part of. It’s Life and Death. This is your life. Fight for it. And remember, it doesn’t happen On Time it happens In Time. Don’t rue where you’re at in life. You are here for a reason, if you were supposed to be somewhere else you would be, so enjoy this moment because you will never have it again. Because It’s not always when you want it but when you need it.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on IG: @@petertheatre and Facebook Peter Mendoza

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!