Rising Star Raúl Eduardo Peyret On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

Be prepared for acting to take priority over most in your life. This career will change your life. You will need to become much more than “just” an actor. You will need to learn the Standard American -or another- accent. It will be tough but worth it.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Raúl Peyret.

Raúl Peyret is an Argentinean-American screen and stage actor. He is best known for his film role in Martingale and for his lead roles in the stage productions of Anna in the Tropics (Theatre on the Square, Tacoma) and The Pericles Project (Theatre off Jackson, Seattle). He is also known for his roles in the films Beloved Beast (2018), Hera (2020), Celebrant (2022), as well as his lead roles in the stage productions of “Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekhov and “K2” by Patrick Meyers. Raúl is a Filmchilla Best Performance award recipient (2021). Raúl Peyret’s Website: www.raulpeyret.com

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

I grew up in Córdoba, Argentina a city of about one million people. My parents were physicians, and I am the youngest of three brothers, which in retrospect explains why I had it so easy when I was growing up.

We used to spend summers at my family’s country house, and it was there where I devoted an absurd amount of time writing computer programs and playing with whatever camera I could get a hold on. The first one was an 8mm film camera from a friend of mine that I used for making a short documentary for a school project. Years later a family member lent me a Panasonic camcorder. I was ecstatic, and it was then that I realized I wanted to make films.

Like perhaps most actors, it all started in elementary school. I was six when I got my first role-playing a doctor. I remember being insanely excited and proud that my character was a lead and that I was on stage most of the time.

Not much later I did another play that I flunked, I forgot my lines during the show in front of the whole school. That was a bit traumatic for me despite the audience being so supportive.

I didn’t do much during or after graduating school; however one of my teachers in High School produced and directed a lot of theatre work, but I was shy and felt embarrassed having to ask to join his productions -as you can tell, I knew little about the whole auditioning process-. I did attend several of his productions and every single time I felt remorseful that I wasn’t doing anything to participate.

It took years for me to do something about it. I was in my senior year at the University when I told my dad I wanted to change careers and study medicine. I thought he would be upset but to my surprise he didn’t flinch, he fetched the car keys and offered to take me to the registrar’s office. I did not end up changing careers and finished my Systems Engineering degree instead, but I did join a small theatre group in my city. That was the first time I took “acting” classes; I was about 22 years old and doing theatre and improv felt right from the very first moment. It would take over a decade for me to get back into acting.

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

About ten years ago I was going through some very rough times in my personal life, and I decided to start crossing items from my bucket list. I first enrolled back into college and started taking pre-med classes, but I quit after a few terms.

I continued down to the next item in my list and enrolled into an acting class. I was immediately hooked. After the program ended, I desperately searched for another school where I could continue learning. That’s how I found Freehold Theatre in Seattle.

Freehold was a safe haven. At that time, my life was in upheaval. There were just too many things happening: my divorce, the passing of my dad and then my mom shortly thereafter; yet Freehold and acting classes held me together. I loved every single minute I spent in class. I got my first agent about one year later, but it wasn’t really until I took Meisner that I had this almost spiritual realization that I was meant to be an actor.

I remember that at the beginning of class, the instructor -Robin Lynn Smith- asked us why we wanted to act. I was seated on the floor and had this sudden, overwhelming conviction that acting was what I was meant to do. It happened in a flash, and it felt to me as if my own life were a movie, where someone told me the plot and the end of the story. The clarity I got at that moment was something I had never ever experienced until that moment.

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

This happened recently. One day I received an e-mail from my commercial agent in Los Angeles about a booking for a theatrical project. This agent did not represent me theatrically and did not tell me much other than I had to sign an NDA before connecting me with the production team.

I completed the paperwork and minutes later I received a call from Dea Vise who was casting for this project. I was flabbergasted; I just could not believe who was directing this film. This was a project I had self-submitted and I did not even remember doing that. Fast forward and a few weeks later and I found myself in Hollywood going to rehearsal at a private residence. We were still in the middle of COVID-19, so the production team had to be extremely careful; but we were able to spend hours working the scene, just the director and the other lead actors. Truly one of the highlights of my career.

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?

This happened the day I met my first agent. I was very anxious because I really did not have much experience or many credits. I wanted to look professional and did everything I could to play the part. The meeting happened at ACT theater in downtown Seattle. Along with me there were about twenty other actors and actresses seeking representation. The agent proceeded to request the material. I was prepared; I had put together a beautiful and nicely formatted -albeit empty- résumé. I even had a headshot! When my turn came, I handed out my material. The agent looked at my résumé and my photograph with a puzzled look, he then looked at me and said, “thanks for the art project.” He immediately turned to the room and started explaining how the headshot and résumé were supposed to be formatted and how they should be stapled together.

This was a lesson that I will never forget. I was overconfident, I thought I knew it all. But I learnt that I needed to cultivate a humble determination and be more willing to reach out for help; I had a long path ahead of me.

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

I am currently working on two different projects. The first one is a historical piece with fictional elements that involves personalities from the US and abroad. The story is set between Argentina and the United States with portions in Europe.

The second project is a comedy that tells the trials and tribulations of a guy in the IT industry that is trying to make his breakthrough as an actor. Some situations he has to maneuver are ridiculous, while others are complex and stressful, creating the perfect combination for comedic moments. The stakes are so high that the audience can only empathize with our hero and cheer for him to achieve his dream.

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?

Produce your own work. Sometimes actors expect break-through principal or co-star roles as if waiting to win the lottery. While there is a real possibility that it might happen, the chances are exceptionally low. Instead, I think actors should produce their own work because it empowers them to make concrete progress; providing them with opportunities to learn more about the industry and gives them a platform to write and produce the role of their dreams.

Create a sustainable lifestyle. Unless you are one of the few lucky individuals that has a pot of gold at their disposal, you will need to work to sustain yourself. However, besides providing enough for your living and acting training expenses; it should be flexible enough to allow you to have quality creative time for you to work on your acting career. You must resist the temptation to mimic the stereotype of glamorous lifestyles, and instead focus on your mental and physical well-being.

Assemble your “Executive Board.” Put together a group of people that genuinely want to see you succeed. This group will be formed by several types of individuals, and it could include family, friends, colleagues, therapists, industry professionals that can assist you with auditions and coaching; as well as other individuals that will offer their time to help you. One key person you will need is a mentor, someone you can trust and relate to, that has (or had) a career path that perhaps you want to imitate. Also do not forget to have that friend you can call after you close that show that demanded so much vulnerability from you. Be proactive and start building your Executive Board soon because you’ll need their advice and support sooner than you think.

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?

1. Economics: In the past, content creation used to be centralized; had predictable distribution channels and viewership. Technology has changed most of that, allowing every single one of us to become a content producer. This process has effectively shifted the demand curve increasing the need for truthful and authentic material and has created a tug war between traditional production companies and technology organizations; where firms like Disney had to figure out how to offer streaming services; and companies like Netflix and Amazon had to figure out how to produce content. All these changes are driving an exponential demand for unique, truthful, and authentic content that can only be produced with a diverse team. Shows like Narcos, Casa de Papel (Money Heist), Squid Games are excellent examples of this. We are just seeing the beginning and I expect the market demand for diversity will continue to increase.
2. Positive Representation matters: When I was growing up, I watched movies and TV from the US, but I also consumed a lot of content from Argentina and some from Europe. Not all the content was great, but I was constantly exposed to stories of extraordinarily successful and smart individuals that I could identify with. They all painted a world of possibilities that I felt was within my reach. How tragic must it be for kids to grow up with a limited number of positive role models in TV or movies; where people they connect with are mostly portrayed negatively. I am certain that increasing positive representation would help kids and adults alike unleash their potential, helping envision a new world of possibilities for themselves and for everybody on this planet. We become our thoughts and that’s why Representation matters.
3. Personal growth that strengthens the fabric of society. I was fortunate to have had the chance to travel and meet a lot of different people. While at the surface level we may appear different with sometimes seemingly impossible to reconcile backgrounds, deep down we share the same dreams, goals, and aspirations. When I get to know people with stories of struggle and challenges I can’t help but empathize and be affected by them. I remember one time when my son and I were traveling through the Sahara Desert. We had been driving for about half a day through sand dunes when we stopped by one of the only trees we could see. Next to it there was a small tent -we stopped to pick some equipment. There was a lady living there; and my son was curious about her. We asked our driver to translate for us and he explained she had lost her husband, and this was her home. She then invited us to have tea. It was well above 45 degrees Celsius (113 F). She had no possessions, no furniture; we sat on carpets on the floor while she boiled water on a rudimentary firepit and prepared a delicious refreshing mint tea. She spoke no Arabic, no French and certainly no English but the connection and generosity needed no language. I have had many similar situations to this one and each one of those conversations has helped me grow and has prompted me to think and question my own assumptions.

The increase of diversity can only have a net positive impact in society, bringing innovative ideas, new points of views and a fresh influx of innovation. It is diversity what makes us strong. Each one of us come from somewhere else… the only difference is that some of us arrived more recently than others.

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

Video Interview: https://youtu.be/7i9lugWh9HU

1. Be prepared for acting to take priority over most in your life. There will be situations where you will have to decide whether to commit to a project, go to rehearsal or attend a football game of your kid. And while you will be able to resolve most scheduling conflicts, you will face some tough decisions. This could be extremely hard for you, your family, your work; that’s why it is crucial to be transparent and to have a support group that cheers for your success. My family and I have made many sacrifices but still managed to keep our rituals attending to those important family events that we consider fundamental. It hasn’t been easy, but it is certainly doable.
2. This career will change your life. Acting will give you a new pair of glasses to look at the world; you will gain a sharper vision of people and relationships. Acting will force you to examine who you are, explore uncomfortable questions, prejudices, the boundaries of human behavior because only then you will be able to understand and love your characters. I was working on a scene where I was interpreting a character with which I do not naturally identify. I was thrilled because it was going to be challenging work and it would help evolve as an actor.
3. You will need to become much more than “just” an actor. Being an actor is already incredibly hard, but it is not enough. There are other aspects that you will also need to work on:

Learning about the technical aspects of the set where you will be performing. Of course, your main job is to act but directors -and crew- love and take notice of actors that are easy to work with. You will need to learn how to adapt your performance to stage, film and TV. For example, it is extremely helpful to have some basic understanding of photography and concepts such as depth of field, framing, lighting, and more; a basic understanding of the editing workflow could make the editor’s life easier. The more you know the better team player you can be.

Business aspects of acting. Actors -you- are the product, and you will need to learn how to market yourself; how to track the contacts; how to create a portfolio that best highlights your castability and goals, etc. It sounds boring, but this is show business after all and if you don’t do it, nobody will.

And yes… developing and training as an actor is something that never stops, and you should continue doing throughout your career.

4. You will need to learn the Standard American -or another- accent. This is something you might resist since you have been studying and working in the US for a long time. However, consider this: the lead and co-start roles you might be a good fit for, are few and being able to speak with a Standard American accent will only increase your chances to be cast. If you want to have access to a larger pool of work, you will need to do the work. It will take a long time and effort, but you will get better -much better- and you can do it! However, finding the right coach is imperative. I had worked with lots of amazing teachers, but it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to work with Bob Corff that I started to make real progress. Keep in mind that accent work is like going to the gym; you need to continuously exercise to get better.

5. It will be tough but worth it. There will be many difficulties and at times it will be extremely taxing to you and your loved ones and might even jeopardize your day job. In those moments, you will need to take a deep breath, focus on what needs to happen, get the right support, and find the energy to make that next step. You have no guarantees of success but if you commit, and keep adding wins, you will inevitably make progress. There is no magic formula, just work; that’s why you must love this career.

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

This is a marathon. Staying physically fit and mentally healthy is extremely important; but for me “burn out” happens when I feel stuck, when my work, time and energy are being wasted.

My approach to prevent this is to have a side project that is aligned with my career goals and where I can invest my time and energy when I am not training, auditioning, or working on a project I have booked. This allows me to make small progress towards my ultimate goal -even when everything might be coming to a still.

Now, it is important that even with that project, actors do proper planning; and divide the tasks into achievable objectives. It could all start with identifying a few books to read, write the tagline, etc. The tasks themselves don’t have to be monumentally complex -in fact it is advisable that they are not; but rather share the same characteristics of SMART goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time based.

This level of precision, and task-based approach helps tremendously with that feeling of “burn out”.

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. :-)

I would make mandatory and affordable for every person in the US to travel overseas for at least a month to a country that speaks a language different than English. Extra points if the person establishes contact with the locals and writes at least one postcard or letter to someone they have met in that country. I am convinced that if 80% of the population did this, especially in the US, the entire world would be better off.

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?

For me that person is Robin Lynn Smith. Robin is the founding Partner and Artistic Director of Freehold Studio/Theatre Lab in Seattle. I first met Robin about 10 years ago when she was interviewing me for my first Meisner class. She asked me many questions. One I remember was if “I was prepared to fully commit to the work the class required.” I sensed an implicit warning in her question. Little I knew that the Meisner progression was going to transform my life; and I don’t say this figuratively. Not only it affected my acting but also my work, my relationships with friends and family. Meisner demanded a level of truth and authenticity that I simply did not know existed.

One story that I recall happened during a recent production of “The Pericles Project” -and adaptation of Shakespeare’s work produced as part of Freehold’s Engaged Theatre program, an initiative to bring productions to extraordinary audiences such as prisons, trauma centers, youth detention facilities and active military bases.

In this production, I was interpreting Pericles. My scene partner and I were rehearsing Act II, Scene III, the moment after the dance between Pericles and Thaisa (interpreted by Ashley Salazar). This is the moment where Pericles falls in love with Thaisa; and where he sings a beautiful healing song to her (composed by Gino Yevdjevich, Kulture Shock). Robin had a vision for this moment, where both characters are extremely vulnerable; it wasn’t just romance but also the complete acknowledgement and acceptance of each other’s imperfections what makes them fall for each other. I remember rehearsing the scene with Robin standing close to us, clarifying the motivations moment by moment, instant by instant. She would never indicate what to do -that is for the actor to decide- but her directions provided a beautiful framework for the scene. It was a scene that brought tears of love every single time we did it.

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

“Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) […] the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves to.”

This is a quote attributed to Goethe that for me emphasizes the need to move forward into the unknown as a necessity for progress.

I remember reading it and feeling extremely uncomfortable, realizing that at one point I would have to take ever-increasing risks and embrace uncertainty. Few quotes have been so relevant for me as this one; but the moment I stopped looking back, things started to happen.

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. :-)

There are so many people I would love to have a chat with…

Tom Cruise. He is one of the hardest working actors I know, with an extraordinary work ethic and a career I would love to emulate -especially performing my own stunts and flying my airplanes. I would love to get his thoughts on Mission Impossible spinoffs, where the franchise explores other secret agencies in the world.

Patrick Steward and Alex Kurtzman (producer of Star Trek: Picard). I would love to get their thoughts on this new captain that was born in South America and pilots a Sovereign class USS Enterprise-G spaceship. He is a wine-nut and has managed to grow real vineyards, making Malbec wine on board the ship thanks to altering the holodeck and replicators. This captain insists that replicators will never be able to create wine as good as the real thing -something Picard agrees with.

Dan Brown (author The Da Vinci Code) and Akiva Goldsman (screenwriter The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind). I’d love to explore the stories of the Santa Alleanza or L’Entità , the Vatican’s Secret Services and how the operate in different parts of the world.

How can our readers follow you online?

• Website: www.raulperyet.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/raulpeyret
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/actor.raul.peyret
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/raulpeyret
• Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/raulpeyret

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