Today we’d like to introduce you to Raúl Peyret.
Hi Raúl, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born in Argentina, the youngest of three brothers, I studied engineering before being hired by a tech company in Seattle. However, a few years ago, I found myself at a crossroads and decided to start checking things off my bucket list – one of which was taking acting classes.
To my surprise, I was quickly signed by an agent and landed my first paying acting jobs. I knew I wanted to make a living in the industry, so I set my sights on moving to either New York or Los Angeles. While New York wasn’t an option for me, Los Angeles was a relatively easy commute. I made a plan and before I knew it, I found myself in Hollywood, sipping coffee with a mentor and friend – a well-known TV and film actor.
Now, I split my time between Los Angeles and Seattle, and it’s been working out great. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a feature film that is still in post-production, meet amazing and talented artists (many of whom I now consider close friends), and continue to audition for network and studio productions thanks to my amazing agent and manager. I’m also actively working on a few projects of my own – a short drama, a multi-episodic comedy, and a period piece set in Argentina and the US, full of interesting anecdotes and human connections. The acting industry may have its ups and downs, but for me, it’s been a thrilling journey and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Acting, like life itself, is never a smooth road. It’s filled with ups and downs, and sometimes it feels like the downs outweigh the ups. But for actors, the need to fulfill that void within ourselves is so strong that we are willing to endure all the challenges and struggles that come with the job. One of the biggest difficulties of being an actor is the constant rejection. It can be disheartening to think that booking a role is the only measure of success, especially considering there could be thousands of submissions for just one character. But I try to remind myself that even being called in for an audition, or even better yet, a callback, is a success in itself. It means that the casting director or production team saw something in my material that spoke to them. My job is to give my best creative version for the material I’m being called for and then promptly move on to the next opportunity.
Another challenge is the balancing act of day jobs versus acting jobs. Most actors I know have to work a variety of jobs, from the service industry to corporate roles, in order to make ends meet. It can be tough to juggle these multiple lives and often leads to scheduling conflicts. Finding my own creative voice and point of view is another struggle that I’ve been working on. As artists, I believe it’s important to bring our unique and conflicting points of view to society in order to help move the conversations forward and tell stories that haven’t been written in the press or bring attention to issues that haven’t been discussed yet. But finding that voice and point of view is an exercise in vulnerability and strength, as it requires us to be true to ourselves and openly share our own personal truth.
Finally, producing material is a challenge for many actors. The industry tends to favor projects that will drive revenue, which makes it difficult for young production companies to produce their own content or content that might be controversial or not profitable. But as actors, crew members, and production teams, we still need to cover our basic necessities. It’s a conundrum that has existed for centuries and has led to the stereotype of the struggling, hungry artist. But I believe that grit and tenacity are the keys to moving forward and making progress, even if projects don’t turn out exactly as expected or originally envisioned. It’s better to move forward and make imperfect progress than to be completely frozen by the need to get it perfectly right from the start.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am particularly attracted to drama and action, but after moving to Hollywood, I developed an interest in comedy. I realized the versatility of this genre to communicate difficult topics. I have gained recognition for my film role in “Martingale” and my lead roles in the stage productions of “Anna in the Tropics” at Theatre on the Square in Tacoma and “The Pericles Project” at Theatre off Jackson in Seattle. I also cherish my lead roles in the stage productions of “Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekhov and “K2” by Patrick Meyers but I am particularly proud of my work interpreting Pericles, which I consider to be one of the most challenging projects of my career. I was also fortunate to be awarded the Best Performance award in 2021 at the Filmchilla Film Festival for my work at a short film produced in Seattle. What makes me different is my unique background; there are definitely not many Argentinean-American with a tech career who are actors in Hollywood. I had the opportunity to travel and work all over the world which ignited in me a keen interest in telling stories from unknown places and finding ways to leverage technology to help elevate the voices of artists.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
COVID-19 was a critical moment for reflecting on my priorities. It provided me the opportunity to consider my own mortality and that of those around me. Acting and family have always been central to my life, but it was during this time that I truly realized how critical their role was in my life. The pandemic also highlighted our interconnectedness and the importance of collaboration and cooperation. Personally, my acting community, the time spent preparing scenes and working material over Zoom helped keep my sanity relatively intact. Overall, the pandemic has been a reminder for me of the fragility and preciousness of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.raulpeyret.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raulpeyret/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raul.e.peyret/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaulPeyret
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@raulpeyret
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/raulpeyret
Image Credits
Benito Vasquez John Ulman Mark Daugherty
