Conversations with Alex Honorato

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Honorato.

Hi Alex, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Brazil, in a small town called Paraíba do Sul, part of Rio de Janeiro state, southeast of the country. And there I lived most of my life. My mother was an elementary school teacher and my father a military policeman/sergeant. I’m the oldest of three children, all boys. Life in my hometown was slow, like most small towns are I guess, there were a lot of farms and green there, but I grew up in an urban area. We didn’t have enough to do, but it also felt safer compared to the big cities like Rio. Besides the thoughts of security, I always felt a little displaced in there, like I was somehow inside of a bubble. I wanted to live a different life, have different experiences, get to know a little more of the world. When I was a teenager I started to be more curious about English, I started to watch American TV shows and that made me want to learn the language. Back around 2006-2007 speaking another language like English in Brazil wasn’t as common as nowadays, internet and social media weren’t as big and the access for the majority was mostly limited. To be honest, if we do a research even today the vast majority of Brazilian population doesn’t speak another language besides Portuguese, it’s not something that is very encouraged, unless you have at least some level of privilege (I had to do researching myself back when I was in college a few years ago, so it’s safe to assume It hasn’t change that much). So I was really addicted to “LOST”, the American hit tv series (it was extremely popular there in Brazil as well), and I remember starting to watch it dubbed in Portuguese, progressing to English with Portuguese subtitles (as my curiosity and love for the show grew) and then going to English with English subtitles during the 2 last seasons. What in the beginning felt impossible, was actually coming together, and it didn’t seem like I was studying, It was fun because I loved the show and I was watching the same episode so many times, trying to solve the mysteries, captivating by the characters, acting and writing as well. After that I also started to watch several other American and British tv shows simultaneously, that made me learn even more, then I started to take in person English classes and later joined the university studying literature (Letras, Estácio de Sá university in Petrópolis), focusing in English mainly, when I got my degree my English was already solid, not as good as it is today, but good enough to have conversations around, even though most of the times I didn’t have anyone to practice with. In 2018 I visited the US for the first time, felt in Love with LA and in 2019 I decided to move, left my job and another degree I was studying in Brazil, and came here to start a new life. Then a little bit before the pandemic started. I decided to take acting classes, I’ve always wanted to do that, but back then living in a small town it didn’t make sense to me. I started with a private class that felt like a therapy session and I that was exactly what I needed, everything I was trying to hold back from my past was being ripped right there, I began to be comfortable with being uncomfortable little by little. When the pandemic started, I jumped to online classes, also did accent reduction classes, took several classes until it was safe enough to start working on a set, and of course, until I felt prepared enough to be submerse into this new world. Things started to happen, I would do things for free at first just to get to know how everything was, then got an agent, started to get paid, everything started to flow, short films, theater, commercials, I was super excited.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like I’ve mentioned previously, I had to leave everything behind when I moved to the US, I was scared but also excited. I struggled a lot at the beginning, felt sad, cried several times, I was still working on my English and also feeling alone in a different environment of course, away from my family and everyone I knew. I’ve chosen the unknown and that has a price, but I was determined to make it work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an artist, an actor, a model and a singer sometimes. But mostly, I love to play pretend. I’ve been working in all sorts of things since I started this path: shorts, films, photoshoots, music videos and mostly commercials. I’ve done a few from some well known companies like Apretude, Google, IMDB, Amazon, Apple, Bevmo etc. I want to jump deeper in the theatrical world, but everything works when it’s supposed to.
To be honest, I’m proud of everything I do, small or big. From where I come from this was always an impossible dream. But now I’m here living it! When I saw myself on TV for a international commercial I couldn’t believe it. Sometimes because you’re having a bad day or didn’t book what you wanted is easy to go to a very negative mindset and to start questioning your worth, so I still have to stop myself mentally to absorb all the incredible things that are happening, the things that when I was a kid I could never imagine I would actually accomplish, I have to remember and make sure I don’t take anything for granted.
I think we’re all different from each other and we have to use anything that makes us unique as an advantage, so I’m always trying to be as creative as I can.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
That’s a hard question. I have a lot of expectation and ambition. But also legit concerns, like everybody else, when we talk about things like AI, which is great and can be very helpful in so many levels, but at the same time, could that risk what we do? Another popular thing right now in acting and we see a lot on social media is the rising of vertical short dramas, which are also good for experience, creating a fan base, making some money, but at the same time, as they’re highlighted over other projects, we began to wonder, is that what we signed for in terms of creativity? The lack of diversity can be a problem too. But we see other companies getting involved and interested, so we never know, things might get more sophisticated, deeper, interesting… so that can be really positive. At the end of the day, I think what keeps me grounded is the love for storytelling and human connection. Trends will come and go, formats will evolve, but the need for honest, meaningful performances doesn’t just disappear. So I try to stay open, keep growing, and trust that there will always be space for artists who are willing to adapt while staying true to why they started in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/alexhonorato
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexhonoratobr/
• Other: https://www.bellaagency.com/la/lifestyle/men/2362274/alex-honorato/portfolio/large

Image Credits
Main Photo by Ty Chen

Others:
Photo 1 photo by Nicholas W
Photo 2 photo by Isaak Berliner (Adanza: Musical)
Photo 3 Apretude commercial screenshot
Photo 4 Superbowl commercial screenshot with Charlie Puth
Photo 5 Intermittent short film screenshot
Photo 6 IMDB still
Photo 7 Bevmo commercial screenshot
Photo 8 Spritz del Conte, photo by Jake Shideler