Today we’d like to introduce you to Alondra Andrade.
Hi Alondra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I first got into acting when I was eight years old. I saw a Spanish Zarzuela called Luisa Fernanda at the Million Dollar Theater. The acting was phenomenal, the idiosyncratic movements and dance sequences were all beautifully choreographed, I was mesmerized.
After that day I begged my mom to sign me up for acting classes, and after persuading her for a couple of months, she did. I went on to take classes for two years from three different programs before landing my first role as Monica in Tamale Fever. Soon after, I was fortunate enough to play leading roles in plays such as Hamlet in Hamlet, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, and Komachi in Frostbite. After years of portraying characters on stage, I decided I wanted to take my love for acting on-screen and explore the realm of Film & TV. This year has been dedicated to that and it’s been incredibly exhilarating so far.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been times where I’ve had to put my career on hold for other events in my life, but it has never affected the passion I share for the art. I am like acting’s loyal lover, I always find my way back to it. One of my biggest challenges was the battle with my self-image. I was never really comfortable in my skin, it seemed like there was always something I could fix or improve about my appearance to look more presentable as a Latina in a predominantly white industry. Being on stage, I could get away with not following certain practices like bleaching my hair or even shaving my legs because the audience was 15ft away, and there were bright lights washing out my skin. But being on-screen presented a new set of challenges. Thankfully, I’ve grown to be more confident in my own body and let go of all conventional expectations injected by my younger self. I’m much more comfortable with being seen and, therefore free to express myself and play.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m really into eccentric and experimental films that have elements of fantasy, horror, fiction, or psychological thriller. Some pieces that emulate this for me are Daisies, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, I Believe in Unicorns and Pearl. Some of the best character developments are those that explore the grit and gore that make us human, inhuman, or nonhuman. Cesar A. Cruz said, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. And I love to challenge what is perceived as normal, and in doing so create a safe space for the imagination to run free. I’ve had the honor of playing anti-manic pixie dream girl archetypes who are flawed and exist not to complete men but to go on their own journeys of self-discovery. I hope to be more of them in the future. That’s not to say that I’m tied down to one idea of what I think a character should be, as I always read scripts with an open mind.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
My view of success changes every year but my ultimate goal is to tell stories that allow people to suspend realism for surrealism. I think it’s important to show what it feels like to live in your imagination because we all do in some form or another. The freaks and dreamers can find solace in the strange little worlds we create and I think that’s beautiful. I have a couple of projects coming up that I’m stoked about. Most recently I was in a short film written and directed by O.G. Ellison, who co-produced the film along with actor R.J. Melgar. Keep your eyes peeled for it! Thank you so much for having me VoyageLA Magazine!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alondraandrade.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_alondra_andrade_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@alondraandrade9841
Image Credits
Shane Sato Yanira Davis
