Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Delgado.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Southeast Asia. Not the typical starting place for a Puerto Rican/Peruvian kid, but it was all I knew so it felt normal to me. At 16 months old, I booked my first official acting gig when I was cast in a baby products commercial in Thailand. In the years that followed, acting was mainly just a hobby for me, never really extending beyond the occasional school play. When my family relocated to the United States and settled in Maryland, however, my attitude towards art changed. I auditioned for a production of The Music Man and was fortunate to be cast as the title role. Leading this show opened my eyes to the joys of musical theatre, and from then on, I was hooked. I continued to perform in musicals throughout high school and college, culminating in a BFA Degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Florida. Following graduation, I decided that Los Angeles was the place for me as I was eager to pursue a career in film, so I packed my bags and made the big move out West.
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?
I knew the road to success would be a tough one, but I never imagined just how daunting it would be. Early on, I shared the same struggles that so many new actors face. Trying to get an agent. Working to accumulate reel footage. Balancing auditions with the survival job. And so on and so on. It took me years to feel like I had some sort of handle on this show business thing. I think a big reason for this was my struggle with perfectionism. I wasn’t going to audition for projects until I had taken the right classes first. I couldn’t try to get an agent until I had cut together a great reel. It seemed like for every major move I wanted to make, I created hundreds of other tasks that needed to be completed first. All this did was delay my progress and open the door for feelings of failure and insignificance. Over time, I realized I could give myself grace and allow myself to take greater risks, even if I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. Once I got out of my own way, I was amazed to see just how many incredible opportunities presented themselves.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since coming to LA, I have been fortunate to perform in a number of notable onscreen projects, including the sci-fi feature film “Monster Hunters” (starring Tom Sizemore) as well as Marvel’s “WandaVision” on Disney+. I have also added some onstage credits to my resume, acting in plays such as “Lincoln 2020” and “Lyme Disease: The Musical”. Most recently, however, my focus has been on developing my own TV series, “Gringo Latino”.
“Gringo Latino” is the story of a white-passing Latino struggling to find his place between his American environment and his Latin community. It is inspired by my personal experience pursuing acting in Hollywood, where I discovered that not aligning with cultural stereotypes was a surprisingly significant hindrance when it came to finding opportunities for success. The show tackles important themes like identity and acceptance and sheds light on the toxic nature of stereotypes.
The idea for “Gringo Latino” had lingered in my head for years until one day, I shared the idea with my good friend and fellow actor Julia Knox. Thankfully, she liked the concept, and together we created a rough outline for how a full season could play out. In the subsequent months, I wrote the script, and Julia brought on an incredible Director of Photography (Kasey Orthmann). From there, we were able to raise funds, cast the project, hire a crew, and shoot the show. I am now proud to say that we are currently in the final stages of post-production!
A wonderful byproduct of working on this project was that it inspired me to start my production company, Half Orange Pictures, LLC. My goal going forward is to create universally relatable content, presented through a Latin lens, that transforms the perception of Latinos beyond stereotypes.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Considering how much of my life requires me to go out into the world and connect with others, people might be surprised to learn that deep down, I am an introvert. Large crowds? Big yikes! A night home alone watching a movie? Big yes. But growth doesn’t exist within your comfort zone, so I’ve put a lot of effort over the years into becoming more extroverted. It’s an ongoing process, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ericdelgado.net
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @itsericdelgado
- Other: www.supportourstory.com/gringolatino
Image Credits
Paul Gregory, Julia Knox, Kasey Orthmann
