Today we’d like to introduce you to Pablo Ramos.
Hi Pablo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Los Angeles California. I’ll say what most actors say when giving their age, my age range is 50 to 55 years old. At a very young age my mom would take me to see Movies in Downtown L.A., when downtown L.A. had many thriving movie theaters during my time at a young age of around 6. Once my mom took me to see the movie comedy, LT. ROBIN CRUSOE U.S.N. starring Dick Van Dyke. I somewhat remember bits and pieces of the film, my mom once told me that the movie theatre was packed so we had to sit apart. She told me the during all the funny scenes I would just laugh and laugh, all the people sitting next to me thought it was funny and contagious. After the movie one person told my mom, “Your son should have been in the movies too, he is funny.”
As a teenager I was a ham. I was always telling dumb silly knock-knock jokes to my neighbors, My jokes were so bad that my neighbors had to be on the look out for me to make sure to avoid me, I still would ambush them with a joke.
In 7th grade my dream at the time was to play for the L.A. Dodgers but really I sucked at baseball. I was not a fan of football, basketball, or hockey. around that time I had an interest in girls. To me, all the cool cute and outgoing girls were in Mr. Crumb’s drama class at Le Conte Jr. High in Hollywood. To get to hang out with them, I had to join drama class but then that meant I had to do a lot of reading which I was not to fond of doing at the time. So I did the next best thing and I joined a stage crew and so did all the kids in drama. In that class I met one of the popular guys at school at the time, Donovan Leitch Jr. Donovan was popular because everyone (except me) knew who his father was, 60’s folk Rock singer Donovan Leitch Sr. (Mellow Yellow, Season of The Witch Fame). Donovan convinced me to to join drama class, don’t know what it was but at a young age Donovan was very cool and very smart and he was very nice to me.
We did a school play that was written by our teacher, Mr. Crumb called “Tin Stars and Tomahawks” a funny little comedy stage play, I had a small bit part playing a Native American Indian. Then we did another show of scenes, I did my first role from a play called “Me, Candido!” by Walt Anderson the scene was so powerful to me because the character of the 11 year old boy, felt like it was actually me. We ran the show twice and both times I’d run off stage and crying, it was an emotional scene for me.
After the show, I decided I didn’t want to act anymore but my friends and Mr. Crumb convinced otherwise. By 9th grade I had be in a few shows and one Day Terry Carter (Battle Star Galactic Fame) came to our class along with talent agents scouting for young talent (talk about being at the right place at the right time… for one of us). So we all did our scenes from various shows we had done as part of our open audition. Unfortunately I didn’t get the part but my friend at the time, Carla Portillo caught Terry Carter’s eye and offered the leading role in K*I*D*S miniseries, I believe Donovan got a small part too. The rest of us from drama class got to be background in it and that was my first taste of being in front of a camera. From that point on, my path as an actor began.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an actor it will never be a smooth road, I’m sure most actors can tell you that. The life an actor is to always to be hustling and you got to have very thick skin to except all the rejection and you should have some money in the bank to pay the bills. Need money to buy wardrobes, gas to get to auditions, have a good working cell phone and laptop to keep your social media up to date with head shots, pay annual fees to audition pages like Casting Frontier, Actors Access, Casting Networks. Most of those page are not free and sometime only allow you one of two head shot uploads and then they can start charging you $25 for additional photo uploads.
Sometimes, even things in your personal life can derail you from your goals, career, and dreams. In my case this happened right before graduating from Hollywood High’s Magnet performing art school. Their were auditions being held for the spring musical which was at the time “Fiddle On The Roof” and it was my senior year. I don’t recall if I got a part or not but I was cast in the show. Rehearsals had not begun when I was called into office of my counselor Ms. Carolyn DeMirjian, she had told me to rush to the children’s Hospital, my 6 month old sister had passed away. That news derailed me. My goals deflated, my dreams shattered. I loved my sister Vanessa, I was a very proud older brother to no only Vanessa but also my brother Jose Jr., our hearts weren’t just broken, I felt disintegrated. I remember going to my head drama teacher Mr. Jerry D. Melton and telling him I did’t want to be in the show. He understood and took me out of the show, “the show must still go on” but not with me in it. I did stay on crew and worked a spot light and after that last performance of the show, I turned off that spot light and I turned off my aspirations of becoming and actor. I was 17 when all that happened I graduated shortly after but my compass of life was off, way off with the needle just spinning non-stop.
I didn’t know how to handle a loss of a loved one. Afterwards I attended some college, I got a 9 to 5 job as a courier, I worked as a summer camp counselor and I would use every single check I got to pay for my rent and fill my refrigerator with beer. I was unlucky in seeking out help for myself and so it made it easy for me to always feel sorry for myself. About two years after the loss of my sister my parents and my bother left California and moved to Florida. I decided not to go with them. Once they left, “the struggle was real.” I would work two sometimes three jobs to have some money in the bank. Acting was never in my thoughts but I can say now, it was alway in my blood. One day I landed a job in Movie entertainment advertising agency called Seiniger Advertising. Seinger Advertising created Movie Posters, Movie Trailers, Bus Side Posters, Billboards, and standees for all the major movie studios. During my early 30’s, I met my wife Louise working summer camp. We dated for 5 years then we got married. Louise is the big reason why I got back into acting. Louise is a school teacher and she too has a similar passion for performing. Her dream is to one day be a stand-up comedian. So one day I surprised her with comedy classes. She performed a set on stage as part of her class final and afterwards she was advised to perhaps take an improv classes. She joined Carolyn Berry Creative School. One day I attended one of her improv class practice gatherings and it caught my interest. The following year I joined the class and I fell back in love with acting again. My teacher at the time was Mr. Donovan Scott, I rememberer him telling me that I was tornado on stage, I was all over the place with very very high energy and I that I needed to bring it down and listen. Then he said those three words that we all long for “You are Good.” Ahhh!!! Side note! Any and all acting classes cost money too so another reason to have money in the bank, but remember you can call any acting school and ask if they audit. Good way to see a class in session for free and decided to join or not.
The road is alway there, sometime it’s smooth, then bumpy. For some, the road can be smooth forever, for others it can be bumpy… Forever! And then there’s half and half and half and yes, half. But the road is never ending until you decided to exit off, For me, it took several years and a loving supportive wife to get me back on the road to acting. I made a few supportive friends along the way too, it’s good to have a good support system to keep you on that road.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself a professional actor. I may not be an A list or B list actor. Since 2013 I became a working background actor with no illusions of ever getting discovered in that medium. But I can say for certain that I do feel I stand out because I listen to direction. I do what is needed of me in terms of a walk, a cross, a look and a willing to commit to the work at the time for a scene. I joined central casting in 2013 and one of their mottos they have for showing up to work is “If your early, your on time, if your on-time your late and if your late, you have no excuse.” I’m proud that I got back into acting, I’m proud to be on time for my calls to sets or locations. I’m proud that I show up camera ready and once hair and make up look at me they say “Perfect!” and rarely I ever have to got though the wardrobe bag. As I get my details, I’m ready to do what they want and I get everything ready. The actual job actual starts when you receive your details. I’ve seen many times a few background actors show up unprepared and with no wardrobe, not a good start, don’t make it a habit, people notice that.
Also I notice that some background actors don’t know how to take direction. Even as a background actor, it’s a good idea to take some acting classes. You may not be the star of the show or the movie but you are still a key component on helping to tell a story. So many times I have been given complements for my facial expressions, high energy, and taking directions well. I attribute all my skills from taking improv classes which to this day I still do. Both my wife and I are currently taking ComdeySportz L.A. Improv.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m on instagram and Facebook. people I’ve met on sets have asked me if I’d work with them on video projects, movie projects and/or be a guest in there improv show.
This year I decide to take a new leap and that is getting representation for myself. I have two agents now.
I’m with Jean-Marc Carre over at Central Artists for Commercials and for Theatrical I’m with Luli Batista at Sovereign Talent Group.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Amber Navarro, Lou Ramos, Ruben Avitia
