Life & Work with Ricardo Vargas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricardo Vargas.

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?
Originally from Monterrey, México. I am a Lawyer but acting has always been my passion. I graduated from Law School at Universidad de Monterrey in 2019, worked as a lawyer for a couple of years and then decided it was time for me to pursue my acting career.

I went to a summer acting program in 2019 at The New York Film Academy but one month was not enough. I was going to move to Los Angeles in 2020 but covid hit and my plans changed. I waited a year to finally move in 2022. I went to the same university (The New York Film Academy) for an acting program but this time for a longer time. I took the 1-year acting program and it was amazing. The teachers were incredible talented so as my classmates and I was very lucky to know this super talented people that now I consider part of my family. I loved going to class every day and learning new things about the craft and about the entertainment industry.

I graduated in May 2022 and since then it has been an amazing journey. It has not been easy but life is not easy, and if you want something you have to fight for it. I have worked in different shorts, commercials, movies and Tv Shows. I’ve been on set with A-List celebrities such as: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Rachel McAdams, Adrien Brody, Jon Bernthal, among others. The most recent project I worked on was on a true crime documentary about the Menendez brothers and I got to play Erik Menendez. This was such an amazing experience because it was my first leading role in an important production.

One fun fact about me is that I LOVE horror movies. I grew up watching them (but I am a chill dude not a psycho, don’t worry haha) and my goal as an actor is to be in a SCREAM movie. I love that franchise and the amazing directing by Mr. Wes Craven (R.I.P.), the amazing performance by Drew Barrymore and the amazing script by Mr. Kevin Williamson was the reason I wanted to become an actor.

Also, Melissa Barrera, one of the new leading girls from SCREAM, is from my hometown. She’s an amazing actress and the fact that she’s Latina, Mexicana BUT from Monterrey, México gives me a lot of hope. Thank God nowadays there’s been a lot of new opportunities for latin people in the industry and I know for fact that if I keep working hard I will get the chance to be part of this amazing franchise.

What I love most about acting is the feeling of reward when moving/touching the audience’s emotions through my performance. I love making them feel something.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I mentioned, this journey has been amazing but it has not been easy. This industry is very competitive but so is any other profession. You just have to stay focused on your goal and work for it because if you work hard enough eventually, your dream will become a reality. But you need to take baby steps and be aware that dreams do take time and effort, is not something you build up in a day.

The most difficult thing is to find someone who believes in you, someone who believes in your talent and I am so thankful to every teacher, casting director, crew member, director, scene partner, etc who has giving me the opportunity to shine and show my talent to others.

One more thing that has been a struggle is my working visa. I am under a visa that is temporary and lasts only for 1 year. There are a lot of opportunities out there but there is no much time, and with that I mean that for me since I am under that work visa, I don’t have too much time as a person who is from the states. I always try to look at the positive side of everything, and being under this visa makes me work twice as hard since I can’t waste any time because my clock’s visa is ticking.

One last thing that has been difficult is to get access to the important castings, the real deals. In order for you as an actor to get access to those projects, you first need to have an agent for theatrical or a manager. The problem here is that agents and managers look for people with credits, but you cannot get those credits if you don’t have that person who helps you and send you to those important castings. So how do you want me to get credits if I don’t have access to the projects that would get me those credits? Hahaha, it’s like a tongue twister. But as I mentioned before, life is not easy and all this struggle is part of it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a working actor living in Los Angeles. I moved here almost two years ago. I am super proud to get out of my comfort zone, move from México to Los Angeles and begin my journey as an actor.

By getting out of my comfort zone I mean moving out of my house/city, pursuing a dream that would cost me a lot of things and sacrifices in my life.

I am a lawyer and I could’ve been working as one but instead, I preferred to follow my passion and make my dreams a reality.

How do you define success?
Success for me is not about the money, is about achieving your goals and if you get paid for doing what you love, that’s even better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ricardovargase.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardovargase/?hl=es-la

Image Credits
Headshots (color): Cathryn Farnsworth Editorial Photos (black & white): Parker Burr