Today we’d like to introduce you to Welder Santos.
Hi Welder, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got started with my journey as an actor when I was a sophomore in college. I used to live in South Florida at the time and got scouted in a mall by a talent marketing agency for acting and modeling. I had no clue what I was signing up for but still decided to give it a try. I took a meeting with the talent marketing agency and then three months I got signed. It was never something I pursued just something I fell into by being at the right place at the right time.
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?
It has not been a smooth road. I didn’t have a mentor when I first started and I had to learn everything through trial and error. Most people before they get an agent already have some form of training from a conservatory, college, or local acting studio. I however didn’t have any training at all when I got signed and had to start training while going to school full time and working full time between auditions. Being successful at the early stage of my career required me to put all my time, money and effort into my craft when I had some free time from work and school.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work as an actor and model. I have been doing it professionally for nine years now. Throughout the time, I’m mostly proud of being cast in over 25 commercial campaigns for some top brands such as Nike, Chevy, and Nikon just to name a few. I was also really happy to join the cast of Baywatch the movie with a supporting role alongside Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson. I think what sets me aside from others is the fact that I don’t stay in a comfort zone and once I’m done with a role, I’m already thinking about how that role is going to set me up for my next role.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Without taking risks, you can’t move to the next step. I’ve taken many risks in my career and all of them have paid off. One of the few risks I took was moving away from my home in South Florida and relocating to Atlanta to focus on my career. In Atlanta, I only knew a handful of people but I knew I needed to leave where I was to make it to the next step of my career. I also invested all of my money into training with some of the top coaches in the industry. On the weekends, when everybody was at the beach or the local restaurants, I was taking on camera classes Sunday mornings and memorizing lines for Scene study class on Monday nights. At the time, you would rarely catch me out and about unless I was at the gym with a script in one hand and a weight on the other hand.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Justwelder
