Kevin Corte shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kevin, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
This is such a good question and I’ve actually been pondering on this a lot lately. My mission as an artist has always been to find ways for underrepresented voices to be heard, especially in the political climate we’re in today in Los Angeles, I want to advocate even more for the Latinx community. We must make these voices heard and we must do something to create positive change for these hard working families.
One place where I’ve always drawn motivation from has been my icons. Watching Latinx excellence such as Rita Moreno, Salma Hayek, Pedro Pascal, Eiza Gonzalez, Chita Rivera, Ana de Armas, Eugenio Derbez, among others has always fueled me to keep pushing.
I think that’s something I’m working on that nobody sees. Becoming Latinx excellence myself while no one’s watching. I’ve always been passionate about my craft as an actor, singer and dancer, but in today’s society it’s not just about being the best, it’s about being the best to powerfully represent what you believe in. And I think that’s been my fuel lately; proving to everyone out there that the Latinx community is more than just “drug dealers and criminals” and all these other racist stereotypes. We’re humans with a voice and the right to be heard, and I want to work endlessly to make sure that they listen to us.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi to everyone who is reading! My name is Kevin Corte. I’m a Mexican-born-and-raised actor, singer and dancer for the stage and film as well as an educator, now living in Los Angeles. I’ve touched on it a bit already, but my mission as an actor has always been to create spaces for underrepresented voices to be heard.
As part of the LGBTQ+ and Latinx community I understand the struggle of being ostracized and harassed, but it is my belief that art is the perfect tool to create some change as we reflect through the lens of other people’s experience, which is why diversity and inclusion is paramount and why I prioritize the exploration of a wider range of stories and not just the cookie-cutter princess stories that were so comfortable with.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Theatre was my first introduction to being myself, free of judgement, and that is the whole reason why I decided to do this as my career.
It’s no secret that Mexican culture has issues with sexism and to be honest, even though I grew up in a very liberal home, I was still taught not to cry and be tough because I was a boy, and that was the expectation from society. It wasn’t until I did my very first musical that I understood the power and strength it takes to get on a stage and show yourself at your most vulnerable.
I definitely had many things to unlearn in order to fully accept myself and if it weren’t for my theatre community in high school, I would most likely not be here today. My director, Edgardo Lar, and my theatre friends, were the people who saw me behind the mask of pretense and doubt I so sternly was holding onto, and they were the people that gave me the courage and comfort to be who I knew I wanted to be.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
HA! So many!! I think one of the most unique things about the entertainment industry is that we live in a
state of constant rejection and criticism. I don’t know the statistic, but on average, I’m assuming, people go looking for a job from seven to maybe ten times in their lifetime, but actors, we are constantly applying for jobs, which everyone refers to as auditions.
There’s definitely auditions that hurt more than others. Some you really want to book, some you’re not right for at all, some you make it to the final round and they decide to go with someone else, some they just look at your headshot and that’s enough to cut you from the process…needless to say, each audition is a different beast.
For me, my breaking point actually happened beginning of this year. I can’t name the project, but this was for a new recurring character, in the second season of a major streaming show. This was probably the most stressful, quickest turnaround, trickiest audition I’ve ever done, but despite all that, I got offered the part! The sad part came later when the companies lawyer told my agent they replaced me for an American actor because the company “doesn’t work with actors under artist visas”. Getting those news was the most powerless, heartbreaking experience in my whole career, not only for the missed opportunity, but because the reason of me getting cut was straight up xenophobia, even though the character was a Latinx, native speaker.
It took me a long time, but know I look at that experience as fuel to keep fighting for more opportunities for people like me.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That talent is the most important thing to succeed in the industry. That’s something I thought we all knew, but a lot of training spaces and instructors enable this belief on young artists, and I’ve seen many peers quit because of it. There are so many factors besides talent, you know? Sometimes connections and networking, and your ability to position yourself – which can come in the form of nepotism – is a game changer, but so can be the amount of training, creativity, practice, perseverance, and work ethic you put in. That, I believe, is the most important. But overall talent is more and more irrelevant as the industry evolves, and I hope that new artists can see that, and early on stop relying on just their talent.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I think so! In a very selfish way I started my love for performing as a way to uplift myself. It wasn’t the praise of the audience that did it for me, but how honest I felt with my thoughts and feelings while on the stage. That made me fall in love with theatre. Of course you need an audience to entertain when you are performing, but I think as long as you are being honest and truthful there will always be a positive reaction from the crowd. It only works when your performance comes from freedom and not from a greedy place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kevin-corte.info
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevin_corte/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corte.kevin
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kevin_corte
- Other: Tik Tok – https://www.tiktok.com/@kevin_corte
