Interview: Carlo Mendez talks about starring in the film ‘Demise’

Carlo Mendez in the film ‘Demise.’ Photo Courtesy of Gravitas Ventures.

Actor Carlo Mendez spoke about starring in the new movie “Demise,” which was released on February 27 via Gravitas Ventures.

‘Demise’ thriller

This marks Mendez’ first-ever performance as a leading man in an acting project. “This movie is the little engine that could,” Mendez said.

On starring in “Demise,” Mendez said, “It is a small independent film and my first lead in a movie. It’s nice to get all of the support that we’ve been getting. We filmed it in 17 days, so I am really proud and excited about it.”

The film was written and directed by Yara Estrada Lowe. The cast includes Liz Fenning and Crystal Hernandez, as well as supporting performers Morris Jude Martinez, Richard Rivera, Lucy Serrano, Caitlin Rose Williams and Lamar Alexander.

Working with director and writer Yara Estrada Lowe

On working with Yara Estrada Lowe, Mendez said, “I loved working with her. Yara is amazing. She is an actress who is a director as well, so she has a deeper understanding of the process. Yara brings an extra layer in and she gets it. I love her style. She always came prepared and ready to rock.”

The synopsis is: Latino landscaper, Caleb Castillo (Carlo Mendez), leads a double life. He is entangled in a steamy affair with rising fashion star, Fiona Hernandez (Crystal Hernandez), while simultaneously devoted to his beautiful wife, Celine (Liz Fenning).

Basically, one lie destroys the lives of many, while one’s obsession leads to the demise of a rising artist in the fashion world.

“This movie was a roller coaster of emotions but I loved every second of it,” he admitted. “I loved getting in those emotional scenes such as getting crazy and crying. I have been very lucky with this film.”

Mendez on playing Caleb

Mendez was drawn to playing his character Caleb for several reasons. “I liked showcasing all of the emotions that Caleb went through: happiness, sadness, frustration, and anger. One of the most important things was making Caleb likeable and finding the humanity in it,” he said.

“Also, not gaslighting the female characters or making them seem like they are the crazy ones. He took full responsibility on his actions,” he added.

Lessons learned from this film and role

On the lessons learned from this movie, he said, “Even though I have been acting for 14 to 15 years, I learn something each time I get on set. This is a craft where I will always be learning. Every project is different, and I learned that I can cry and get emotional pretty easily.”

“I just loved working with everybody who was there on set, and that made it so much easier,” he added.

 His other acting credits include “The Bay,” “Opious,” “Straight on ’til Morning,” “Beautiful Wave,” “Disrupt/Dismantle,” and “Treasure of the Black Jaguar,” among others. He is the younger brother of actress Eva Mendes.

Future plans and goals

On his future plans, he said, “I am enjoying life and this journey I am on but I would also hope that this can take me to a higher level and that I could become a fulltime working actor someday.”

“I still work as a bartender even though I’ve been doing acting gigs for the last 14-plus years because acting doesn’t pay all of the bills,” he shared.

“I am looking for more work,” he said with a sweet laugh. “I hope to someday book a series or a role on a feature film where I can continue to grow my career path,” he added.

For fans and viewers, Mendez concluded about the thriller, “I want people to enjoy this movie and to have fun watching it. I hope it gives them feel-good escapism. We filmed it in 17 days but I thought it turned out really well.”

To learn more about actor Carlo Mendez, follow him on Instagram and check out his IMDb page.