Raphael Alejandro talks about starring in ‘Incoming’ on Netflix

Raphael Alejandro. Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin

Teen actor Raphael Alejandro chatted about starring in “Incoming,” which will be released globally on Netflix on August 23rd.

The synopsis is: Their first week of high school. The biggest party of the year. Mistakes will be made as four teenage boys navigate a night of mayhem and debauchery.

Alejandro stars alongside Mason Thames and Ramon Reed. It was written and directed by Dave and John Chernin. (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “The Mick”).

On starring in “Incoming” on Netflix, he said, It feels truly amazing! When I first read the script of ‘Incoming,’ I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it.”

“The wonderful crew we had and the chemistry we as the cast built were incredible and I feel so excited for the world to see this roller coaster of a movie,” he said.

Playing Connor in ‘Incoming’

On portraying Connor, he said, “Connor was very different from other roles I’ve played before. As soon as I read his lines on the page, I instantly knew that he was the character for me.”

“In a lot of ways, he and I are similar, because in every role we as actors play, we put a little bit of ourselves into it,” he noted.

“Tapping into his anger and frustration at the world was just a matter of learning his motivations in being that way, and doing the analyzation of his character was one of the most fun things about playing Connor. That, and also the constant swearing,” he added.

Daily motivations as an actor

On his daily motivations as an actor, he said, “Ever since I started acting at four years old, the feeling that you get from being on a set, collaborating with the director, connecting with your co-stars in a scene, and embodying your character are things that no matter how many times I do them, I always long for more.”

“The passion, the drive, and ambition all keep me motivated to keep pursuing my acting career,” he acknowledged.

The digital age

On being an actor in the digital age, Alejandro said, “I’m a bit conflicted as individual with where I stand with the digital world. I know right? I’m Gen Z!”

“Social media is our jam,” he admitted. “Obviously, since I grew up in this era, a lot of it feels part of the normal. But I didn’t begin on social media (or even having a phone) until I was like 10, and even then, I was very distanced from social media as a whole.”

“So overall, social media is something that I use quite frequently and I love how I can connect better with my fans through it. But at times, like most people will say, you must disconnect from all the tech and just take a few chill days once in a while,” he elaborated.

Future plans

On his future plans, he shared, “Literally speaking about the future, there are a few more things on the way. Later this year, you can catch me in the film by Dreamworks The Wild Robot’ and stay tuned for more!”

“Ambiguously speaking about the future, acting is my greatest passion, so continuing acting throughout my life is my ultimate goal,” he noted.

“I also would love to continue exploring producing my own projects in the future, since I’ve already tasted what producing is like with a few productions that are on the horizons, and I can’t wait to produce more,” he added.

Dream acting partners

Alejandro listed Robert Downey Jr. and Ryan Reynolds as his dream acting partners. “Two actors mainly come to mind,” he revealed. “No. 1 is Robert Downey Jr. for obvious reasons. He is such an amazing, dedicated, and talented actor whose story has been a huge inspiration to me,” he said.

Growing up watching the MCU, and many of his other projects, I grew to see how much dedication and hard work he brings to his sets, and I would love to work with him and be able to learn from a legend,” he elaborated.

“Another actor that I would love to collaborate with is Ryan Reynolds,” he said. “Not only is he incredibly talented, hilarious, and a fellow Canadian, but his story of how he became Deadpool has truly been one of my favorite superhero stories, primarily because I hope to take inspiration from it in the future.”

“My dream role has always been to play Spider-Man, and Ryan Reynolds’ tenacity and conviction to keep pushing to be Deadpool until it finally happened is an inspirational story to so many out there to never give up on your dreams,” he explained.

“Plus, he seems like a crazy fun time to be around,” he added.

Success

Regarding his definition of success, Alejandro said, “Success I think changes from moment to moment.”

“At the moment, I believe it means triumphing in your goals and achieving your dreams. But since I’m a very ambitious person, these dreams and goals are constantly being adjusted to just out of reach, so I push myself to constantly keep reaching for more and more,” he elaborated.

“Success is so relative, and looking back on my life, my 16 year-old advice is that ambition can be great in moderation,” he said.

“If you don’t take time to acknowledge the successes you had, even if you feel like you want more, you will be consumed by your ambition,” he noted.

“Take a breath and reflect on how far you’ve come, because every step of the journey is a step to celebrate,” he added.

Closing thoughts on ‘Incoming’

For fans and viewers, he remarked about “Incoming,” “It is an absolute insane and hilarious ride that will leave you crying with laughter. But just as much of Incoming is laughing as it is learning a deep life lesson: always be yourself.”

“Each of us, four boys, go through our own journeys to discover that one principal. So whether you are entering high school, in high school, or are just a person going through albeit similar situations, the biggest takeaway from ‘Incoming’ is that the best thing you can do is be true to who you are,” he concluded.

To learn more about actor Raphael Alejandro, follow him on Instagram.