“You can tell you are working with talented people the second you walk into the audition room,” says Luis Castilleja. “You see people who know exactly what they are doing and what they are looking for.”
Luckily for Castilleja, that opportunity has surfaced several times. “Backstage is like a second manager,” says the SAG-AFTRA–eligible actor, who has booked roles in everything from big-budget and indie films to professional and community theater for the last three years. Most recently, Castilleja got to stretch his imagination playing a gay, drug-dealing pimp on the series “The Interview.” Needless to say, the stakes were high. “I have a particular scene where I ask for more money for a girl and during this whole conversation my character’s life is in danger—one wrong word can get him killed, but one right word can make him rich,” he explains.
The director was so pleased with Castilleja’s work that he invited the actor on board for future episodes and several other projects. During filming, Castilleja says, he kept repeating to himself the same phrase: “Thank you, Backstage, for the opportunity!”
To see your success story in print, tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast.
And if you haven't yet been cast, check out our audition listings!