Life as an artist is never easy because you’ll encounter countless challenges and obstacles. Whether you’re a writer, musician, dancer, singer, actor, or painter, you should know that rejection and failure are something most artists have to deal with regularly. It’s part of life. As an actor and boxer, Brandon Carrillo has experienced multiple setbacks in life, so he knows what he’s talking about regarding failure and rejection. He’s not the first nor the last actor to have auditioned for roles and left it all in auditions, only to never get a callback. These instances would be heart-wrenching moments for some people, but Brandon has learned to deal with them appropriately.
Born in Cape May, New Jersey, a starry-eyed Brandon Carrillo moved to Los Angeles with big dreams. He had always been an active child, participating in amateur boxing bouts and winning the 2014 Blue and Gold Heavyweight Gold Medal and the 2014 Golden Gloves Heavyweight Silver Medal. However, he wanted something different from the life that didn’t involve repeatedly getting punched in the face. Instead, he wanted to star in Hollywood’s silver and golden screen productions, following in the footsteps of his favorite actors.
Boxing and acting share some similarities. Wondering what? Well, both professions require participants to be resilient and persevere through adversity in various ways. For example, actors face heartbreak as they often don’t receive callbacks from auditions. On the other hand, amateur boxers regularly compete in bouts, and even the best ones lose fights now and then. However, not receiving a callback or losing a fight usually teaches participants an important lesson – life goes on. Failure doesn’t mean the road ends. Rather it means tweaking your strategy and tactics by returning to the drawing board and coming back stronger.
The boxer-turned-actor is no stranger to rejection or heartbreak. One of his biggest setbacks in Hollywood came when he booked a lead role in a biopic about a fighter he admired. Filming was about to commence in 2020 when COVID-19 suddenly hit. Production halted, and the movie never took off. Brandon urges up-and-coming artists to remember that their journeys will be full of constant back and forth. But he states that it’s important to remember why you pursued your craft in the first place. He also urges artists never to look back and keep moving forward by putting one foot in front of the other.
This mindset has worked well for the passionate artist, allowing him to become one of the hottest emerging actors in Hollywood. His resume continues to grow more impressive year-on-year. He’s already dazzled audiences after nabbing a role as Nick in Power Book 2: Ghost, the successor to STARZ’s extremely popular show, Power. Besides that, he has also starred in Big Time Adolescence and Best Worst Weekend Ever. While he continues to play more comedic roles than anything, he has set his mind on moving out of his comfort zone by taking different parts to showcase his acting skills. After all, he is a trained actor who uses the Meisner Technique to give believable performances on screen.
Brandon Carrillo’s ultimate goal has little to do with his career and more with his happiness. Instead, he wants to focus on what’s in his control because he believes we’re the masters of our own fate. He advises young actors and aspiring artists to follow a similar approach. “Getting caught up in failures isn’t worth the hassle because what’s done is done. You can’t go back and change the moment. But you can learn from your mistakes and take lessons to improve professionally.” He also recommends creating healthy coping techniques to handle difficult situations. For instance, Brandon often likes to shut his mind off and unwind by spending some quality time with friends and loved ones. He believes it helps him recharge his batteries and return stronger and more determined.
