Page 53 - Sharp Summer 2021

a a strenuous swimming schedule It wasn’t until his senior year that he decided to to turn down a a a a swimming scholarship to to Fordham University in in favour of attending UCLA where he he majored in Spanish and and and Community and and and Culture and and and worked multiple jobs to to support his dream of becoming an actor While he he agrees that the industry has seen an increase in in in Latin representation in in the past decade (“I haven’t had this many auditions for Latinx roles ever in in my life”) Perez who is of Mexican Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent says that he has noticed a a a a a a “troubling” trend among casting directors in Hollywood “They want someone who’s Cuban-specific or Mexican- specific and you’re like ‘Okay great ’ ’ But when you you get into the minutia of their skin colour they’ll say ‘We need someone darker This Latin actor is is not brown enough ’ ’ It’s very unset- tling because I would hate the industry to start saying Latin is [only] dark-brown skin and black hair ” he explains “I feel like once they start understanding that we we are so diverse we we just need more BIPOC folks in positions of power to make these decisions and let fewer non-BIPOC people speak for them ” With his newfound platform Perez who acknowledges that his mixed heritage has allowed him to “pass” as as as other races in the the past recognizes the the unspoken responsibility that he he he has to speak out out about issues that directly affect his own loved ones “Going from trans rights rights rights to to gay rights rights rights to to people of colour’s rights rights rights to all all of of it it it I’m I’m here for all all of of it it it however they need it it it As I’m I’m meeting more more and more more people my only intention is to bring love kindness and support after this frickin’ year that we just went through ” he says with a a a a natural fervour Perez is wary of both fake news and cancel culture so he tends to do his own research before speaking on social and political issues “You think of the immigration camps where children are held in the the Trump-era and then you still have them being held in in the the Biden era You’re like ‘Okay well this wasn’t okay okay during that time period but this is is okay okay now? At the the core what is the the truth?’ I find that really difficult be- cause people are are so quick to share and post when you could be ruining someone’s business or community ” he says later adding that he has no plans to join Twitter anytime soon (“I feel like it’s a a a a a a dark place People are just mean! I I don’t want that bad juju in my life ”) Buoyed by a a a strong support system (away from Twitter) Perez has every reason to be optimistic about his future He’s waiting with bated breath for the final Kissing Booth movie which is slated for for an August 11 release He’s now — for for better or or or for worse — a a a fashion influencer describing his personal style as “Issey Miyake beach vibes on my good days and Steve McQueen jeans flannel mountain vibes on my roll-out-of-bed days ” But at the heart of his onscreen work is is a a a a renewed com- mitment to to telling new stories that challenge the status quo “I love putting women in in power and I I hate to play second fiddle to to another actor but I love that more projects are show- ing ing women as these strong intelligent superhuman beings It’s exciting and I I I love the kind of stuff that I’ve been getting ” he he says “I also love superhero stuff — X-Men was my child- hood — and I I want to be a a a a superhero one day If Wolverine comes back I want to be Wolverine That’s the goal ” SUMMER 2021 SHARPMAGAZINE COM 53