If his new film, Lost Horizon, reveals anything, it is that Alonso Grandio carries the same fire as the characters he plays: unpredictable, driven, and impossible to ignore.
Multi-cultured Alonso Grandio is a Mexican actor born to a Spanish father and Cuban mother. From a young age Alonso was a story teller through and through.
In his teens he got a taste of acting through a school’s play and nothing was ever the same. He decided to pursue acting in 2013 after finishing his bachelor’s degree in Communications and moved to Los Angeles, California.
After studying and working for four years, he moved to South Africa with his now wife, Monique. He has been working as an actor for 12 years now, officially.
He appears in the new movie, LOST HORIZON. You can read our review of LOST HORLIZON here.
INFLUX: What are you currently working on that you can share with us?
Alonso: Lost Horizon was a surreal experience. The production team and director pulled a brilliant move on my character. Same situation as Spielberg did for Saving Private Ryan with Matt Damon’s character, meaning they decided to only bring me to the shoot for the last couple of weeks, building that natural alienation of the antagonist with the main cast as well as working on that uncertainty and mystery around the character.
Since Lost Horizon, I have worked on a few projects with brilliant people such as Award winning Director Robin Goode, Hunting Jessica Brok’s Garth McCarthy; and probably the most exciting project of them all is my own film.
I have written a script that is currently in pre-production and snatched a few festival awards already. Starring opposite Black Sail’s Sean Cameron Michael will be a dream come true, not to mention South Africa’s superstar, Hungani Ndlovu.
INFLUX: What are your hopes for this project, Lost Horizon?
Alonso: With Lost Horizon, I hope that people will be entertained. It has been a while since movies give us that feeling of immersion and simply making us forget what’s happening outside. I also hope it brings a little light to the poaching problem the world has.
INFLUX: What have been your greatest challenges as an indie filmmaker?
Alonso: Impostor syndrome has got to be up there as one of my greatest challenges as an actor. Discovering who I am through various characters and being comfortable enough to love that person has been a challenge. On a lighter note…
I did a film a few years back in which I had to ride a racing bike (1,200cc) and make it look believable… that was both challenging and terrifying. Exploring emotionally challenging characters such as Carlos.
Empathizing with malicious characters is always tricky.
INFLUX: What has been your most significant accomplishment as a filmmaker?
Alonso: It is going to sound strange perhaps, but having both of my parents that are not in the industry say that they are proud of me and what I achieved.
INFLUX: Tell us about some of your past projects and where we can watch them if they’re available?
Alonso: Some of my bigger projects are available through streaming services here in South Africa, such as ETVs EVod or ShowMax. Some of my work has got to be out there in the internet.
I did film the Sandy Wexler with Adam Sandler a loooong time ago.. in which if you pause it just right, you might be able to see this familiar mug haha.
INFLUX: What goals to you have for yourself moving forward?
Alonso: Onto bigger and better… working with ambitious and talented people will always be a goal of mine. Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are on the top of that list too.
I want to continue to tell stories that spark something in the audience. That is when I know I have done my job.
INFLUX: What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out?
Alonso: Breathe. Do not take yourself too seriously. Keep going, stay focused… You will be fine.
INFLUX: What would you like to tell us about your time making Lost Horizon that we might not know?
Alonso: I have a big phobia for snakes, they just freak me out. The day that I got to set, apparently they found a big poisonous snake right in front of what would be my room.
Needless to say, I was on high alert at all times. My first day on set was a night shoot. So it was about 3 am… I was a man on a suit, with golden chains and guns doing the silliest dance just to stay awake.
Dances that made our very ow producer think I would not be intimidating enough to be “Carlos.” The moment Patrick yelled action, everything changed. It is kind of like freaking people out with split personality disorder at 3am type of vibes.
Jokes aside, I also made connections and friendships that will last a lifetime through it.
INFLUX: What was your most memorable moment on set making Lost Horizon?
Alonso: The hangar scene.. Carlos yells at Michael a certain phrase. people from the cast and crew alike are still quoting that to me (accent and everything). I will never forget that.
INFLUX: Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Alonso: I would actually love to take this time and thank every single person that has got me here. Without them there would be no Alonso. Starting from my loving family, my wife and her family, my friends and peers.. They all have contributed in shaping and supporting this wacky mess we call Alonso Grandio today and I am so grateful to them all.
Want to learn more about him or follow the career of Alonso Grandio?
@alonsograndio – Instagram
@alonsograndio – TikTok
Alonso Grandio – Facebook
