INTRO BY ALEXIS ROGERS
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO BY JEREMY RAY VALDEZ
Whether he is on stage or on screen, one of Oscar Camacho’s main goals in acting is to make his family and friends proud. This star can be found playing Diego, the villain of Freeform’s sci-fi series “Beyond”. He is also well known for his roles in “Zoot Suit” and “Wicked City”. Camacho’s parents immigrated to the United States from Colombia, and would later raise Oscar in Miami. Camacho graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre. He went on to receive his MFA in acting at Cal Arts. Camacho uses his love and passion for acting to help out with the Cal Arts’ Community Art Partnership. This program was designed to provide after-school and school-based programs for kids to explore the arts at no cost. Camacho is continuously motivated by other Latino actors.
When was the moment that you first realized that you wanted to be an actor?
OSCAR: "In middle school, I had a family friend who had recently seen me in a commercial. Up until then I had always wanted to be a producer for radio but when I mentioned that to him he just laughed. He essentially told me to aim higher and consider acting as a profession. I don’t know why but that struck a nerve with me. Maybe it was validation from someone other than my family or maybe I was just young, but that was the day I decided I was all in on acting."
Do you feel that the way you grew up influenced your decision on becoming an actor?
OSCAR: "My mother was always very supportive in my endeavor in the arts. She herself was a painter who used to screen print T-Shirts to sell them on the street. She always said that the only reason she came to this country was so that I would be able to chase my dreams. I don’t know if I’d be here if it weren’t for that support."
You currently star as Diego in Freeform’s ‘Beyond’ – what’s it like working on the set?
OSCAR: "We really are a giant family. During downtime on set you could definitely find some of us in the cast playing cards or video games and we are constantly cracking jokes. A lot of that comes from the fact that we genuinely enjoy each other’s company outside of set."
Diego is a villain on the show – do you find it challenging to play a villain?
OSCAR: "Diego really doesn’t process human emotion so much as he tries to manipulate them in his victims. He’s always needling, poking and prying to get what he wants out of you. He’s not too concerned with what you might be able do to him. So being able to consistently stay in that world and mindset requires a certain level of focus. Being able to maintain that throughout every take and stunt was a challenge that I looked forward to everyday."
What types of roles do you find you have the most fun portraying?
PHOTO BY JEREMY RAY VALDEZ
OSCAR: "Honestly, I love these dark roles. The intensity and depths that are open to you as an actor are enticing. It’s not every day that you get to explore the darkness of humanity and the different colors that may be there. I enjoy trying to find the humanity of someone like Diego, even if I’m the only one that’s able to see it."
When you aren’t acting, what can we find you doing?
OSCAR: "I’m pretty low key most of the time. I enjoy playing soccer and working out at the gym. That helps me feel better since I consume absurd amounts of Mexican and Colombian food. Other than that, you could probably catch me at a bar with friends passing around a bottle of Mezcal."
Are there any goals that you hope to achieve as an actor in the future?
OSCAR: "I hope one day I’m blessed enough to create my own production company and be able to tell my stories."