Meet Marlon Xavier Quijije | Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marlon Xavier Quijije and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marlon Xavier, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I always wanted to be an actor, ever since I was a kid. I grew up in a household where my dad loved movies, especially action movies. My grandfather and uncles were all big movie buffs so movies were always playing when I was growing up. I also grew up with telenovelas because my grandma would always watch them. I remember as a kid just always watching the tv and having an imagination and wanting to copy everything I saw on the television or create my own scenarios. I remember telling my parents at 7 years old I wanted to be an actor when I grew up. I grew up in Long Island and it was not a very creative and artistic place so the only way to express my creativity and artistic side was through sports. I played sports my whole life but I always knew that no matter what I will pursue acting and that was always my passion. I never did the school shows growing up because sports always took over and there really was not any support for the theatre in my middle school or high school, so it was not until my senior year of college that I said I am going to do theatre and the spring show. I also decided that after college I will get my MFA in acting and went to the Actor Studio Drama School. The rest is history.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
That is the beautiful thing about art and what I love about it. Everyone has their own story to tell and their own life experiences to bring to their story telling. No matter what my craft and the way I approach a character will always be different than someone else. That is what excites me. I get to bring my own life experiences to the work I do. I am excited to keep learning and keep being on this journey of being an artist and to just keep growing as a person. I went to grad school at The Actor Studio Drama School to get my MFA. I graduated in 2019 and I have been on this journey since. It is definitely not easy. I am lucky that my wife is an actress and that we push each other everyday and every-time we have an audition. We both lean on each other when we need help and also lift each other up when we are down. To not take anything personally, that rejection is part of this business and to be ok with failing because by failing we learn and grow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
O man where to start!! My two favorite spots in my city is Route 66 and Little Italy’s. Route 66 is a fun bar and the people who work there are amazing and will make sure you have a good time. My other favorite spot is Little Italy’s a pizzeria on fulton street. It is the best pizza in New York. I also like hanging down at the seaport its a beautiful view and they always have events going on there. It really depends on the season that people are visiting because there is so many different things to do each season. During the summer they have a lot of sport events and things at the Brookfield mall in Battery park. During the winter they have all the Christmas tree lightings and the one at seaport and wall street is amazing. Central park is fun during the summer especially when you hangout with your group of friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
SO MANY PEOPLE! I would like to start out by dedicating this to my family. My parents, sister and grandmother have been a big support throughout my life, especially with acting. They always supported my decision of wanting to be an artist and they would always tell me, do it with love, do the best you can, and no matter what never ever give up. I also want to dedicate this to my wife and best friend Juanita, we met in grad school at The Actor Studio Drama School and she is my favorite actress and the best actress I have ever seen whether it is on stage or on camera. We both are artists so we know how tough this industry is but we always support each other and keep our dreams alive. She motivates me every time I see her perform or audition. I love you Juanita thank you for always supporting me and keeping our dreams alive. Then to my cohort who I graduated grad school with, you all are my second family and every time we are together it feels like we can accomplish anything. Love you all.

Website: marlonquijije.com

Instagram: @marlon_x_quijije

Facebook: marlon quijije