Meet Victor Adame | Screenwriter & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victor Adame and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victor, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, my film experience was limited to the DVDs I’d watch over and over from this knock-off Blockbuster down the street from my house. After falling in love with movies, my siblings and I began to replicate some of our favorites and upload them to YouTube. I started writing and acting even more as I got older. However, I had absolutely zero connections to the industry. All I knew was that I loved writing and acting. That gave me all the naive adrenaline I needed. I was also a super nerdy kid. Proudly. I took nothing but honor and AP classes. I say this because pursuing a film career was not something I felt comfortable pursuing. At the time, I felt like I should consider a STEM career. However, my love for cinema was stronger. I ended up going to film school and haven’t looked back since.

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.
I’m a screenwriter and actor. I’ve always said that even if I do it for free, I’ll do it for the rest of my life – nothing makes me happier. I feel fortunate that over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to act and write in a trial-and-error setting. Training is salient – I’ve made sure that I’ve devoted years to each craft. Along the way, I have had challenges, but that’s kinda the fun part. Nothing good comes easily! I’m proud of the work I’ve been fortunate to do so far. As of now, I’m most proud of this semi-autobiographical feature film I wrote, “¡Raza”. It’s a Chicano family drama set in my hometown, Riverside, California. My team and I have made great progress on the project. We produced a proof of concept with an exceptional cast and crew. We hope to dive into the feature very soon. Until then, I’ll continue writing, acting, training, stressing – all that fun stuff!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m from Riverside, but I’ve spent a lot of my life in the Los Angeles area for film stuff and just for the fun of it. I like to say I’m pretty well-versed in both areas. Even though they’re not too far apart, Riverside and L.A. are very different. In Los Angeles, I’d lightly recommend that someone knock all the touristy stuff off their list. You know, Hollywood, WeHo, Santa Monica, etc. However, the fun stuff comes from the ethnic places. Seriously! Being Latino, I love knowing that there are so many of us in Southern California. In L.A., it’s easy to forget that sometimes due to the lack of representation (a conversation for another day). So, I’d tell anyone visiting to check out the Latino areas in the city. There, you’ll find the best food. Angel’s Tijuana Tacos and Jaragua will change your life. If you’re already in Los Angeles, I feel like you’re kinda required to take a drive down to Riverside. People will say I’m crazy, but you won’t regret it. I’m very passionate about Riverside. Visit the Mission Inn, you’ll be too. Fun fact: the very first orange tree in California was planted in Riverside! Riverside’s basically the wild west of the 21st century. I love it!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would, quite literally, not be alive without God and the support group I’m fortunate to have. I have a very close-knit family who taught me everything I know. My parents have sacrificed a ton to make sure my siblings and I had the means to have a good life. Growing up, my parents would work opposite schedules to make sure one of them was always home to take us to school or baseball practice. Additionally, the stories I write and the characters that I portray are all influenced by my family and upbringing. If it weren’t for my family, I’d have nothing to write. I hope they don’t mind that I turn personal stories into screenplays! Beyond that, I totally need to shout out some organizations that have continuously supported me throughout my career whether it be through internships, fellowships, or even networking opportunities. So, to the Sundance Institute, The Black List, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, thanks so much for all your support and encouragement. I mean, I was able to go to the Oscars after being part of the Academy’s Gold Rising program. Life doesn’t get better than that!

Website: https://www.victoradame.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_victoradame/

Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.me/victoradame

Image Credits
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