Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Ryan West Photo
We got to chat with actor Henri Esteve about what led him to act and what he does to step into Javi’s shoes on Grown-ish.
People get into acting for various reasons. What sparked your love of acting?
Probably a need for validation. Just kidding. When I was really young, I saw John Leguizamo’s one-man show Sexaholix on HBO one night and that was the first time I remember having the “I want to do that” thought. Thanks, John, I could have gone into tech!
Grown-ish is a show that isn’t afraid to cover any topic. Were you excited to be a part of a show that is starting necessary conversations?
That’s my favorite part of the show. I have always believed that stories are meant to say something and discuss ideas. Grown-ish does a great job of doing that with heavy topics in really light-handed ways. This season Javi gets to be the catalyst for some pretty intense conversations, I am excited to see how people react.
Coming into Grown-ish you were the new guy on set. What was it like joining the cast and filming during the pandemic?
Coming on set was pretty seamless. Everyone in the cast was super welcoming, we all became friends pretty quickly. Regarding filming during the pandemic, it was challenging for sure. But Disney did a great job of keeping everyone safe. I don’t think we had any cast or crew get covid during the filming of season four.
Are you very different from your character Javi? If so, what did you do to step into his shoes?
Yeah, Javi and I are very different. Acting ends up being a lot of research and empathy and trying to find ways to justify whatever your character does and says. So, with Javi specifically, I focused on understanding what brought him to the church and to abstinence, as well as what experiences sculpted his political views.
What did you do to create chemistry with your co-star Francia Raisa to show a bond that translated on-screen?
We didn’t really have to do much. So much of it was on the page. Ana and Javi come from the same place, and from similar backgrounds so I think the characters are written with such a nice shorthand and comfort with each other so that really helped. Past all that, Francia and I got along really well from the jump. So that friendship helps, I think it gave us the ability to trust each other on set and just start playing within scenes and deepening Javi and Ana’s bond.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
I think the business of acting makes it really easy to shut down and find ways to “protect yourself”. Don’t do it. That takes the joy out of it. Stay open-hearted and curious and available to be disappointed. You’ll enjoy the ride more.