Words by Carol Wright |Photographs Courtesy of Lance Alexander
We got to chat with actor Lance Alexander who got his start shooting commercials and can now be seen on Netflix’s Family Reunion. He spoke with us about relating to his character Elvis and his advice for aspiring actors.
Did a certain movie or television show spark your interest in acting?
Funny enough in the beginning I never actually dreamed of becoming an actor! So, no there was no specific movie or show that sparked my interest per se, but I do remember one day while watching TV, thinking I can do that! As a young kid, I was always involved with theater and arts, I enjoyed school plays and summer theater performances but I didn’t really know acting was a “career”. Back then it was just something that kept me highly engaged. I got serious about acting in 2017 and told my mom I wanted “to be on TV”. She agreed to let me try some modeling first and submitted my photos to Wings Model Management, Inc. Jake Lang (owner of Wings) believed that I had a personality that belonged on TV. I started to take classes and participated in a Model & Talent Expo in Dallas, Texas. Before I left for Texas, Jake suggested I should join in a workshop being given by a Talent Manager and Talent Agent who both worked for many years in Los Angeles. The workshop was a success and with no prior acting experience and only five months of training we headed to Hollywood at their requests.
Before moving to Los Angeles you would fly in and out to shoot commercials. What did you learn from working on those early acting jobs?
Commercial timelines move very fast and casting usually requests local talent only, so to book these jobs I had to stay in LA. My parents were actually the ones who took the flights back and forth, so I could remain local and be available to work and audition without interruption. My early commercial work was a great opportunity for me to use and advance my improv skills. Commercials rarely come with written scripts so it is very important as an actor to pay attention and quickly grasp the story.
What drew you to Netflix’s Family Reunion?
When I read the script, I instantly fell in love with the story. The creator, Meg DeLoatch describes Family Reunion as a great story that is filled with real, memorable, toe-tapping, heart-stopping, laugh out loud authentic moments and I totally agree. I have experienced some proud moments when moms approach me in public or supporters leave messages on social media saying they love Family Reunion because it’s such a clean and funny family-friendly show.
Can you relate to your character Elvis?
Yes, I absolutely relate to Elvis which is why I love playing this character. Elvis is fun-loving, loves the Lord, and is extremely carefree — just like me! Elvis is very active in his church and loves vacation bible school. He is a well-mannered teen with a big loving heart, who is always up for a good time! He is a little timid at times especially when it comes to breaking the rules. Elvis is also an entrepreneur and I would like to consider myself one as well. I tried to corner the market on fidget spinners once at school!
Tell us about your work with Best Buddies. How could our readers get involved with the organization?
Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). There are several volunteer programs and I volunteer with the Friendship Programs, these programs build one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), offering social interactions while improving the quality of life and level of inclusion for a population that is often isolated and excluded. Through their participation, people with IDD form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and share interests, experiences, and activities that many other individuals enjoy. If your readers are interested in learning more or looking to get involved with Best Buddies, please visit https://www.bestbuddies.org/volunteer/ click on take action and volunteer, donate, fundraise and advocate today.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
The best advice I can give an aspiring actor that might not know where to start is to first get involved in your community. I started doing plays locally at school and in my town. After that, I told my mom I was interested in being an actor, so I started taking local acting classes to get training. In the summer I would ask my mom if I could do acting camps and that helped a ton! Another huge piece of advice is to never give up because your blessing is probably right around the corner and that goes for all aspects of life!