Felipe de Lara, a graduate of both Acting for Film & Television and Film Production at VFS, is making an impression in his native Mexico, beginning with a small role in Rudo y Cursi, written and directed by Carlos Cuarón. The film stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, and is produced by the company started by Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Carlos’ brother Alfonso Cuarón.

After that, it was on to a bigger role for Felipe – he just finished shooting Gerardo Tort‘s Viaje redondo (“Round Trip”). We caught up with him to ask about his own round trip, from Mexico to Vancouver and back.

What drew you to acting?

I was born and raised in Monterrey, México. When the decision to become an actor came to mind, I was in university studying International Commerce at the time. One day, I woke up with one of those existential crises and started questioning myself about what was it that I really wanted to be or do in my lifetime.

I used to think that I was going to be a musician when I was a teenager, since I always had music bands with friends in high school. I wanted to change the world by writing lyrics that would make people think about deep things and stuff like that. But I realized that the audience you can get as a musician is limited to the genre and the language in which you write your music.

So I thought about making movies instead, since it’s a more universal language in which I could also perform. I read the bios of a bunch of actors I admired and I thought to myself, “Why not? If those guys could make it, so can I.”

Why did you choose to come all the way to VFS?

I searched for schools around the world looking for a place that could offer me great education in acting, filmmaking, and writing, but if I would’ve taken, say, a conservatory program for acting in New York City, a full-time film production program in Los Angeles, and a writing program anywhere else, I would’ve kept on studying at age 40 or something! Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit.

You pursued both Acting and Film here at VFS. Why?

I love movies! I always enjoyed performing, but also I’ve always had a very visual mind and I love writing and making music as well, and so cinema is the one art form in which I realized all of those things could be combined. It’s the ultimate art form, if you ask me. However, acting has always been my greatest passion.

You’re establishing a nice career in Mexico now. For our readers who might not be that familiar with the film industry there, are there any differences between it and the U.S./Canadian industries? Lots of productions?

There are huge differences between the Mexican and U.S./Canadian industries, for sure. Just to begin with, you are more on your own when you’re starting out since you don’t get an agent to begin with. You have to sell yourself and try to meet the right people to get that first audition and show that you have talent. So you go directly to the Casting Directors and give them your headshots and resume and they keep it in stock, and when they have a role that fits your profile, they call you and you better be ready for that audition, or else you won’t get the next call.

There are not as many movies being made, either, as in the States or Canada, so there’s a lot of competition for those roles that are available. It’s tough, but once you’ve been given the opportunity to show what you’ve got and they like you, it starts to get easier and easier, and at least you start to audition more often until one day you get that role. And then the other directors say, “Well, if that other director took a chance with him, he must have something… Let’s give him a chance too,” and you get a role that is a bit bigger than the previous one.

It’s a game you have to play and you have to have a lot of passion, patience and perseverance to get there. It can take time, but believe me, it’s so worth it and satisfying once you’re out there working on set in a big production and you hear the director shouting “Action!” It makes you feel so alive!

Rudo y Cursi. What can you tell us about this film and your role? What was it like working with the younger Cuarón?

Working with Carlos Cuarón was really great. He is such a nice guy! Although my role was very small, so don’t expect to see me in a supporting lead or something like that. You have to start somewhere, right?

Working in that movie was more than anything a great opportunity for me to meet such talented people like Gael García and Diego Luna and to work with them a little bit. Also, I had the pleasure to meet Jimena Cuarón, Carlos’ niece who played my girl in the film, and we became friends. Through her, I got to know her family and they are all very nice and welcoming people. A great experience all together… short and sweet!

Likewise for Viaje redondo… I gather it’s a bit of a road movie. What’s your role, and what was the shoot like?

Now, this is a different story. I played a way bigger part than in any other movie that I’ve worked on so far.

The story is about two girls, Lucia and Fernanda, who go on the road, each one separately, looking for their respective men, but they meet on the way and they begin to travel together and they have this adventure that’s going to change their lives. The movie talks a lot about the signs that appear in our lives… and that’s when I come in to play. My character, Flavio, is himself one of those signs that keeps appearing throughout the movie and ends up changing Lucia’s life.

Working on this movie was such an experience… I learned a lot and we shot on locations that were very complicated. For example, they had to close down parts of the highway to get some of the shots done; others were shot in the desert, where it’s very hot during the day but freezing cold during the night and we had to deal with that, of course. Gerardo Tort, director of the movie, had such a clear vision of what he wanted from us and was very demanding. He clearly knows what he’s doing and I trust it’s going to be a great film.

Going forward, what are your goals? Do you see yourself working behind the camera at some point?

Definitely! Having taken Film Production has helped me greatly to understand how it all works, and as a film actor it’s very important to know what they’re looking for from behind the cameras. But that works both ways. Understanding the process as an actor gives you a perspective that is very important to know as a director since you are more able to communicate with the actors and get from them what you want.

As I get more and more experience, I get all these ideas that eventually I’ll make into movies. I’m working on something big… just wait and see!

As for my goals, I want to keep growing as an actor and make movies all over the world. At some point go to Los Angeles and work in Hollywood and someday go back to Vancouver and shoot something there as well with all the people I met while I was living there. Vancouver is definitely one of my favorite places on Earth! Looking forward to getting a piece of that action.

But for now, there’s a few projects coming my way, and I guess I’ll just take it step by step and go with the flow. Life is what happens while you’re making plans, so all you have to do is keep your goals very clear in your mind, work hard, seize any opportunities that may come your way, and eventually you’ll get there.