“Ever since I was a little kid I’ve always been drawn to characters and stories. I remember coming home from seeing a movie and I’d spend the rest of the day pretending to be whatever character was in the film: Spider-Man, Jack Sparrow, Aragorn, you name it,” says Jorge Carrión Álvarez, exuberantly. His rise to success in the theatre in the United States shows that he is no longer pretending. Once he knew that his playing movie characters was called acting, he aimed toward being one and never looked back. From that tended age, he let his imagination take him to new heights and his latest height — New York.
With nearly a dozen New York credits to his name in such a short time, Jorge obviously means business.
We chatted with Jorge about his love of — and career in — the arts:
- What — or who — was your inspiration for coming to the United States?
I think it came from a natural desire to experience more of life. I’m originally from Madrid, Spain, where I had a very happy life. I had a great group of friends, I really loved my school and my family was the best. I just needed to see more of the world, to see what things were like in other places away from home. Because I knew I wanted to be an actor, the United States seemed like a no brainer to me. It was the place to be. New York, specifically, always felt like this artistic hub that offered infinite possibilities. The fact that I get to professionally act here, in this amazing city, still feels like a dream.
- What obstacles did/do you face in building your career here?
When hearing the word obstacle, it’s hard not to think of being away from family. Leaving your family behind isn’t an easy thing, even if it’s for a good reason like pursuing your dream. Still, as I get older and time grows more valuable, I realize the huge sacrifice I made at young age when I decided to leave home. Balancing that drive to keep moving forward with the emotions that come up from missing your family is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced.
- I see you wrote plays and novels prior to ascending the stage. Still want to write plays?
Honestly, as much as I love writing, I’ve learnt that it’s more of a hobby at this point in my life. I’m an actor through and through, which doesn’t mean that I don’t like writing. It just means that my daily focus is on performance, on auditioning, on rehearsing, and on becoming a better actor.
- Lots of theatre work since you came here. How about film work… are you interested in doing any?
Funny you should ask. I just had my feature film debut on an independent horror film directed by Keshav Srinivasan. The film is titled The Flesh People and it will premiere in 2025. I play the lead character of Ricky, a medical school drop-out trying to make ends meet. The process of shooting the film was an incredible learning experience. It felt like a 24/7 acting camp, where each day brought on new challenges, which I loved. It pushed me to let go and embrace the chaos of it all, which I think taught me a lot about the nature of acting.
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