Exclusive Interview: Randy Vasquez Talks ‘What You Wish For,’ How His Interpretation of the Character Landed Him the Coveted Role, and More

Randy Vasquez is a distinguished storyteller, acclaimed for his mesmerizing performances both on-screen and behind the camera. With over 50 credits to his name, Randy has left an indelible mark on the industry with his extraordinary talent.

His latest project, What You Wish For, is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that follows Ryan (Nick Stahl), a down-on-his-luck chef who gets more than he bargained for when he steps into the life of an old culinary school pal, a private chef for the über-rich. Randy shines as Detective Ruiz, a character who holds his cards close to his chest and is investigating an unsolved mystery.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Randy about What You Wish For, how his interpretation of Detective Ruiz landed him this coveted role, the film’s success on the festival circuit, and more.

PC: Director Nicholas Tomnay has said that when he had to cast Detective Ruiz, he had trouble finding the right actor to play the complexity of this character. In addition to acting, you’ve also directed and produced. How have your experiences behind the camera influenced your work on screen and in interpreting characters and scripts like What You Wish For?
Randy: It’s the respect I give someone who puts in the long hours of work to create and mount their own movie. So I go in revved up with ideas, hopefully to help make it better. There’s usually no rehearsal and not much time on set. So, I just get out of my own way and give it my best shot. Nick told me he’d already cast Ruiz, but the actor didn’t work out for some reason. He liked my audition—that I was playing two things at once in the kitchen scene when I first meet Nick Stahl’s character.

PC: There’s such a cat-and-mouse game between Ryan (Nick Stahl) and Detective Ruiz. How did you and Nick approach the dynamic between your two characters?
Randy: I remember Nick, the director, telling me to take my time with pauses towards the other characters in order to increase the heat on them. We talked about our first scene together over dinner at the house we were staying at—basic actor stuff. On set, we all ran lines and then shot it, and Nick Tomnay shaped it. There was a moment when I thought, “Wow, I’m acting with Nick Stahl. How nice.”

PC: Nicholas wrote and directed this project. How different is the filming experience when the person who created these characters and universe is also at the helm directing? What was that collaboration like?
Randy: Well, their passion is right there on their sleeve in my experience. You can see what the whole endeavor means to them. Del Zamora was another director who adapted a play into a film I’m in called The Last Brown Beret about the Chicano student movement of the early ’70s. He was intense and passionate about creating something great, and I took that ride. With What You Wish For, I was cast about a week and a half before I filmed, and I met Nick the day before I started working. I remember, because he was so busy, throwing ideas at him right off just to get them off my chest and see if they worked for him or not. I took advantage of the brief time I had with him. It was well written, so I wasn’t too worried.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a storyteller and artist?
Randy: In my experience, the stories are unique, personal, and sometimes on-the-nose political, like America Has Fallen: Election Day. I couldn’t believe such a big, timely, relevant story was being done with virtually no money by a first-time filmmaker, Felix Ramos, and not a studio. It went right after the left/right divide in our country back in 2018, a topic one would think a studio would produce. There’s great hope when you’re filming an indie like that or The Last Brown Beret. You feel part of something with noble qualities that’s never been done before. Of course, it’s one thing to make a nice indie film, but it’s another thing to get it out there. Not easy.

PC: The score is absolutely incredible in this film and really builds that tension. What was your reaction when you saw the final product?
Randy: Yes, I love the score. I took a class at UCLA called the Psychology of Film Music with a passionate professor, so I came to appreciate and understand that component of a film. And I think the trailer kicks much ass. I love watching it because of the sound and music used. As for finally seeing the film, thankfully my reaction was better than I expected. I felt good when we filmed it, but one never knows.

I arrived in Colombia to film on my birthday, and when I got off the plane, my brother texted me that our father had passed. He’d had Parkinson’s. That was a Saturday, and I started on Monday. For three weeks of filming, I had this constant battle going on in my head of having lost my father and having to deliver this character. I was probably in some kind of shock, and being so far from home was just a new sensation. It was terrible at times, and I never told anyone there about my father until Nick Stahl and I took a long van ride back to Bogota together to finish filming. I had to get it off my chest, and Nick was beautiful about it. A real prince.

Also, the incredible, heavenly beauty of that cloud forest we were filming in calmed me down a lot, I believe. The different animals as well. The surroundings were like a soft cushion to lay my head on. Like a gift or some kind of sign from my father. Fast forward, and director Nick Tomnay was sitting beside me in Montreal for the world premiere, and he was excited for me to like it, and I did. When I first read the script, I couldn’t put it down. It was compelling, and that translated to the final product. Six festival awards, nearly unanimous positive reviews, so I know it’s a good viewing experience. And when Magnolia Pictures picked it up, I knew we had something special. I hope it all bodes well for the release and life of the film.

PC: Thank you for sharing that. Besides What You Wish For, what’s next for you?
Randy: I’m involved in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix series Running Point about professional basketball. I’m also working on a novel. Additionally, I’m off to North Carolina to get lost in the trees.

To keep up with Randy, follow him on Instagram. What You Wish For is out in select theaters now.