Pop Culturalist Chats with Timothy Granaderos

Timothy Granaderos is an actor quickly making his mark on Hollywood. He is currently starring in not one, but two hit shows. Whether he’s portraying Montgomery, the school bully in 13 Reasons Why, or Ash, the troubled outcast looking to rebuild his life in T@gged, it’s clear we’re watching the emergence of a major star—and with talent like Timothy’s, the sky’s the limit. We were lucky enough to chat with Timothy about the new season of T@gged (premiering on May 9, 2017), 13 Reasons Why, and how social media can take on a life of its own.

PC: Where does Season 2 pick up?
Timothy: In Season 2, the girls are picking up the pieces of their lives. Season 1 revealed who Monkeyman is, but it also revealed that there may be a larger organization working against them called The Zoo.

PC: How has your character changed throughout the story and what’s the dynamic like this season between Ash, Elisia, and the other girls?
Timothy: Ash matures quite a bit. He’s trying to kick his bad habits. His relationship with Elisia is turbulent, but they have such a rich path; they are growing as individuals and growing together.

PC: You mentioned The Zoo earlier. When you started filming, did you guys know who was part of that or did you find out as filming began?
Timothy: We didn’t know anything about The Zoo and it was slowly revealed in the second season. Going into it, we had no clue. Everyone was a suspect, so we didn’t even know at the end of Season 1 who was involved in The Zoo. It was just a big mystery.

PC: How much of the show would you say mirrored your actual high school experience?
Timothy: Actually, quite a bit of it, because the show really focuses on relationships and the relationships between different groups of people. I think that high school is a big melting pot of personalities and you may find relationships where you didn’t naturally think you would. I think, for me, it related to my high school experience because of those relationships, but also, social media plays a huge part in the show and that wasn’t necessarily around when I was in high school, so I can’t even imagine what’s like now to be dealing with that.

PC: T@gged tackles the dangers of social media and what you share online, were you more cautious about what you posted on your channels after being involved with the show?
Timothy: Yeah, absolutely. I think social media has many great aspects, but it’s also an extension of you, so I try to be very aware of what I post and when I post it—especially when you gain followers, you get to speak to an audience, so you have to be very aware of what you’re putting up and how it may affect someone. You don’t necessarily realize who you’re going to reach and what message you’re going to be speaking. I try to censor everything. Also, I try to use it to show my personality. Social media can take on a life of its own and I try to portray myself as honestly as possible.

PC: What was the atmosphere like on-set given the subject matter of the show?
Timothy: The subject matter of the show is very heavy and when it came time to do scenes, everyone hit the ground running. Everyone was extremely professional and very aware of it. As soon as we called wrap, it was such a fun, loving, creative, supportive atmosphere. It felt like summer camp because everyone was there to have a good time and be professional and do their job. It was definitely heavy, but also balanced with a lighter ambience.

PC: What did you take away from the experience and what do you hope audience takes away from watching the show?
Timothy: What I took from my experience working on the show is that relationships are one of the most important things that you can have. I relied on other actors and their characters to get me through working on the show. I think what I took from the show is that you have to be very careful with what you post and how you post it, because like I said earlier, social media is an extension of you and you want to portray yourself as honestly as possible, but also be safe, because you don’t who is going to be watching.

PC: You’re part of two huge shows: T@gged and 13 Reasons Why. Is there one character that you relate to more than another?
Timothy: I definitely related to Ash a little more, just because he is more sensitive and, I think, paternal to those around him. I think Montgomery, although he was quite the bully, has layers that have yet to be discovered. I definitely related to Ash a little more. I was never a bully or anything, but you know, you always find ways to play your character.

PC: How do you think platforms like Netflix and go90 have changed the industry and the way that we consume media?
Timothy: I think platforms like Netflix and go90 just make it easier to view shows according to your schedule, which makes it way more convenient to consume. I know with Netflix, the argument is that you work 6-7 months on the show and then it’s available for viewers to watch in one weekend, if they want to—if they want to binge it—but I think the cool part about that is that it builds a buzz around the show that may not have necessarily been there if it was released once a week. I think the cool thing about Netflix and go90 is that they’re providing this platform for so many different shows and concepts. It’s really creating more opportunity.

Photo Credit: TimothyGranaderos.com

PC: How did you get started in acting? Was there a moment you realized you wanted to do this as a career?
Timothy: When I moved to LA, I had people approach me and ask, ‘Are you an actor?’ and I was like, ‘No, but I’m interested’. That kind of sparked my curiosity, so I started taking classes and doing a little bit of modeling, but I’d say that it took me probably a year and a half to two years to commit to the idea that I was going to pursue acting as a career, just because there’s so much uncertainty. Once I committed to the idea, I started taking more classes and eventually got hooked up with a manager and agent. Then, from there, I actually started auditioning and it was definitely scary, but after I fully committed, it became real and then it was pretty much all I wanted to do.

PC: Do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Timothy: Besides T@gged, I just did another project. It’s called In the Vault and it’s going to be on go90 as well—it’s like a college drama and it will be out in the fall. I just got done working on that and the entire cast and crew is super talented. The writer, Ben Epstein, is amazing, so that will be fun to see.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Timothy: Bob’s Burgers

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Timothy: Toy Story…pretty much any animated movie.

PC: Favorite book?
Timothy: The Giver

PC: A favorite play or musical?
Timothy: I haven’t seen that many plays or musicals, but my mom took me to Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat years and years ago and I was amazed by those performers.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Timothy: Saosin, which is like a screaming rock band.

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Timothy: Instagram, for sure!

PC: Hidden talent?
Timothy: I’m a pro with the Swiffer. I really like cleaning.

Make sure to follow Timothy on Twitter and Instagram, and catch T@gged every Tuesday on go90!

Photo Credit: AwesomenessTV