Pop-Culturalist.com

Alex Pastrana is an up-and-coming talent who is captivating audiences with his transformative performance in Netflix’s addictive hit series, Elite.

Now in its seventh season, Elite follows the lives of three working-class teenagers who begin attending an exclusive private school in Spain and the clash between them and the wealthy students. Alex shines as Raul, the villain in the series, who commits unthinkable acts.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Alex about Elite Season 7, playing his despicable character, the Elite fandom, and more.

PC: You discovered your passion for acting after finishing school. What has that transition been like going from engineering into the arts? What was it about that first acting class that resonated with you?
Alex: It was a bit crazy. I never imagined that I’d be an actor. But my first few years of acting school were such a smooth transition because I was working as an engineer and going to acting classes. I would go to class after my shifts so that my parents were never worried about it. [laughs] They were like, “As long as he’s still working, everything’s fine.” But then I quit my job, and I got really serious about acting. I said to myself, “This is what you want. You’ve finally discovered your passion.” I knew that I had to try and make a living off of it. I remember those being the best years of my life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Alex: I would say that it was that acting school. I discovered my true passion in that class because all of the students wanted to be there. There were people there from eighteen to thirty-five, and they all wanted to be there. They came from all over Spain. Some of them couldn’t even tell their parents what they were studying. I had these immediate connections.

Also, Elite. When it started airing, I was at school. I saw this hugely talented cast who were suddenly all over the world. It became a reference point for what this career could be.

PC: You were a fan of Elite before you joined the cast. What was it like getting the call that you landed the role?
Alex: Yeah, I was already a fan of the show. I watched every season. For many years, I was like, “I want to be on that show.” I auditioned for the third and fourth seasons. When they were casting for the fifth season, I was already working on another Netflix show. When they handed me the audition for Elite Season 6, I was very excited about it. I tried to nail every audition from the self-tape to the producer session.

That call was such a milestone. I really wanted to be a part of that series in any way possible. I was super happy. It was my mom who I told first. I was next to her when I got the call. It was a super cool moment.

PC: Your character is the villain in the series, and he commits a lot of despicable acts. As the actor responsible for bringing him to life, how do you prepare to play a character who’s so different from you and has so many intense storylines?
Alex: I forgot to mention this earlier but when I got the call, I was like, “For which character?” I had auditioned for two. One was not the villain and was quite the opposite. He was the nice guy. When I got the call, I had mixed feelings. They were like, “Alex, you’re in,” and then they said, “For Raul.” I was like, “Yikes.” [laughs] But I was still really happy, and a bit scared because like you said he is the villain. He’s this villain who doesn’t have a good side. I liked that though because I wanted to show this abusive, toxic relationship to teenage audiences without romanticizing it.

How did I prepare? Well, even during the audition process, I was talking to a lot of my female friends who have sadly experienced these toxic relationships with ex-boyfriends. They’re also actors and they were so willing to help me, especially one who I do a lot of auditions with. They told me these stories, and I worked with my acting coach on it. We’re lucky on the show that we get enough time to rehearse. That’s something that I love about Elite, they try to make sure we have that time.

PC: There’s so much trust that you need when you’re playing a character like this. How did you build that with your fellow actors on set? How did you create the space for yourself to dive into those intense moments?
Alex: Exactly. It’s a delicate matter. We talked a lot before and during filming. Carmen [Arrufat], who’s my main scene partner, is an amazing and talented actress. It’s super easy to work with her. I met her at the audition. Even without talking, we understood each other. It was very easy. When we both got the part, we talked during rehearsals, we got coffee together, and we hung out. It’s very important to have that communication with your partner.

PC: One of the benefits of television as a medium is the opportunity to explore a character over an extended period of time. Is there anything that’s surprised you about Raul’s journey or this filming experience?
Alex: I love that we’re able to come back for another season. I like that we’re able to continue to explore this twisted universe and all these characters. That’s something that I love about TV. You get to spend so much time with the same crew and characters, even though mine is twisted. I love acting. I could do this forever. As difficult as this character is, I’m invested. It’s a challenge.

PC: Elite has such a massive fan base, and your character is so hated among the fans (in the best possible way). What is it like getting to see their response on social media and know that your performance is evoking this reaction?
Alex: It’s been great. First off, I was so happy with the actual script and the themes that we’re touching on in Season 6. It took a very profound turn, and it was a great season.

When you’re filming, you want to show it to the world and see their response. I was scared if I’m being honest. I was scared because people were going to know me as this character. But the fans have been incredible because they only hate the character, which they should. But they’ve always been so nice to me. They’re able to differentiate me from Raul. They’ve only shown me a lot of love, and I’m so grateful for the Elite fandom.

PC: Season 7 is quickly approaching. Is there anything you can tease about what’s ahead for your character?
Alex: I can’t say too much, but I will say that it gets darker. It was a whole other challenge in Season 7. The new characters are fire.

PC: This is such an exciting time in your career. As you look ahead, is there a dream role that you’d love to bring to life on the screen?
Alex: One of my favorite actors is Miles Teller. I love what he does. Movies like Whiplash and Black Swan have everything. They’re character-driven stories. I’d love to do something like that or a biopic. I love playing something that’s challenging where the character has to endure a lot of adversities. Whiplash is a perfect example because that’s one of my favorite actors and one of my favorite directors. I was listening to a podcast today that Jake Gyllenhaal was explaining his process. I’d love to do a sports-related movie. That would be amazing.

To keep up with Alex, follow him on Instagram. Watch Elite Season 7 on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Carlos Villarejo