Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Adulthood’s Rob Alicea

There’s no recipe for success, but actor-producer Rob Alicea has learned a thing or two in his nearly two-decade career. A talent in front of and behind the camera, Rob has worked on projects like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Couples Therapy, and The Devil in the Doorway. This year, he has a pair of exciting projects—Hooked and Adulthood—and we got the chance to chat with Rob about them.

PC: You’re a screenwriter, director, and producer. How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Rob: It’s one of those things that when you look back you feel as if the passion was always there. As a kid, I was obsessed with comic books, in particular Spider-Man. It was the first book and hero where I was as equally invested in the alter ego as I was in his superpowered counterpart. It had everything: balancing career, relationships, and tons of conflict—both internal and external.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Rob: In terms of a person, I would say Kevin Smith. In terms of a film, I would say Good Will Hunting. They taught me what independent films were all about. They taught me that you can tell a story the way you want without compromise if you’re willing to put in the work and surround yourself with the right team.

PC: You’ve had tons of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Rob: Attending the 2018 NY Latino Film Festival and watching the premiere of the Adulthood pilot episode is a moment I’ll never forget. I was more nervous than I’d ever been in my entire career. I sat wondering if all the time, energy, and challenges would be worth it. Would the story we were aiming to tell reach the audience and impact them the way we hoped? Shortly after the title flashed on the screen, we received our first set of laughs. I was able to breathe a little easier after that but not by much.

PC: Given all the success, what’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Rob: For me, it’s three things: take your craft seriously; find your daily balance; have faith. Those are the recipes for success and a happy career. You can’t help at times saying to yourself, “If I knew then what I know now, what could/would have happened?” But the reality is, experience is the greatest teacher. It’s never too late to take what you learn, apply it, and give yourself the permission and gift of a reset. My life is a series of resets, and that’s okay.

PC: You’re working on a few projects. Tell us about Adulthood and Hooked.
Rob: Adulthood is a comedy series I created about four best guy friends attempting to grow up, all the while trying to raise a nonbinary tween who claims one is the father.

Hooked, also a comedy, is a half-hour pilot I was hired to write which follows a girl who escapes a cult only to find herself enrolled in a Brooklyn College. The pilot was recently produced starring SNL legend Jon Lovitz, Catherine Curtin from Stranger Things and Orange Is the New Black, and Eric Close from Nashville.

The through-lines between both projects are that they are coming-of-age stories that just happen to deal with adults.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Rob: Professional wrestling

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Rob: Prayer of the Rollerboys

PC: Favorite book?
Rob: The Alchemist. It’s one of those pieces that changes and evolves with you. You literally cannot read it the same way twice.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Rob: Les Misérables

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Rob: Taylor Swift. I have every album.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Rob: Ryan Reynolds

To keep up with Rob, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.