Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Punky Brewster’s Oliver De Los Santos

Get ready to fall in love with Oliver De Los Santos. The talented young actor is making waves with his breakout role in the Punky Brewster reboot.

In the series, Oliver stars as Daniel, one of Punky’s adopted sons, who reminds viewers that it’s okay to be yourself. It’s a message that fans—old and new—can get behind and is displayed brilliantly by Oliver.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Oliver about his character, working alongside original cast members Soleil Moon Frye and Cherie Johnson, and what we can expect from Season 1 of Punky Brewster.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Oliver: My sister started before me and it looked really fun seeing her on stage, so I wanted to do it myself. In my first audition, I was so close to landing a lead role in a Disney feature film and it made me really excited to keep trying. I ended up being cast in three professional musical theater productions: Young Lola in Kinky Boots, Benji in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and then finally got cast in Punky Brewster!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Oliver: My mum. She has been so supportive of me and helped me so much with my acting and getting ready to do my auditions and everything. She does so much for me and works really hard.

PC: Is it ever a challenge to manage your career and life as a normal kid?
Oliver: Not really. Sometimes I have to miss out on things if an audition comes in and has to be done quickly or if I’m filming, but I don’t mind because I really want to get the job or be on set. I play outside with my friends a lot and play baseball, so I get to do a lot of fun things outside of acting as well.

Punky Brewster

PC: You’re starring in the Punky Brewster reboot. Tell us about the series, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Oliver: Punky Brewster is a super cool show from the ’80s about an orphan who ends up being raised by an old man. Now, Punky is grown up and has three kids, and we meet Izzy, who reminds Punky of herself as a kid. The show is basically about family and everything that comes with that. It’s really heartwarming and uplifting, and it’s a great show for the whole family.

My character is Daniel, one of Punky’s two adopted sons. He’s really smart and is a neat freak, which is the exact opposite of his brother. He sometimes does things that people think are too girly for boys, like wearing eyeliner or painting his nails, but what I love about him is that he doesn’t care what people think, and he just does what feels right for him.

I didn’t know about the show before I got the audition, but my mum knew it from when she was young and told me all about it. I was really excited to audition after that.

PC: Daniel has an incredible journey throughout the first season. How did you prepare to tackle your character’s story arc? What has Daniel taught you?
Oliver: When we got each episode, I would read through it, and then my mum and I would talk about how Daniel would be feeling or how he would act in a certain situation. Daniel reinforced to me that it’s okay to be yourself, even if other people give you a hard time, and I hope that when people watch the show, it helps them feel confident to be themselves, too. He’s actually a really strong kid, and I feel really honored to be able to play him.

PC: Soleil Moon Frye and Cherie Johnson are reprising their roles. What was it like getting to share the screen with them? Did they share any words of wisdom?
Oliver: It was so amazing working with Soleil and Cherie. They are both such brilliant and lovely people, and incredible actors. They are so kind and supportive, and they really wanted to make sure we were having fun making the show. They just always encouraged us and told us we were doing a great job.

PC: This is a breakout television role for you. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Oliver: The days are very long and busy, but it was such an amazing experience, and I loved it. My biggest takeaway would have to be: be prepared and have fun with it.

PC: Do you have a favorite scene that you’re excited for viewers to see?
Oliver: I think the whole season is going to have a lot of great moments in it, but I do have an episode I am really excited to see. I can’t say too much about it right now, but what I can say is that I got to dress up as someone who I think is really cool, and I had so much fun. I think that would have to be my favorite episode, and I’m sure when people see it they’ll know why.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Favorite TV show?
Oliver: The Mandalorian.

PC: Favorite movie?
Oliver: The Star Wars saga.

PC: Favorite book?
Oliver: The Harry Potter series.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Oliver: Les Mis or Kinky Boots.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Oliver: Europe.

PC: What’s your dream role?
Oliver: An awesome character in a Star Wars movie or series…yep, I really love Star Wars!

To keep up with Oliver, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Punky Brewster now on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Peter Wallis