Pop Culturalist Chats with Beyond’s Oscar Camacho

Remember this name: Oscar Camacho. He’s a fresh face in Hollywood that we’re expecting huge things from in the coming years. Currently, he’s starring in his biggest role yet as Diego, the villain on Freeform’s breakout hit Beyond. Loosely based on Lucifer, the character of Diego immediately caught Oscar’s attention because he wasn’t afraid to venture into the darkest of places. Off-screen, Oscar couldn’t be more opposite from Diego. It is surely a testament to his talent. He’s humble, friendly, and driven to represent his culture and heritage, and to make his family and friends proud. Pop Culturalist spoke with Oscar about this exciting role, how he mentally prepared to step into the shoes of a villain, and how he got his start in acting.

PC: Tell us about Diego and what drew you to this project.
Oscar: My character, Diego, is loosely based off Lucifer. He is the biggest demon from The Realm—which is where Holden was transported when he was in his coma—and because Holden was able to return from The Realm, he left a portal open, which allowed my character to cross over to Holden’s dimension/world. What drew me to this character was his darkness. As an actor, you don’t always get the option to touch down on all these dark places, so that’s what drew me in the most. The creative team really gave me a loose structure and let me run with it.

PC: Where you familiar with the show before you signed on and how did you prepare?
Oscar: Yeah, I watched all of season one. I remember seeing a huge billboard on La Brea for the show and thinking to myself, “that’s interesting.” I was really taken aback by how dark the show was willing to go on a network like Freeform. When you think of Freeform, you think of teen shows that don’t really deal with too much violence, but now, I think you’re seeing more and more shows on Freeform that are willing to go to those dark places.

PC: Will we learn more about Diego’s experience in The Realm and why it’s transformed him into the person that he’s become?
Oscar: I can’t give too much away but, yeah, you’ll see a bit of that. You’ll definitely get a sense of why he is there.

PC: Will we learn why Diego has a vendetta against Holden and what can you tease about that relationship and how it processes this season?
Oscar: Holden is in the way of Diego’s larger goal. In the past few episodes, we’ve seen Diego say that his main goal is to bring his world into Holden’s world, and he sees Holden as the only person who can stop that from happening, whether Holden realizes it or not.

PC: As we’re introduced to more and more characters from The Realm, will we see Diego step up in a leadership position?
Oscar: Yes, definitely!

PC: Will we learn if Diego has any redeeming qualities or is he the definition of a villain?
Oscar: I’m going to let the audience decide on that one!

PC: Will Diego interact with the other characters that have returned from The Realm, like Charlie and Edgar?
Oscar: Holden’s a very family-oriented guy and the rest of the characters play such a huge role in his life. It’s safe to say that Diego may try to reach out to the other people closest to Holden.

PC: In the episode six, we see Diego come to blows with Holden in the bowling alley. What was it like filming that scene?
Oscar: Crazy! I don’t think a lot of people will know this but Burkely Duffield, who plays Holden, and I did all of our own stunts. That entire sequence was choreographed, so all the running, jumping, fighting, hitting, that’s us! It was a lot of fun to go full out on every single take. I hope the fans enjoyed it, and it’s not done yet! There’s more unfinished business.

PC: What was the process like to learn that fight sequence?
Oscar: Fight choreography is its own skill. It was intense. You have to find a fine balance between being safe and making it look super real, heavy, and purposeful.

PC: What was the biggest challenge for you as an actor jumping into Diego’s shoes?
Oscar: That’s a good question. The biggest challenge as an actor when you play a villainous role is to try and find a redeeming quality in the character. You need to have to find the justification behind their actions. It’s not up to the actor to judge the character, that’s up to the audience.

PC: A large part of the show’s success has been its presence on online and through social media. Do you have a favorite fan interaction?
Oscar: When we live tweet with the fans, it’s always so humbling to see how far the show reaches. With Diego having an Argentinian background, it’s extra special to see fans speak to me in Spanish. Being Latino, it makes me feel really proud.

Career Questions

PC: When did you realize you wanted to pursue acting?
Oscar: I would say around middle school. My mom worked in radio and I did a few commercials growing up for KFC and Super Soaker, and I was chatting with one of the sound engineers at my mom’s radio station about what I wanted to pursue in life. I told him I wanted to be a producer of a radio show and he looked at me and told me to reach for the stars, and that he believed in me. Honestly, for someone in the field to say that to me meant a lot.

PC: What’s the most rewarding part about being an actor and what’s the most challenging?
Oscar: One of the biggest challenges for me is to always stay in the mindset of your character and be prepared. There’s a lot of downtime during filming, especially on a show like Beyond, and you don’t have the luxury to drift off mentally. Every scene is so demanding and heavy, and even at times, physically draining. You always have to be ready to go. The most rewarding part is when it’s in the hands of the fans and how they respond. They notice things that you don’t even think they would!

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Oscar: I watch anime! I’m a huge Attack on Titan fan and a huge Dragonball super fan. I can watch re-runs over and over again. It’s kind of absurd.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Oscar: The Family Man with Nicolas Cage. I always watch it around Christmas time. It’s such a cheesy movie but it gets me every time. It makes me cry with the thought and sentiment. It’s so powerful. [laughs]

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Oscar: Oh man! I would say Rent. For a long time, I would say I disliked Rent, but you would always hear me singing songs from it. It’s one of those musicals that sticks with you and the music is so unbelievably great.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Oscar: Ah! I’ll give you two: The Strokes, who are by far my favorite, and Arctic Monkeys.

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Oscar: Instagram. It’s the easiest way for people to get in touch with me.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Oscar: Altered Carbon

PC: Last person you texted?
Oscar: My mom

PC: Hidden talent?
Oscar: I’m a really good hip-hop dancer

Make sure to follow Oscar on Twitter and Instagram, and check out new episodes of Beyond every Thursday at 8pm on Freeform.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Ray Valdez