With Roles in ā13 Reasons Whyā and Bright Under His Belt, Itās Clear That This āParty of 5ā Actor Is Just Getting Started
Brandon Larracuente shows up to his cover shoot right on time, wearing a salmon pink jumpsuit with his fiancĆ©e by his side. āI think the older Iāve gotten, the more comfortable Iāve become at just wearing what I feel like fits me in the moment,ā Larracuente says with a smile. This outlook goes far beyond his personal style; it shows throughout his acting career and how heās grown to be so comfortable in his own skin.
Flashback to his freshman year of high school, where Larracuente was cast as the lead role of Danny Zuko in āGrease.ā After that, he began to shy away from acting, as there was an aspect of negativity associated with it. āI was ridiculed, in a way, by my friends about being a part of the thespian side; [it was] just frowned upon for some reason,ā explains Larracuente. āI would go for commercials periodically throughout high school, and I remember one time in specific, I booked a commercial. I filmed it, and one of my peers at school told me, āI saw you on a commercial last night,ā and I denied it. I was like, āNo, that wasnāt me.āā
It wasnāt until after high school when Larracuente realized that he wanted to devote his life to acting and go full-force into the industry. āAfter high school, I booked the show called āBloodline,ā where I finally began to pursue my passions and my interests and my dreams without really caring about what others thought of me,ā he says.
After playing the character Ben Rayburn on āBloodlineā from 2015 to 2017, Larracuente was cast in the movie Bright on Netflixāone of his most interesting and challenging roles to date. āI played an Ork, which is a mythical creature. I had to learn Orkishāwhich is a made-up language,ā says Larracuente. Playing this character involved getting into prosthetics every day for 15-hour days; it would take about an hour to get in costume and an hour to take it off. There was also a dialect coach on set to help learn and practice the language his character spoke. According to Larracuente, āIt was very fulfilling and rewarding because it was so challenging.ā He also had the incredible opportunity to act alongside one of his dream co-stars, Will Smith, during this film.
Larracuente was then cast in ā13 Reasons Whyā as Jeff Atkins. He initially auditioned for a different character, since Atkins isnāt in the original book that the series is based on. Because of this, it allowed Larracuente to really build the character as he saw fit. Atkins was a leaderāa classmate who stuck up for other people. āI related to Jeff in a way because he was a friend I wish I wouldāve had in high school,ā Larracuente explains.
At age 21, Larracuente moved across the country from Florida to Los Angeles, a challenge that allowed him to grow as a man and human being. āI had dreams and aspirations of moving out here [to California]. Not at 21, it wouldāve been many years later, but due to booking ā13 Reasons Whyā I was kind of forced to speed up the process,ā he says.Ā
Although home was always a call away, he tried to minimize depending on his family. āI felt like the more I relied on Mom and Dad, the less of a man I was or the less I grew. Iām a firm believer that [people grow] through hard times,ā Larracuente explains. Expressing there were times he struggled and didnāt know how he was going to pay rent, he always figured it out in the end. āI would not change anything because itās given me the passion and the drive that I need to keep on waking up and facing every day,ā says Larracuente.Ā
Now in his latest role, Larracuente plays eldest child Emilio Acosta in the new Freeform show, āParty of Five,ā a reboot of the popular ā90s drama. While there are some similarities to the original, this version shows the Acosta parents being deported to Mexico by ICE agents (in the original, the parents are killed in a car accident). This leaves 24-year-old Emilio Acosta with a heavy responsibility of having to step up and take care of his four younger siblings, rather than going off and pursuing his music career. The show exhibits an emotional, human perspective of political issues that the United States is facing today. āIām Latin and grew up in a very Hispanic culture, so it helps to get that sense of who [the characters] are and the Hispanic community,ā says Larracuente. āIt helps build and add elements and layers to the character that maybe somebody who is not Latin may not have.ā
Thereās something Larracuente can take away and learn from every role heās portrayed. āI think every character that Iāve had thus far, Iāve been fortunate enough to relate to them in some way shape or form.ā Larracuente wants to be remembered as somebody who does good and impactful work. āIām really passionate about things that make people think and make people either leave a theater or go to bed at night thinking about things a bit differently than maybe prior to watching the show,ā he says.Ā
And with that attitude and mindset, he has big dreams and hopes for the future generation of those in the film industry. āI hope for more inclusivity for all ethnicities and cultures. Weāre on the right track, but thereās always room for improvement.ā Larracuente expresses that the younger generation should continue to strive for big dreams no matter how big or small they may seem. āI think that we need to continue to give confidence to the younger generation who is coming up now because they are the ones that are going to be ruling the world one day when weāre long gone,ā he says.
Aside from his growing fame and following of over 1 million fans on Instagram, Larracuente is just a normal 25-year-old going after his wildest dreams. When he has a break from filming, you can find him reading a book, drinking tea in the morning, hiking with his pup or laying on his couch watching āThis Is Us.āĀ
He also recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Jazmin, in Yosemite National Park. āIt was a very intimate moment; it was at the end of filming. I had been filming for about three or four months, and we took a little trip to Yosemite, and it was just us. It was us in a cabin, and it couldnāt have been more perfect,ā says Larracuente. The two are a force to be reckoned with, as they support one another’s aspirations of acting, producing and writing while living together in North Hollywood. Brandon and Jazmin recently hired a writer for the original they are currently developing. They are also striving to adapt a New York Times best-seller. Solidifying the love and support for one another, she encourages Larracuente the morning of the cover shoot, bringing a light of positivity and smiles to the set (and stealing a few kisses in between looks).
In five years, Larracuente hopes to have had his first directorial debut, whether thatās a short film or an episodic. And in 10 years? āI hope to be comfortable. I hope to have a family. I hope to be in a position where I can choose projects that fit what I need as a human being but also what my family needs.ā With what heās accomplished in just these past few years, thereās no doubt that these goals will be metāand exceeded. Brandon Larracuente is just getting started.
Written By: Taylor Gorski
Photographed By: Andrea DomjanĀ
Styled By: Melissa Souza
Groomed By: Jennifer Mau Brandon Larracuente
Taylor is a graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. She is our Los Angeles and Orange County editor. You can find her dining at a new restaurant, in the ocean or planning her next adventure. Say hello!
Andrea Domjan is an award-winning portrait and commercial photographer born and raised in Europe, currently living in Orange County, California. Andrea's main goal is to reflect every person's personality on their photos. Her style is simple and timeless featuring the latest photography trends.
