Actor Peter Mendoza chatted about starring in the series “Perry Mason” on HBO Max, which is now in its second season. He spoke about being a performer in the digital age, and his desire to someday work with Oscar Isaac.
How was your experience in “Perry Mason”?
Educational. It was interesting, because during filming, it felt like I had forgotten how to act. There was a desperate, reckless confidence I leaned into, because even though I had been working on my craft for some time, there was something different about this experience. Maybe it was the higher responsibility I had now, being afforded the biggest role I’ve had since I started this career.
There were so many moving parts. I was uncomfortable, and in this career, it can be a great tool to be uncomfortable because you’re in the moment. Facing it head-on like the character would. I was doing my best work. I leaned on my castmates Stephanie Hoston, Fabrizio Guido, and Onahoua Rodriguez for support, but I also just watched them.
That was a gift because of the power of their subtlety, joy, and devotion in their work that helped elevate my work.
What did you like most about your character Mateo?
Mateo was the support beam of his family. He is so multilayered. A man filled with shame, distrust, grit, love, passion, joy, and fear. He could not live up to the standard that was called upon him as the patriarch of his family. He was not there for his sister. Only arriving just in time to save his brother.
Mateo leads by impulse and is wary of everyone who is not his family, because so much has been taken from him. He does his best, but when battling a system that is not built for you, he can only go so far. And so his desperation led him down a path that now engulfs his family. That is what I have struggled with in my life as well. So to be able to embody such complexity was both fearful and enlightening.
What inspires you each day as an actor?
Everyone. Everything. Acting has given me the chance to see the world. Each character and story allows me an opportunity to discover aspects of myself I never knew I had.
To understand myself through the battles I face every day in the struggle of being human. It gives me confidence I never had as a child. When I was younger, I was the wallflower. Afraid to go out there for fear of humiliation or rejection. But I observed how people interacted and just watched in awe how we commune with one another. It gave me a connection to you, to all of us.
This art form has empowered, acknowledged, embraced, and welcomed me. It accepted me as I am and fostered my growth with challenge and critical thinking. To really investigate the intricacies of what we are made of and what we still have to learn, create, or grow into. It became an entryway to Life.
What do your plans for the future include?
That I don’t know. In my life I’ve learned that things don’t go according to plan. And I wouldn’t want them to. There is something exciting about making it up as you go along.
All I know is I want to be challenged; to work at the highest level with artists who push me, question me, challenge me, and afford me the opportunity to play in their backyard. Creating something we’ve never seen before; an innovation that becomes part of the tapestry of this long and storied tradition of storytelling.
How does it feel to be an actor in the digital age? (Now with streaming and technology being so prevalent)
I think it’s bittersweet. I came into the scene when the business was looking to make stars or at least bank on influencers who had big followings. It felt like in order to succeed, you needed social media. I’ve never been a devotee of the social network. I love that it brings people together from any part of the world, but it can become a hindrance when your only value is your fan base rather than your ability.
I have the utmost respect for influencers, because their form of art is a form of filmmaking. But it feels kind of mixed with reality TV. It feels like there is a need for fame and approval. Though, there is also an opportunity to innovate in a form that will start to work hand in hand within this business in this new changing world. So I am looking forward to what new technology does to change the game.
Which actors would you like to someday work with as your dream acting partners?
I would love to work with Oscar Isaac. I remember watching A Most Violent Year in the theatre, and his performance demanded my attention. There was danger, tenderness, compassion, passion, calculation, manipulation, and helplessness, along with his drive. I became a fan in that instant.
Then I saw Ex Machina and that blew me away. It is one of my favorite movies. He is so natural, and yet he hides everything in plain sight. The caliber of artistry in his performance is what I aspire to in my acting.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
A good life. Success is a word so easily thrown out that we confuse it with a form of status, but I believe the journey is the success. The adventures, the pratfalls, the failure, the people you meet, and the places you go. Success is a marble block that you chip away at to find the masterpiece inside.
The person you always were. Your greatness. That’s what this career and art form have done for me. Who knows what will come for me next? All I know is I am here talking to you as Peter the actor and not that poor kid from East LA, who couldn’t even see past the four blocks which he lived in.
What would you like to tell our readers about “Perry Mason”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
If it can happen for me, it can happen for you. This took dedication, drive, grit, and love. For myself and the craft. I booked Perry Mason off a self-tape, which is unheard of. Especially for me as a Latino. I was very fortunate that HBO and Team Downey saw something in me.
I was able to uplift and shine a light on an American story that is also a Latino story. It’s only a drop in a well that has limitless potential. Fight for what you love and know this is just the start of what you have to offer. Change the conversation of what an artist can be and say. Be the best, for then they can never deny you.
To learn more about actor Peter Mendoza, follow him on Instagram.
