We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yunior Reyes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yunior, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Isn’t this the million-dollar question? In the past, my happiness fluctuated because of the ebbs and flows of the industry. Being an actor is a huge part of my identity and so far, I’ve been blessed to have worked on many meaningful projects such as “Can You Dig it” an original Audible series which is now Ambie nominated as well as Hulu original Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga. Though most of those in this profession know it can often be a fruitless one. So, I have worked on separating my self-worth with the yes’s and no’s I get as an actor, and focused on the things I could control. Such as, studying my craft, writing, enjoying my other interests, and most importantly cultivating a supportive community of my peers. My peers are composed of thespians, writers, athletes, childhood friends and directors who have motivated me in many ways most notably my creativity. It’s important to seek the perspective of others in separate fields, because doing so helped me create a project for my team over ODR Productions called “Familia Reynoso”. I don’t have to wonder about having a regular job because I already do! I enjoy my day job with the people I work with, but I know my calling is to help people forget about their worries  by moving them with my work.

Yunior, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Yes of course! My name is Yunior Reyes and I am an actor, voice actor and writer. Or as I like to put it, a professional pretender. My parents are from the Dominican Republic and my roots guide me in my everyday life. Initially I had no intentions of joining the film and TV industry because growing up I felt that it was pie in the sky. After studying communications in College, I was told by many I should look into voice acting which I did. After doing a deep dive I created a voice reel, and in the process of creating that reel I fell in love with the process. This birthed my passion for all mediums of acting prompting me to take an acting course in college. I have read countless books on the craft, rehearsing, and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Many actors, coaches, agents, etc. will tell you to get educated and I agree. If you can afford classes take them, if not buy all the books you can and learn, no excuses. As an actor, it has trained me to be a better public speaker, a more articulate writer and most of all become more empathetic. Working on many projects I have learnt how commercials work, how sets should be run and most importantly how to treat crew because they are the most important part of our industry.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As an actor and writer, I aim to present people that look like me in ways the masses don’t usually see. I am tired of being seen as a drug dealer, gangster or just a criminal on screen. We are also leaders in our communities, lawyers, doctors, small business owners, etc. I don’t subscribe to the idea of waiting for someone else to write it for us, I believe it is our duty to create the roles and stories we wish to see.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my humble opinion, I believe there should be much more resources available to those who can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars to get a proper education in the arts. Of course, there are ways to get an education online or through books, but many people learn in different ways and there should be opportunities set where not only it is meant for low-income artists but is easy to access. Also paying fees to submit yourself as an artist on casting websites should be banned as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11121312/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyuniorreyes/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yuniorreyes.130

Image Credits
Photographs taken By LA Winns Instagram: @lawinnslens