Jeff Ornstein 0:01

Hi everyone, and welcome to Next Act with Jeff Orenstein. I am Jeff, and on this show we celebrate people on the cusp of greatness. Those building on past successes in some of the curious and inventive and sometimes unexpected ways they have achieved those, and stepping into moments that could define their legacy. We'll talk about current projects, lessons learned, and the extraordinary opportunities ahead. So the best is yet to come. Today's guest is Lewis Berrio, actor known for his work on FBI Most Wanted, the Burden of Nine Lives, Dream Baby Dream, among others. With multiple new projects currently in post-production, Lewis is steadily building momentum in this industry while carving out his place in film and television. Welcome, Lewis.

Luis Berrio 0:50

Thanks, Jeff. Very honored to be here. Been a few years, but uh, you know, happy to be here.

Jeff Ornstein 0:55

And for full transparency to our listeners and viewers, Lewis and I have studied together. And I've watched him start as a neophyte like I did, and his career is really blossoming. So he's exactly the kind of character that we want on this show to share his story with others and inspire others to say, what's your next act? So, Lewis, we've had people that were actors that became writers or writers that became uh directors and so on and so forth. You weren't actually in the arts in your previous profession.

Luis Berrio 1:30

No, not at all, Jeff. It's uh it's funny because uh like I I love the the name of this podcast because this is my second act in my life. Uh the first part of my life, I was a New York City narcotics detective for over 24 years here in the city. And it's something I never thought I would come across. I mean, I did undercover work, but at that time I didn't think of, well, I'm gonna be an actor later on in my life, but uh the idea of taking on this journey and and finding a passion at 50 years old when I started doing this, it's kind of blown me away a little bit because some things have come very fast for me. Very fortunate and and grateful for these. The idea of of enjoying something brand new on this journey is something else. But I I did have a life before this, uh a life that I'm able to say uh I enjoyed, and you know, protecting the people of the city and and at the end of the day, you know, uh starting something new.

Jeff Ornstein 2:24

Okay, so it was really quite by accident, right? I mean, you had were entering retirement or retired, and a friend said, Hey, you want to participate in something?

Luis Berrio 2:33

Yeah, yeah, it was. It was uh we had just come back when I retired. Me and my family, my kids, we went to Ecuador to just I went to decompress. My wife is from Ecuador, and we went over there for for over six months, and and we came back, and a friend of mine who happened to be a rapper had asked me, Hey Lewis, you still have your police gear. I want you to come into the video and just you know lock me up and such and such. And and uh I said, no problem, he's my friend, why not? I can I could do this all day if you want. But uh, but I did do that, and and something clicked that day, Jeff. It was just something that I had a great time doing it. It was just, I don't know, maybe it was the flow of everything. I just enjoyed it. And I said to myself, let's see where this goes. And after that, uh I went on thumbtack to find uh a headshot photographer. And out of the blue, I was like, you know, let me just see. Let's see what happens. I booked a session with the headshot photographer, and she, I'm a typical New Yorker. She she was just blowing me up, like in my, you know, like, oh, you look great, you got a great look. And I'm like, I'm from New York. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, well, whatever. Just let's take these pictures and we can just keep it going. So she takes these photos and and she's like, listen, I have an agent uh you could speak to. And this is about early 2020, but this is before the pandemic, 20, late 2019, early 2020. So she gives me the number to the agent, I go to the agent, and of course, I still think in my head, this is this doesn't happen. This is too fast in my mind. This is too fast for this. So I I meet him, and uh, he doesn't sign me. He doesn't sign me that first day. He he said he gives me a little template. He's like, Louis, go on backstage, you know, self-submit to things, do whatever you can. You've got the headshots already. Uh take a commercial class, take a commercial class just to see if you like this. So I took a commercial class. He also said, uh, buy this book by by William Esper, Things The Art and the Craft. So I did that, and I saw him about two months later. Two months later, I saw him, and he was kind of surprised of what I've achieved in those two months, meaning self-submitting to indie films, to to to short films, school films, and just doing whatever I could to show what I've done. And he's like, okay, he gave me the contract, and and I sit on it. I sit on it, and it's probably it's two weeks before the pandemic. Oh boy. And it's boom, the pandemic hits. Me, I'm so hesitant. I was even hesitant to sign that contract. It's like, this doesn't happen so fast. But uh, I was hesitant to sign the contract. The pandemic hits, but it didn't deter me. I just kept continuing self-submitting, just doing what I needed to do, getting tested for any little thing I did during the pandemic. But that was kind of like the the leadoff of finding something that I enjoy that I never knew could happen at this stage. Well, you know, it definitely requires determination because there's a lot of rejection in in this industry, and there's a lot of like you could be as great as the other 10 people that are the callbacks, and yeah, you don't have the mole on the right side of your face that the director is looking for, so you never know. What's interesting is I think it might have been when I was in class with you, I did a monologue and I thought it was great. And I went to do it for a self-tape, and I was a pig farmer, like a simple guy. And I said to the self-tape guy, I want to do this. He got like really good feedback. And he's like, We're not doing it. I'm like, no, no, it's good. Because no, no, you're never gonna get cast as a pig farmer. They're not, you're not the pig farmer type. And a booking agent once told me once, I could cast you as a pilot all day long. But the reason I bring it up is because, you know, you've got a dynamic look, a specific look. And I've I've been at the one of the premiers of your movie and you play it a tough guy. But I've also seen you in public service announcements where you're like the happy-go-lucky dad. So how are you finding navigating tight versus trying to like not get tight? Or are you just saying it is what it is? Well, you know what? Like I'm embracing what comes my way. I don't I don't think I've reached a level in my career to to kind of push away. I want to do romantic comedy, I want to do a sad, you know, story of uh, I don't know, a bearded guy crying over uh my dead caterpillar or something, whatever it is. But but but I think uh like as you say, type and branding, I think is kind of like uh one of those things that that really kind of push you forward. And if you embrace it, I don't think I've reached nothing in my career yet to say, oh, I'm tired of playing a a drug lord, of being a uh uh uh a heavy, a coach, a dad, which which I kind of you know embrace because doing commercials as well, being able to to have that kind of uh that dad vibe, that coach vibe. Right. So that it almost spreads out my my my type a little bit, you know. But I would not I I would definitely not try to to to to deter or tell my agents, I only want this, I only want that. I think there's some things I think we all kind of find out within ourselves that wow, I didn't know I could do that. Right. I didn't know I could do that role because wow, kind of and it worked, you know. Right. Well, it doesn't surprise me because I I seen you be a caterpillar on the floor and you were very convincing. So um I haven't spoken to you since this uh FBI most wanted. I mean, congratulations. I mean, that's really an achievement. But tell us about the role. I Googled it, but I ran out of time, so forgive me. I I tell you what, that was my uh my second time on a procedural. My first one was Law and Order. And I think like since I started my career, I I don't know what would be considered like a bit naive starting off because I don't I don't have anyone in the industry that I knew. In 2022, when I booked Law and Order, I kind of thought like this is what actors book. Like I didn't I didn't I didn't see it as big as as what I thought I should have seen it really, you know. Uh but being in there, you have your your trailer for the first day, you have a scene with the top of the call sheet, and it's like wow, it's like it's the little story I tell you right now is is of course nervous as hell. Nervous as hell, first day here on set. And uh they they did the blocking and everything uh with the two with the two tops of the show. And uh they're like Louis, take five, you know, what they're doing the blocking and whatnot. And we did a little run through of the scene, and I was changing the words in the script. And I was I excused myself and I went, I went to a corner, tried to find a quiet corner, and I was like, What are you doing? Like I really had to tell myself, what are you doing? You got the part, you got the role, you know the lines. Why are you kind of like changing these words into your own words now? But I had that after I had that talk with myself, I came back, it went smoothly. And and then on top of that, one of my childhood heroes is the director of that episode, Carl Weathers. May he rest in peace. But after the shot was done, I had a few words with them, and uh this guy was wow, man. I was like, what is your exercise regimen? The the the way he carried himself, and and I think at that time he was he was probably over 70, but he was in great shape. But uh it it's one of those things, I guess, when you when it's I think to be nervous is fine. But the idea kind of like just talking yourself through it, and like you said earlier, just just kind of like pushing through. We like you get a little bit of that imposter syndrome of like, what am I doing here? Like I've tried doing this, I'm auditioning, I'm this is what I want. Why, why am I subconsciously like doing this? But the idea is to self-talk and you and you you line up again, you know? Well, it's funny to hear someone who's like, you know, I mean, it's you know, sorry, but my impression of a narc in the South Bronx running into a dark alley and and you're nervous about performing, you know, on a stage set. It's sort of interesting. And your family really embraced it too, because I've met your wife and she said your kids love it. You know what's funny too, with when I booked the Law and Order, and this was already two years in into acting, and and my wife was like, Lewis, it was one of our favorite shows. She was like, Lewis, if you book Law and Order, and this is before I booked it, she's like, if you book Law and Order, this is the path you should be on. And it happened. Whether she manifested or whatever it was, I think that too, that was that the the time that I took it from kind of like a hobby to serious, meaning this is gonna be my business, this is gonna be my career, and I'm gonna do all I can to dot all the I's, cross all the T's, and and follow it as much as I can. That's fantastic. When we talk about like, you know, you're the insecurity on the set, but there's also like, you know, everyone I've spoken to says, you know, there's this uncertainty and nervousness and and you know, kind of pang of regret when you don't get a role. When you leave an audition, is it like out of your mind, or do you linger about it uh uh until you hear one way or the other? Or I think what probably lingers the most is is when you get pinned for something and you don't hear anything back. I think that's the the little stinger that that probably hits me the most. But but I know I know people talk about you know putting in auditions into the void and you never hear anything. But uh I I think being a New Yorker is is you have such a tough skin. Right. I do not take it per I do not take it personally. Right. And then and don't get me wrong, but I I I do watch those episodes that I auditioned for to see who they picked. And these people look nothing like me. So I I can't take it personal. I can't take it personal at all. You know, I think everybody's eyeballs are different and how they approach things and how who they want for that role, right? And it it's it's a give and take. And I think uh having that letting go mentality of it, it it it it helps a lot. It helps tremendously. Right. My friend is a booking agent said, you know, there are a hundred people get called, 90 of them suck, 10 people get called back. If you're one of the ten, that's great. And then if you're not the guy that's got the crooked eyebrow or something, whatever, you know. I mean, just like you said, the eyes look this way, or if the director had a a cousin that you know had the same tick or something, you know, you just never know. Yeah, you know, you know what's funny, Jeff, is the idea too is I think when you when you start like, you know, like, oh man, I didn't get that, I didn't get it's it's like you don't want this negative kind of cloud to just overcome the work that you're doing because those are wins. And and I think I started maybe I was so naive in the beginning, I didn't take those those wins. I kind of embrace them. I was just like, all right, let's go to the next one, let's go to the next one. But the idea is just getting that audition is a win, getting that callback as a win. Absolutely. Each step gets you closer. And and I do believe that. I think when you when you start getting your callbacks and and your your your pins, you're getting closer. And getting called in by the same casting director. So you're on their radar. Right. And the casting director gets paid, and their their career gets more illustrative when they put together the right people. So if they're calling you back, they know that there are roles for you, you know, that that you're the directors are gonna respond to you. You've done TV. You I've seen you in print ads, I've seen you in film. Have you ever thought about theater? Does that hold any appeal to you? Or it does. It does appeal to me. Uh last year I did a short play for the first time, and it was something different. It was something, I guess, you know, it was a little bit slower. And I I said to myself, you know, let me let me just try something that I haven't tried before. And I did enjoy it. But but I do think the the path of a theater actor is more challenging than being a TV and film actor. I c I could see it more challenging from from that viewpoint. Right. Like I do think maybe for my financial status as well, like uh the pay for these is kind of you know, maybe not up to tier which it should be, it should be up to tier to TV and film.

Jeff Ornstein 14:19

Right.

Luis Berrio 14:19

But they they want the package without kind of uh giving out some type of uh financial, you know, compensation for the work that's done. That takes many more hours than you know than doing uh an audition than or or or a a procedural than doing a a a two, three-week or four-week uh stay on on a on a theater. And the exposure is significantly less than you know being on a TV show or uh in the feature. So yeah, no, it's it's different. I think the TV and film is definitely moves faster, even with the commercial auditions and everything moves faster. But but I did enjoy it. Would I like to do it again? I would. Maybe later on. Maybe later on when you've positioned yourself in a in a place that you'd be like, yeah, I'm uh I could do this now. Yeah, I could fill the audit. Right. I'll do Othello now. So I notice here in the producer's notes that you said you're developing a personal acting style. Can you describe that a little bit? Um well I'm you know what, like I I love Stella Adler. Like, you know, I went there when you when you were there as well, and and I'm I'm I'm starting to get little things and different techniques from from all of these teachings, really. You know, I I've done Stella Adler, I've done T Schreiber, I'm doing something now. I'm doing some scene study with the with a coach in LA. And uh I I do think like as time goes on, you start really making your own technique. You you really do make in it your own. And and I know maybe I I I myself in the beginning when I started this, you know, you try to stay with one thing, Meisner, Stella Adler, Uda Hagen, and and you try to be, it's almost like you're you're faithful. I don't want to step out, I don't want to step out on on these techniques. But as as time goes on, you start creating your own techniques, you're you're using your own imagination, using your own personal life experience, and you you start creating these these these characters that you know only you can do, really. Like that's why I don't even compare myself to to any other 50 55-year-old Latino actor. I I I can't. I I can't. It's just what I bring to the table, you know. Right. If they like it, that's great. You know, if they don't like it, I understand as well. And we keep moving forward. It's almost like uh that that tough skin, you gotta keep going. Right. That's excellent, you know, and that's super healthy, and it's it's been echoed by a lot of the people who've been uh been on this program that you know if you want if you want staying power, you have to approach everything with a healthy attitude. Every actor has a role that pushes you to grow. I love it when my producers get poetic on me. Um was there a project that you felt like this is a role that really got me outside of my my my typical, and I really, you know, I like what you were just talking about, but I like it showed me another dimension of how I can present as an actor and a performer. Well, you know what? It's it's it's crazy because I've done some feature films that have like have also not been released. And I think the idea of of do I get maybe cast as a as a bad guy? But uh I did a film, well, it is going on over three years ago, and and hasn't, I guess, released a platform yet to film. But I think you you do have a fun time jumping into a role that's so bad, that's so evil, right, that's so off the cuff that people love it. It's it's like something like the Joker that people like this guy is a mess, but I love it. And uh during that film, like after they had a screening for it, people had had come to me and they they really enjoyed my performance. And it was just something that wow, like, you know, you you you kind of get out of your skin and and just like let loose. That's great. It's all like it's it is pretend. We're all pretending, yeah. You know, but I think the idea of just letting loose with not caring how people see you is probably gonna get you the best result. It's so true. Letting go. And and you know, and letting the picture just uh you know take over. You're you're no longer Lewis, I'm no longer Jeff, we are that character. Yeah, just just letting go for these moments of of time, which we're not letting you go for an hour, two hours. We're letting it go for for seconds to minutes. Right. Cut right for the next one. So it's the idea of like just if you let it go, it it it's it it's something else. And oh Jeff, I want to say when you had your screening in Boston, me and my wife bought tickets. Man, we were gonna stay at up by my my uh my sister-in-law's house too, and and my my brother had got ill. And that's and he was in the ICU for a little bit. But uh, we wanted to go to that screening so bad, you know. It was just like I love supporting, you know, the guys that you work with, they collaborate with. And it's just like, you know, the the support within actors and directors, it's it's important, especially at the indie level. You know, we don't we don't have the the big publicists and everything else, but but I I I so wanted to to to see that. Is that coming out soon? Well, it's similar to you. I mean, basically it's it's done really well in the um film festival circuits. The first three festivals we were in, we won Best Picture. So you're talking 20,000 entrants, we won Best Picture three times in a row, street through twice, and now I think it's got 18 laurels on the poster. But it's like you just described, you got to find the buyer to distribute it. So there's talk that there's forward motion, and my character, I think, as a slimy, possible murdering rich bastard will still is relevant when it comes out, whatever, but we'll see. But it was interesting because you know, I'll share with you. Thanks for making some plans, and it was a terrible night, it was really rainy. Oh, wow. I invited about 20 people, but that classic, they told two people, they told two people, and I had probably over a hundred people that showed up, and there was other films too. Yeah, the people who ran the film festival came up to me during the big reception before the films, and they were like, We gotta know you. You you're packing the place, everybody knows you. So, you know, I don't I don't know, I'll pack it again for a movie I'm not in, but it was a lot of fun. It was in an IMAX theater, so we had great, you know, huge screen. And um, I was a classy bastard, you know, bad man. So that's great. Maybe sometime soon. Jeff, how how about the the first time when you see yourself on a big screen? Oh my god how was that feeling? Well, I'll tell you, because I had seen it on an iPhone, and I'm like really being critical. I don't know. This, you know, it was just believable. I look stiff. Yeah, and people who had seen it are like, no, it, you know, that was good, it was good. But when I saw in the big screen, it within the, you know, where your head is, is you know, 20 feet across, um, it's totally different. It's it's magical. It's magical. Yeah, no, it is. It is. The film was beautifully filmed. We had a great director and a great cinematographer, director of photography. So, well, you know, like you, keep your fingers crossed and you move on. Yeah. I did two films last year as well. I mean, I don't know the dates when they're gonna come out, you know. I'll definitely keep you posted. Oh, I I follow you on Insta, so I'm always checking in on you. So thanks. I you know, it's interesting, and because you brought it up, and I also kind of like to share this too with the listeners is you know, people think Hollywood's really cutthroat, and you know, there's a lot of ego involved. But just like you, I found the same camaraderie between uh other actors, directors, you know. producers, writers that call me back for the small films that I've been in and such. And it everybody is pulling for everybody else. And it's not as cutthroat. So it's not as dangerous, you know, in a lot of ways, you know, as being a detective. I don't think. No, it's funny that you say that because I I've even through Instagram, I I've met directors and producers that have reached out. Uh and of course I I support what the their projects of what I see. Like I always feel like it has to come from an organic place, Jeff. Like that idea like if if I respond to you or or send a message to you is it's coming from an organic place. I I'm not asking, oh put me in your film. I'm just saying wow that looks like a great project. And and you know and sometimes it comes around and and whether it be months or years later they're like hey you are you available for this? And it's just like you said, it's it's almost like the industry isn't as big as you think it is. Especially when you're starting off in at this stage is maybe it's totally different when you're you're Tom Cruise Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel but it's all kind of big and small at the same time.

Jeff Ornstein 23:04

Right.

Luis Berrio 23:05

Especially here in New York. I mean I hear different things about LA but here in New York community is important. And supporting each other is important. If I could buy some tickets to a short film with someone I know I gladly go and check it out. Yeah yeah as I say to Andre all the time you know you can't say I support the arts without supporting the arts. You know you have to actually physically mentally economically spiritually support the arts and that means supporting your other artists. Lewis my producers give me 20 minutes I always go over because I get to talk and people get to talking you win the award for going over the longest of every interview. So I'm gonna I I'm gonna wrap it up because they've got a lot of editing to do. I've really enjoyed seeing you again I'm gonna keep following you and watch your post and see keep my fingers crossed for the release of the film that's in the can and waiting for a buyer. Thanks Jeff and um let's stay in touch. Thanks for tuning in to Next Act with Jeff Orenstein. Follow subscribe and stay connected to your favorite socials at www nextdackpodcast.com. Keep chasing your next act the best is yet to come