Raphael Alejandro is no stranger to the spotlight. Since the age of five, he has been bringing beloved characters to life on screen. From Once Upon A Time and Bunk’d, to the highly anticipated Jungle Cruise film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, it is clear that Alejandro’s impressive career is just getting started, and that the sky is the limit for what he will achieve next. Through his work on screen and off, Raphael Alejandro is making the world a better place via his acting, advocacy, and positive attitude.

“My older sister, Dalila Bela, started acting at age five and my older brother, Bruce Salomon, followed her footsteps at age four,” Alejandro explains. “I saw them having so much fun doing auditions and performing on set that I wanted to try to do it too. At age five, I secured a recurring role as Roland in the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time and since day one on set, I fell in love with acting and never looked back.”

For Alejandro, growing up alongside siblings who are also in the business was unifying and inspiring. “I think that growing up in a family of performers brought us closer,” Alejandro notes. “We help each other prepare for auditions, and we celebrate our successes and deal with the hardships of this business together. It helped us understand each other as people and nurture the love and respect that we have for one another. As an actor, since I’m the youngest, I’ve learned a lot about becoming a better performer because my brother and sister share their experiences with me and help me to improve my acting abilities when we are practicing together. It’s really great to be able to share the same dreams and aspirations as a family.”

Alejandro first showcased his acting skills while portraying Roland on the hit show Once Upon A Time. “I loved playing Roland,” Alejandro reflects. “The costumes were so much fun to wear, and I felt like a superhero with the cape and those boots. Sean, Lana and Jennifer are wonderful role models as actors and people, and I learned a lot by working with them. They taught me to be creative and to follow my instincts while doing a scene, and I still apply those tips to my roles.”

After Alejandro’s tenure in the fairytale world of Once Upon A Time concluded, it was off to summer camp in Disney Channel’s hit show Bunk’d. “My audition process for Bunk’d was a little different from my other roles,” Alejandro says. “I did a private general meeting with Disney Channel executives and after that I heard the news that I got hired to play Matteo on Bunk’d. I was so excited and so happy!” Portraying Matteo has been an exciting and fun experience for Alejandro, who shares many connections with his character. “Matteo and I have some similarities especially with his love to learn about science,” Alejandro explains. “We value family and friendship very much and are very respectful and loyal to them. I’m different from Matteo in the sense that he doesn’t really like to do adventurous activities and I am a bit of a dare devil.”

Growing up on set, Alejandro has learned a lot about both acting and himself. “It’s been really incredible,” Alejandro says of learning about the industry in a hands-on environment. “To see what happens behind the scenes is amazing. There is so much hard work from everyone involved. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you’ve been a part of this movie or that TV show. I learned a lot about myself through acting. I learned that sometimes there are no second chances in life, so I need to work hard and give 100% if I want to succeed in my goals. Also, I learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was and that if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish anything.”

Indeed, Alejandro has done just that, proving time and time again that he truly can accomplish anything — from hit TV shows to blockbuster movies. Alejandro will appear in the highly anticipated Disney film Jungle Cruise, coming to theaters worldwide and Disney+ on July 30th. “I have many wonderful memories from working on Jungle Cruise,” Alejandro recalls. “To be able to work with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Emily Blunt, and Paul Giamatti was a dream come true. Shooting in Hawaii and Atlanta was incredible, but one of my favorite memories was to be able to sing “Happy Birthday” to Paul Giamatti. It was an incredible feeling to be able to share that moment with him on set.”

In addition to having a role in Jungle Cruise, Alejandro also appears in The Boss Baby: Family Business, lending his voice to the roles of Nathan and the Lead Ninja. “I had so much

fun working on The Boss Baby: Family Business,” Alejandro says. “I play a character that is completely different from the characters that I played in the past. Nathan is one of the antagonists in this movie and doing his voice was a complete joy. I also play the Lead Ninja, and it was very entertaining to do all his different sounds. Working with Director Tom McGrath was a blast, and I hope to work with him again in the future.” Furthermore, despite Alejandro’s young age, his perspective on acting is wise beyond his years. “I approach roles from different mediums the same way,” he says. “Working on a live action project or animation is kind of the same for me in terms of performing, because even though your face is not on camera, you still need to project the feeling through your voice so your character comes to life. I am always using my acting skills and experience either in front of a camera or in a booth.”

Reflecting on his career thus far and looking forward to the future, Alejandro has the fondest of memories from all of his projects and is excited for what is to come. “It might sound cheesy, but to be completely honest with you, I enjoyed working on every project that I have done so far because I love acting and I value every project that I’m a part of,” he explains. “But if I have to choose one, I have to say that working on How to be a Latin Lover is one of my favorites. It was a delight working side by side with Salma Hayek and Eugenio Derbez. They are so much fun to be around. I was eight years old when I was shooting the movie and they really made me feel welcomed and appreciated.”

Looking forward, Alejandro has big plans and dreams. “My ultimate dream role is to play Spider-Man,” he shares. “Since I was very young, Spider-Man was always my favorite superhero, and when I started acting, I’ve always dreamed of playing Spider-Man one day. Hopefully this dream will come true.” Beyond Spider-Man, Alejandro outlines what he desires to achieve next and other roles that he hopes to portray one day. “What I hope to achieve next is to be able to play a role that challenges my performing abilities, so I can continue growing as an actor and as a human being,” Alejandro notes. “To be able to enter a new world and truly understand who the character really is and the challenges that they face in life would be an immense honor. I would also like to continue advocating for breast cancer awareness and environmental issues because they are a very important part of my life.”

Indeed, Alejandro holds many causes near to his heart that he promotes on his platforms, such as the Susan G. Komen foundation and environmental issues. “I think that it’s very important to spread awareness about causes that are dear to our hearts,” Alejandro explains. “Helping breast cancer research and awareness and environmental issues have great significant value to me and I hope to use my platform to maybe become an ambassador for those causes. Also, I would like to become an environmental lawyer to help with environmental issues around the world. What people can do to help theses causes in their everyday lives is to reuse, recycle and reduce. I also encourage women to do mammograms every year and to do self-exams frequently, that’s how my mom found out early about her breast cancer and was able to treat it right away.”

While Raphael Alejandro continues to dazzle screens all around the world, inspiring young actors everywhere to follow their dreams, he shares some of his own personal acting inspirations, noting Robert Downey Jr. in particular. “He is not only an incredible and very talented performer, but he also overcame many difficult moments in his life that only made him stronger,” Alejandro says. “I really look up to him not only as an actor, but also as a person. He motivates me to become better at my craft and to be strong so I can follow my dreams.” As for particular actors and directors that Alejandro hopes to work with, he lists Christopher Nolan, Spike Lee, Patty Jenkins, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hanks, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Sandra Bullock.

The talent of Raphael Alejandro shines through no matter what he is doing — TV, movies, promoting causes dear to him, and more. Be it portraying Matteo at summer camp on Bunk’d, the son of Robin Hood on Once Upon A Time, or Nathan in The Boss Baby: Family Business, Alejandro’s acting prowess is evident. “My favorite piece of advice that I have ever received is to be myself,” Alejandro says. “To never change who I am just to fit in or be accepted. You will always find people that love you and appreciate you for who you are, so just be yourself.” Indeed, when Raphael Alejandro is just being himself he is an incredibly talented, remarkably wise, inspiring young man poised to make a difference in the world with his art. “I believe that the power of acting is for you to become a better person,” Alejandro shares. “By portraying different characters and being part of different projects, I learn about the world, about myself, and about others. I am constantly broadening my horizons and discovering new things and that helps me understand my surroundings, other people and ultimately myself.”

ashley v.jpg — Meet the Author

Ashley Vitarelli is an aspiring writer currently majoring in Film & Television at Boston University. She is the Head Writer of *Bay State*, the longest-running college soap opera in the country, and is also a writer for BUTV10’s sitcom *The News*. In addition, she is a writer for two satirical newspapers at Boston University. Ashley is the co-creator and co-host of Alligator Pitch, an interview series focused on sharing advice from business professionals to help women get their start in the entertainment industry.

All About Raphael Alejandro; the Amazing Young Actor Achieving His Dreams

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