Actor/comedian Vas Sánchez talks about landing a role in thriller flick ‘Castle Falls’
When he was cast to portray the character George in the action/thriller movie ‘Castle Falls,’ actor Vas Sánchez yelled with everybody and knew it was “a really good fit” which made working on the film a great experience.
Sánchez, a comedian based in Atlanta, Ga, said he got a casting notification for film and he submitted for it with his agent.
“I really liked the role. I thought that George was a really compelling character and really interesting in this sort of crazy thriller, action-packed world. So, I, I really, really went for it when I auditioned,” he said. “I brought a lot of life to the character, and I think that Dolph (Lundgren) and the writing staff and everybody really responded to it.”
‘Castle Falls’ – which starts Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren, Kevin Wayne, Jim E. Chandler, Luke Hawx, Scott Hunter and Kim DeLonghi – is also directed by Lundgren and premiers in theaters, on demand and on digital on Dec. 3.
“I think George really was a hard worker, like a hardworking guy, and I work really hard in my life and but he also knows how to, like, have fun and make friends and connect to humanity. And that’s what I was really drawn to with George’s,” said the 39-year-old actor. “He was always kind of joking, even though the world seemed a little bleak, a little dismal. George was kind of always trying to find the joy in it, and that’s me. Like, that’s what I do all the time. So, I really gravitate towards George in that way, for sure.”
But working on a new film as the COVID-19 pandemic continues brings its own sets of challenges.
“First of all, you have to get tested every day twice. So, two tests every day. One the nose and one with the finger prick. And again, it wasn’t the hardest challenge, obviously, because we want to be healthy. We want to stay healthy. But you know, that’s not normally part of the acting world. But now it is very much,” said Sánchez, who can be seen on Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai,’ AMC’s ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘MacGyver’ on CBS.
“If anything happened, if anybody got sick, you had to quarantine in your hotel, stay in the room that you’re in and just stay there. You can call to get pizza or a sandwich, but you can’t leave the room. So, it was kind of interesting,” said Sánchez, who is originally from the mountains of western North Carolina.
Sánchez said prior to the pandemic, when he was filming in different cities for a role, he liked to explored those cities and meet people, something that was not feasible during the pandemic as he tried to be careful to not get COVID-19.
“But this time, you know, you really have to be careful, really couldn’t go out and couldn’t do too much. So, it’s very, very relaxing and a lot of downtime. I was reading the script all the time every day, just seeing if I could find other little things to play,” Sánchez said. “So, it was very interesting because other times that I’ve gone to other sets, I usually am all around the city doing stuff. So that was definitely a little different. But on set, everyone was so wonderful and professional and like getting those tests every day just kept washing our hands.”
In the 90-minutes movie, after decades of neglect, Castle Heights Hospital, a symbol of the city’s segregated past has been packed with dynamite and is ready to be demolished. No one knows that a gang leader, now in prison, hid 3 million dollars in cash he stole from his rivals inside the abandoned building. Now, three desperate parties want the money – a blue-collar ex-fighter (Adkins) who finds it while working as part of the demolition crew, a prison guard (Lundgren) willing to do anything to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment and a ruthless gang who claim to be the rightful owners. The demolition charges are set, everyone clears out and the Castle is set to fall in 90 minutes. The clock is ticking. Who will find the cash and: will they get out alive?
Sánchez said people can expect to see “so many great actors. Scott Adkins is such an incredible fighter and incredible action star.”
“So, if you like action, you like thrillers. You want a good classic action movie. Go out and check this movie out because it’s a lot of fun. It’s going to keep you guessing all the way up until the end,” he said.
Sánchez completed his training in theatre and production studies at Brevard College, before taking his talents south to Atlanta.
“I grew up sort of always performing. I was always doing theater and even when I was very little, I was like the center of attention. I always dancing and quoting movies and all that stuff, so I always knew to perform. That was what I wanted to do,” said Sánchez.
As a Latino, Sánchez gives a piece of advice to aspiring Latinos who want to be in the industry as either writers or performers.
“So, for Latino writers, performers, anybody in the creative space for Latinos, do the best you can to showcase your own sense of being a Latino, and where you come from. Not only your home country, whatever that may be El Salvador, Mexican, even if you’re Puerto Rican or whatever. I think being a Latino American, we have very interesting stories and very, very colorful stories.,” Sánchez said. “So, I encourage every Latino performer creative to really expand on that and really come from a real place of what your experience is here in America, where your experience is, what generation you are.
“All that stuff is really beautiful and really cool, and I think that we often get played on these stereotypes, but our lives are much bigger than that. So, it’s important to make sure that we’re showcasing everything that we can to in this whole life, you know?” said Sánchez.
When not acting Vas can be found producing live, standup shows, indulging his passion for wine, and hosting wine tastings in Atlanta.
María G. Ortiz-Briones: 559-441-6782, @TuValleTuSalud
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 3 de diciembre de 2021, 0:37 p. m..
