Check out our interview with Brooklyn born actor, stuntman and musician Jonas Barranca.
On the small screen he’s had guest appearances on Law & Order, Hightown, One Dollar, as well as various sketches and shorts. As a stunt performer he’s worked on over a dozen movies and shows for networks including HBO, STARZ, NETFLIX, NBC, FOX and more. His Regional Theater credits include Romeo & Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Taming Of The Shrew, Macbeth, Cabaret, Gypsy, Assassins and more. Jonas is a graduate of LaGuardia Arts for trumpet, SUNY Fredonia for Acting and Voice, the Upright Citizens Brigade for Improv and the Terry Schreiber Acting Studio.
Follow Jonas @jonasbarranca
Hi Jonas, please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m from Brooklyn, NY. Even though I’m from the City, I’m an avid outdoorsman, having camped and fished in almost a dozen states, mostly solo. I also love gardening and urban farming #BasilKingOfBrooklyn. I studied trumpet at LaGuardia High School and still play. Like Tommy Leroy (my character in Townhouse Confidential), I’m an actual carpenter and handyman, having been a part of the team that built the MET GALA for the past two years, New Project. I love to cook, and my partner and I dog-sit whenever we can because we just love dogs.
How did you get started with acting?
You could say I first caught the performance bug when I played the hat salesman in my kindergarten production of “Caps For Sale,” but really, it was with the Brooklyn Heights Players community theater that I started working with when I was nine years old.
How has this changed your life?
As someone who struggled with reading and school from an early age, I had a much easier time dealing with scripts. Coming from a highly educated family (both of my parents are educators and both of my siblings earned honors in every step of their educations), theater and music helped me learn and achieve things I would never have expected in my adolescence.
What is the best and worst part of being an actor?
The best part of being an actor is the amount I learn tactically, intellectually, and emotionally to successfully play the roles that are the most outside of myself. The worst part of acting is waiting for the camera to be set.
How do you prepare for a role?
That truly depends on the role. I’ve trained in a variety of techniques; each role carries different emotional and physical demands, so I need to customize my approach based on the part. Ultimately I start by learning who the character is, and I justify their actions.
Tell us about your latest film project Townhouse Confidential.
I had one of the greatest summers of my life, spending almost all of it in the place I used to hang out as a teenager, the West Village. I got to meet a bunch of wonderful people and make something that we all hoped would bring people joy. If you like a rom-com, are a fan of Pride and Prejudice and want to see some great NYC-specific cinematography, you’ll definitely enjoy it. It’ll be available on demand and digitally on January 31, 2023.
How did you get involved with the project?
I submitted an audition online. For the callback, I looked like a mess in my work overalls because I had just come back from sanding and painting the interior of an apartment. The rest is history.
Did you take anything home from filming?
Some daily crafty snacks for later 😉
What’s your advice for people wanting to be part of the entertainment industry?
Think of what you like to do, what you’re good at, and what you want to do. Try any department that interests you from the bottom up. When you’ve had a taste of the job/department that really drives your soul get some education in that field, find a job doing it, or with access to it, and then don’t quit until you’re doing what you love every day. As long as you’re good and are a good person, you’ll get there.
Where can we follow you online?
