{"id":8244,"date":"2022-08-09T11:53:24","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T16:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=8244"},"modified":"2022-08-09T11:53:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T16:53:24","slug":"blugold-alumnus-stars-in-top-summer-prime-series","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/blugold-alumnus-stars-in-top-summer-prime-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Blugold alumnus stars in top summer Prime series"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo
Alfredo Narciso was all smiles at the June premiere of Amazon Prime\u2019s top-streamed summer series.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In early June, the New York Times published its list of the top streaming series for the summer, and among the titles was an Amazon Prime original series featuring a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire theatre arts alumnus, 1998 graduate and Eau Claire native Alfredo Narciso.<\/p>\n

Based on a bestselling young adult fiction trilogy by author Jenny Han, \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d is a series of seven episodes, set in a fictional beach town called Cousins Beach. The multigenerational romantic drama revolves around a teenage girl named Bella and the families she has spent summers with for years, including two brothers both in love with her.<\/p>\n

Narciso plays Cleveland Castillo, a New Yorker and novelist researching sailing for a new book who becomes the love interest of Bella\u2019s mother, also a writer.<\/p>\n

\u201cCleveland is a bespectacled Brooklynite novelist who is open to trying all experiences to fully grasp them for his writing,\u201d Narciso says. \u201cHe is also one of, if not\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0most self-actualized character in the series.\u201d<\/p>\n

The author of the books also was the screenplay writer and creator of the show, and Narciso sees a lot of Han in his character. A character added to the screenplay who does not appear in the book, Cleveland also provided an opportunity for Narciso to bring elements of his own life to the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne non-scripted element that I brought to the character is my Filipino heritage,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m half Filipino and half Brazilian, and Jenny was really interested in exploring that aspect within the context of the character. It is something that she identified with and even rewrote a scene with that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end of June, \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d had become the No. 1 streaming show on Prime, the books once again hit the Amazon top seller list, and the music from the soundtrack (Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B and more) saw sales and streaming increases of 6,000%, according to\u00a0Variety.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A veteran actor of stage, film and television since 2002, Narciso admits that a major role in a series with this kind of mass popularity is a new experience, and he\u2019s proud to take part in a story that is resonating so strongly with audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince my character is not in the books, I had some trepidation initially about how he would be received, but the reaction to Cleveland\u2019s story has been overwhelmingly positive,\u201d Narciso says.<\/p>\n

\u201cJenny Han is very interested in authentically portraying first-time experiences, which really resonates for younger people. However, on a molecular level, she also understands nostalgia and clearly conveys that tone in her writing. As a result, I think the show has something for everyone, regardless of which generation you belong to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rooted in Eau Claire but destined for the stage and screen<\/h3>\n

Although he was born in Milwaukee, Narciso spent his formative years in Eau Claire where his family remains. A graduate of Memorial High School, Narciso found the choice to attend UW-Eau Claire a natural one, and he enrolled as an English major.<\/p>\n

His mother, Christina Narciso, also graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies (’86) and a master of education in professional development (’93). She taught Spanish in the Eau Claire Area School District for 27 years, and has deeply enjoyed watching her son’s career grow over the years as he has followed a dream that began as a young boy.<\/p>\n

“Al started his acting career in the fourth grade doing a radio play of ‘The Invisible Man’ and later in the sixth grade he played the devil in a play called ‘Bearskin,'” Christina Narciso says.<\/p>\n

“Al truly loves his job as an actor and has also directed some plays and produced a variety of short films,” she says. “His wife, Elizabeth, is an actress, playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker. I have traveled to many different states to see Al\u2019s plays \u2014 I am very proud of his work and his dedication.”<\/p>\n

Making the leap from the youth theater endeavors his mother recalls to pursuing that career goal wasn’t immediate for Narciso, but it was a leap he found himself ready to take after a change of course in his academic plan.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Narciso onstage with etiquette and movement coach Frank Ventura in the Broadway revival of “Time and the Conways.” The Roundabout Theater Co. revival also starred Elizabeth McGovern and was directed by Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019d always done theater as a kid, but growing up in Wisconsin, I just didn\u2019t feel like I would ever see a career in acting as something realistic,\u201d Narciso says about a mindset that changed after a trip to New York with his father where he got to see Broadway shows and decided to pursue his passion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t finding great success as an English major, and I changed my major to theatre arts, started doing plays on campus, at Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre and as a cast member in many productions with the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild. From there I guess it all just sort of \u2018happened.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating in 1998, Narciso weighed the options of launching a professional acting career in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, ultimately making the move to New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be in the place that offered the widest pool of options and that is in New York,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the volume of auditions, there\u2019s just a better chance to land roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Narciso began working with the Flea Theater, owned and run by Sigourney Weaver and her husband, Jim Simpson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t attend grad school, so this work, this weird off-off Broadway theater art was pretty much my \u2018grad school\u2019 experience,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Narciso did only theater work for many years, but ultimately came to the realization he says is somewhat inevitable for most actors.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor stage actors, it becomes evident at a certain point that the work will not provide a sustainable living wage, so I began to look for roles in television and film,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

While the stage always was and remains his strongest passion in acting, Narciso says that film and television work really picked up for him around 2011-12. His resume includes roles in shows like \u201cLaw & Order,\u201d \u201cBlue Bloods,\u201d \u201cThe Good Wife,\u201d \u201cBlacklist,\u201d \u201cHomeland,\u201d \u201cMadam Secretary,\u201d \u201cManifest\u201d and \u201cNew Amsterdam.\u201d\u00a0 His film credits include \u201cThe Dark Tower,\u201d \u201cDemolition\u201d and \u201cElliot Loves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTelevision and film are great, but so different from stage work,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the theater, we have weeks of rehearsals, we know everyone\u2019s role in the story. For TV and film, however, it\u2019s the opposite. We have to come in totally prepared, and when the camera rolls, it\u2019s often the first time we\u2019re hearing the voices of any of the other actors. We have to be totally ready for everything coming at us. It\u2019s wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

When COVID-19 shut down nearly all avenues of his field, Narciso says he was lucky to find remote voice-over work and continues today to work in podcast production with a company called Gimlet Media.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fortunate. The voice-over work really kept me going through that time,\u201d he says of his work on podcasts like \u201cThe Princess of South Beach,\u201d \u201cThe Two Princes\u201d and \u201cRed Dead Redemption 2,\u201d along with an upcoming podcast titled “Antibody” co-produced by Jordan Peele.<\/p>\n

Narciso is a curious person and considers himself a lifelong learner who has been able to blend his passions for acting and storytelling with his innate interests in human nature, another career asset he cultivated as a Blugold studying sociology as his minor.<\/p>\n

\u201cActing and sociology actually pair really well,\u201d he says. \u201cThe stories we tell are mostly about society, you know? On some level, they\u2019re all about people working through society\u2019s problems. But with every role, I learn something \u2014 every character offers something new to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one of his favorite theater experiences, in a play called “Britannicus” at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Narciso portrayed a Roman emperor, a role he calls a stretch of his acting and research skills that sticks with him to this day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played Nero, a really crazy headspace to embody, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all,\u201d he says. \u201cI did a ton of research into Roman history, the places and people like Agrippina and Seneca \u2014 it was a fascinating experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans of \u201cThe Summer I Turned Pretty\u201d will have to wait a while to find out if Narciso\u2019s Cleveland will reappear in any potential future seasons. In the meantime, he is currently filming an independent movie called \u201cOur Son\u201d with Luke Evans and Emmy-winning actor Billy Porter. He also hopes to transition into more producing and directing roles, something he has done on a small scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be interested in producing a feature,\u201d Narciso says. \u201cSomething could be brewing there soon; we will see how it plays out. I\u2019m excited for that, as it would be extremely creatively fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to branching out into more “behind the camera” industry roles, Narciso is also looking forward to a winter visit home to see family and friends.<\/p>\n

“I’ve always tried to get back there as often as possible,” he says. “It’s been tough, obviously, since the pandemic. Now things in the business have opened up so travel for work has gotten really busy, but I will be coming back over the holidays. I miss my mom; I want to see her and I miss Eau Claire as well.”<\/p>\n

\n

Written by Denise Olson<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwec.edu\/news\/news\/blugold-alumnus-stars-in-top-summer-prime-series-5221\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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