Rising Latinx, LGBTQ actor Brandon Delsid appears in the new Jennifer Lopez movie, “This is Me…Now”, on Amazon Prime, as one of her best friends. The movie is a unique love story co-written by J.Lo, and directed by Dave Meyers. J.Lo has created “a narrative-driven, cinematic odyssey steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing.” Also appearing in the musical film are husband Ben Affleck, Trevor Noah, Post Malone, Fat Joe, and a barrage of other talented people.
Brandon is also recognized for his recent appearances in the final season of the hit NBC series “New Amsterdam” and in Amazon Prime’s “The Date Whisperer.” Get Out Magazine had a conversation with Brandon regarding his career and his role in “This is Me, Now”
INTERVIEW
Hi, Brandon. How did you get the role as one of J.Lo’s besties in the movie?
Oh, my gosh, that is a weird story. It was over a year ago now, which is so weird to think about. I was actually in Rome with my boyfriend Grant at the time. I got a call and it was late at night, so I knew it had to be either really good news or really bad news. And my manager said, “You are on hold for J Lo’s new film.” I just kind of like dropped everything. I literally could feel chills go down my body from my head to my toes. And it was at that moment that I just felt like it was going to work out. You don’t always get it when you are on hold for a part. But it worked out. I ended up getting a call a day later that I had booked it. And five days later, I was on set.
Before the film, were you a big fan of J.Lo’s?
I mean, who isn’t? Growing up, she was just part of this zeitgeist of the entertainment world. She was kind of like a Marilyn Monroe figure at this point. She’s just kind of omnipresent. I remember growing up and being obsessed with her music. There’s one song I remember I was so obsessed with growing up called “Do It Well”. I have this memory of being at a gathering with her and the song coming on and we are in a circle and we are all dancing. And I literally started thinking about how surreal would my nine-year-old self feel that I’m dancing with her now. I was dancing to my childhood favorite song– dancing along with the person who sung it.
What was it like for you working with her, being that you were a fan?
She was fabulous. She was so fabulous from beginning to end. It was kind of neat. I remember on the first day, we were shooting a scene where she is in the hospital. That is the first thing that we were in. And it is a short scene in the beginning of the film, but I remember shooting it. In between takes, she would come over and give us little notes. She would kind of help steer us. That was amazing because it was like “Whoa” to get her insight–and her feedback was invaluable. It was kind of neat to see how hands-on she was and she was oh so there to play. One of my favorite things about the show was that we could do what was written and then she would want to improvise. She would say, ”Let’s just banter and go back and forth.” You don’t always get that on professional sets. Growing up, you dream of situations like that, where you get to just be silly.
It doesn’t sound like you had a lot of time to prepare for the role. Did you, and if so, how?
It was, like I said, five days. Those five days were filled with costume fittings and getting ready and stuff like that. I think, for me, I always try to prepare and make sure I memorize, so that I’m ready for the set. But also, for massive productions like this, you just have to show up and you really have to be relaxed and grounded. You have to be ready for whatever comes at you. At its best, acting is play. We are playing with each other. And you want to be relaxed and be your best self. So I really just tried to come at it as relaxed as I could so that I could give a great performance. The stakes were so high. It doesn’t get bigger than being on a set with J.Lo and Ben Affleck. So I thought, “I have to calm myself and show up and show out”. It was pretty wild. And my character is pretty wild too. Very high energy. So I needed to find a balance in this, just to stay grounded.
What was the biggest challenge filming?
Like I mentioned, the short preparation. Realizing how quick it went down. I thought, “Wait, do I need a haircut? Do I need a facial? Should I go get some cute clothes to wear to set?” It happened so quickly that you didn’t really have time to think. But I think there’s magic in that. I think there’s magic in having to dive in head first. And I really think that is what being an actor is really about. You have to hope for the best and just jump in and give it your all. The show must go on.
What does the storyline of the movie mean to you personally?
It’s powerful. It’s literally a love letter from Jennifer’s heart. There are definitely parts of it that are kind of with Greek mythology in mind, which makes it really fun and brings a level of fantasy to it. But it’s really a narrative driven film that’s kind of inspired by her love life the last 20 years. And I get to play her gay best friend. Along with a couple of other friends, I’m kind of the driving force in the film. We kind of help guide her through her love life. We see all the boys that come around. We see them all leave. And we are the constant, just as good friends are in life. Relationships come and go, but friends can be forever. They can be a really strong relationship in your life, just as strong as a partner. So it’s really a love letter about her last 20 years and about where she is now. Ultimately, I think it’s about a journey of self love. How we all should have radical self love for ourselves every single day.
Tell me about your role in New Amsterdam. I love that show.
It kind of became a staple for a lot of people. It was an amazing show. And I got to have a really small role in their fifth season. It was incredible. To get to go to New York for it–I love New York.
I lived there for three and a half years. I did off-Broadway there and some other projects, but to get to go back for New Amsterdam and to get to see their sets that they use and it’s a giant sound stage in Brooklyn. The magic of it. The sets are so iconic. That was really an iconic and fun little role I got to play. It gets you ready for these professional sets and how fast paced everything is.
Are there any new projects on the horizon for you?
I have a couple of secret projects I am working on. But I also have a really cool campaign with CeraVe skin care. That will be coming out in April. I’m really into skin care, so that was a really a neat project. And I also have another film directed and written by Luc Besson, who directed The Fifth Element and the Taken franchise. That movie should be coming out later this year. It’s called June and John.
Is there anything that you would like to discuss that I haven’t discussed with you?
Just that I hope that people leave the film loving themselves even more and realizing that is part of the journey of life. Finding a way to love yourself through the good and bad times.
