Interview by Roman Portnoy
Photography by Ryan West
Session sits down with the very talented up-and-coming Orlando Pineda from the NETFLIX new and much anticipated mini-series, GRISELDA with Sofia Vergara. Orlando, plays one of Griselda’s sons, Dixon Trujillo Blanco. Throughout the series, you will see Orlando’s character have his voice heard and know more than he should when it comes to his mom’s life outside of the home.
Congratulations Orlando on your upcoming new show “Griselda” coming to Netflix in January. Can you share some insights into your character “Dixon Trujillo Blanco” and what attracted you to this role?
Thank you so much! Of course, Dixon is the trouble maker of the family. While the other brothers are in line, Dixon always spice things up and causes a headache to his mom, but he’ll do anything for her and her approval and that’s what resonated with me the most about this character, my mom means the world to me, so relating to that was pretty easy.
What was your experience like working alongside Sofia Vergara and the rest of the cast? Any memorable moments from the set?
It was a blessing, the whole crew was extremely talented and kind, and Sofia taught me so much, as an actress, person, and friend. Every day was so enjoyable, and I feel it reflects on the final product, we were definitely having a lot of fun. One of my favorite moments on set was filming the last party scene, the whole “family” was there and I could really feel each personality around me interacting while the family bond was showing, it was magical.
How did you prepare for your role in “Griselda” and did you face any unique challenges in portraying your character?
I started working on the scripts, making my character timeline and arc and gathering information from Griselda Blanco and her family as much as possible. Press articles, documentaries, videos, I watched pretty much everything. All of that gave me a sense of the family dynamic and obviously a sense of who Dixon was. Regarding my physicality, I had to play a younger character that lived in the 70’s / 80’s so I stopped working out completely, lost over 15lbs and listened to a lot of the music of the time from both Colombia and the US. I would say the main challenge was finding a reasoning for my character to do what he does throughout the show. Dixon and I are complete opposites, how I am and how I was raised is completely different to Dixon’s situation but, as I mentioned before, the urge to protect and make a mother proud was the common ground for us.
What do you believe sets “Griselda” apart from other shows, and how do you think it will resonate with the audience?
All of the narco-shows before Griselda were mostly lead by men. Griselda is the boss lady and that will make our show stand out already. This is also Sofia’s dramatic debut and I think it’ll be a 10 out of 10. And the audience will resonate with the family bond and relationships shown, the struggles that everyone goes through just to be happy and feel fulfilled.
Were there any challenges you faced while portraying Griselda Blanco’s oldest son and how did you overcome them?
I have never done a lot of the things Dixon is shown doing in the show, so yeah, I had to understand and study why he was doing them and the consequences of those actions.
What inspired you to pursue a career in acting?
It became a safe place for me since I was young, every time I moved from one city to another due to my dad’s job, I would find theater and acting to be a safe place were bullying towards the new kid didn’t exist. I developed a sense of gratitude towards the craft and I enjoyed doing it. Ultimately when I was 18 I decided to come to LA and pursue it professionally.
Which director, actor, or producer do you aspire to work with in the future?
Director: Christopher Nolan, Actor: Robert Downey Jr. Producer: Eric Newman
If you could play any character, regardless of genre, who would it be, and why is this your dream role?
I would love to do a James Bond/ Kingsman/ The Man From Uncle type of movie. I love spy movies and would definitely love to play one someday.
On top of acting, you’re an accomplished singer. Who are some of your musical influences?
I love music overall, I started playing guitar because of Slash from Guns n Roses, and I started singing because of Juanes (Colombian musician). I feel that music is a reflection of the soul. But I enjoy every genre and every rhythm I hear, I will literally dance to my car alarm going off.
You’ve recently crossed skydiving off your bucket list. What other thrills are you seeking to accomplish next?
That was one of the best experiences of my life. I am ready to travel to Asia and get to know so many parts of the world I’ve only seen online. I will start with bungee jumping next month for sure and work my way up to Thailand or Bali.
After “Griselda” do you have any upcoming projects or roles that you’re excited about?
I could tell you but that would only ruin the surprise, you’ll have to keep up with my journey to find out. Definitely more projects coming this year!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
