This is Brandon Delsid…Now – The Actor Talks Working on JLo’s Epic New Movie – Socialite Life

Brandon Delsid is an up-and-coming actor who can now be seen in Amazon Prime’s This is Me…Now a musical film alongside Jennifer Lopez, playing one of her best friends. The movie is a visual reimagining of Jennifer Lopez’s life, love, and self-healing process, inspired heavily by her third studio album, This is Me…Then, and her relationship with then boyfriend and current husband Ben Affleck. No stranger to the spotlight, Brandon is also known for his recent appearances on the final season of NBC’s hit series New Amsterdam and Amazon Prime’s The Date Whisperer. 

Brandon hails from Fresno, California, and graduated from Stella Adler Studio of Acting NYC. He was awarded the 2023 Diversity Scholarships from both Anthony Meindl Studios and the prestigious Groundlings School. As a multi-hyphenate talent, Brandon plays the piano, sings, and has performed in countless musical theatre productions. One of his most recent and notable theatre roles is his adaptation of the role of Raj in the Off-Broadway premiere production of The Big Bang Theory Musical.

As a passionate advocate for gender-fluid and queer rights, Brandon says it is important to him that queer characters are represented with genuine respect and thoughtful writing in film and television. His loyalties lie within continuing to create a safe space in all sectors of the world for LGBTQIA + individuals. Brandon is also a part of the fight for environmental issues, specifically those that involve global warming. 

We had a chance to talk to Brandon about his rise to fame, the new film, working with Jennifer Lopez, and lots more in our exclusive interview.

What was it like working on the film? 

Oh my gosh. I’ve been asked that so much recently and every time it takes me back to the very first day on set walking on set and just kind of being thrown in. I mean, it started with a bang. We got the call that we booked it five days before we started shooting and so it was just kind of like off to the races.  But it was the most incredible experience of my life so far, hands down.

Your character is called The Lover. Can you tell me a little bit about the character? 

So, essentially, I play J Lo’s gay best friend, who’s kind of helping guide her on her journey of love, and not to give too much away, but you know, it’s really about loving yourself and finding that radical self-love in life. And we kind of, as her friends, try to help guide her. Don’t go this way, go that way. That boy’s probably not good for you. Kind of like I do, I guess, for my friends in real life, but just on a different scale. 

When did you get bitten by the acting bug? 

Wow. I mean, I know for a fact it was a production of Oliver the musical in my hometown of Fresno, California. I was just so in love right away with the idea of being on stage. Just seeing the hush of the crowd and the talent on stage – and it was Oliver the musical, which isn’t even a favorite musical of mine. But it just was epic to see. My grandma, who I call my honey, had taken me to it and I was like, I want to do this. She was like, okay. And she drove me to rehearsals. She signed me up for my first play. And that was 20 years ago. I’m 29. And so, this has kind of been 20 years in the making, you know, it didn’t happen overnight. It really was a lot of dreaming and planning. 

I know you had gone to school for theater, but I saw that you also studied with the Groundlings, and I’m a big proponent of improv. How do you think the improv training has helped you in your career? 

I would say it’s been maybe the game changer of my career. I’m also a big improv lover myself, and so when I started studying there, I just felt like you know, we think in life and in acting and in any industry, there’s all these rules and it’s like, it is the wild west out here.

There are no rules, especially in the entertainment industry. You got to approach stuff with a playfulness. And, you know, I actually thought it was crazy on set. A couple of the scenes, we would do them as written. And then Jennifer would say, “Let’s just play, let’s improv, throw some stuff at me guys.” And it was so neat to see a lot of that stuff made it into the movie. Without my Groundlings training and growing up in the theater, I think that would be really hard for a lot of people. It’s very fast paced and JLo’s on her game. She’s ready to just play and throw stuff at you. So, I think that was one of the coolest parts too, was to see how playful she was. It was just like doing a play, but on a much bigger scale.

I saw also in your bio that you did a musical version of The Big Bang Theory. Can you tell me a little bit about that production?

I mean, who knows? Maybe there’ll be a revival of it now because I’ve been talking about it quite a bit the last couple weeks. It was amazing. I mean, I miss New York City so much. I lived there for about three and a half years and that production happened right before COVID – before the shutdown. And it was just this epic time in New York City. I mean, it was kind of like firing all cylinders. The city was so alive and we were a part of that.

We were performing at the Anne L. Bernstein Theater in Times Square and I would get off of the subway and be like, I get to work here. This is what I dreamed of as a kid. I get to do this now.  It was just epic on so many levels. The show was sort of a parody of The Big Bang Theory. I played Raj and it was really silly and it was really epic. I mean, the coolest part about performing in Times Square is the audiences are from around the world so we would have Big Bang Theory fans from everywhere who would come out to see it. 

Now, I read on your bios that you love fashion and being creative with your personal style. So, how would you describe your personal style?

Oh my gosh. Well, these days, it’s got a little flair of J Lo, I might say but, I mean, I love bending gender norms. You know, I think there’s so much freedom in that and I think we’re getting into a time where more people are open to that. But I’ve always loved playing with Makeup and glitter and sparkles. And you know, I think when you look good, you feel good.

When you put on something you feel really confident in and it’s different for everybody. You know, everybody’s personal style is different but I would say I’m kind of into the glamazon style these days. I love dramatic looks. I love a little cat eye. I like some glitter and a statement piece. I just don’t like to be put in boxes and I think that’s actually become a superpower for myself. I think I like to carve my own path. 

You’ve done pretty much everything that done the theater and you’ve done the television, you know, what do you enjoy doing the most out of all the things that you’re doing?

I love all of it, you know, but I mean, this most recent year getting to do a film on this scale was the dream, you know, it was as epic as it’s been so far.  I’d love to continue, films and television is also, you know, kind of a second favorite, I would say, but it wasn’t lost on me to get to do this movie, which is a musical movie that’s going to be on a streaming app on television. So, kind of all of the mediums put together. Musical theater, television, and film. And so, I’m hoping for more opportunities in that realm where it all just kind of comes together – because the lines are so blurred in 2024. You know, the mediums have all kind of shifted. The whole industry has shifted post COVID.

Now, you are very proudly LGBTQ, and you’re also LatinX. How do you feel like the representation of both of those groups has improved or not improved over the past couple years? 

I mean, we have a long way to go still but I think there’s a lot of progress that can be made, but I feel like JLo was a fairy godmother to myself, literally to have a part written like this to give me that opportunity. It starts with the writing and this project This is Me…Now, the film she co-wrote, and they really tried to make sure that it was an inclusive space, and it felt like that on the set as well. But. You know, it means something. Visibility on screen means something.

I can think about when I was a little boy, lying in bed, secretly watching Ugly Betty, and how cool it was to see queer characters on screen. And now, I have so much gratitude for the LGBTQIA+ actors who came before me, who made this possible for me to be able to play JLo’s gay best friend in 2024. It’s like not lost on me that it’s still a rarity. 

How do you think Hollywood can improve with representation issues for both the Latin community and the LGBTQ community?

I mean, kind of like I said earlier, I don’t like being put in boxes. I like kind of forging my own path and I think there’s a lot of things that can be done. It definitely starts with the top from the top down, with an intention of creating spaces for people like that, with an intention in the writing, with an intention in the casting. And there are people out there who are trying to move the needle forward, but it takes time definitely. But you know, I’ve seen it firsthand the last 10 years living in Los Angeles and New York, people wanting to put you in a box, and if they don’t understand you, they don’t know where to put you. Even being LatinX and I’m also part Native American, you know, people I’ve had casting directors in the past would be like, I just can’t tell what you are. It would come up and I’d be kind of like taken aback, like, well, you know, just see me as I am here in front of you.

And, you know, hopefully there’s a space. I think we’re moving forward, but we’re still drastically underrepresented being LatinX, Native American, and LGBTQIA. We’re making our mark, but it will take some more time to get where I think we should be.

Aside from this film, what else are you working on? What are your future plans? The job interview question, where do you see yourself in five years kind of fits in here.

So, I mean, I’m really trying right now to bask in this moment because it’s been everything I have ever dreamed of. This was the manifestation of a lot of hard work, you know, and it’s thankfully opened a lot of doors.

I’m doing a campaign for CeraVe Skincare that’ll be coming out in a couple months that I’m really excited about people seeing. I have a movie with Luc Besson, who was the writer director of Taken and The Fifth Element, coming out later this year.  And then, you know, trying to really just enjoy, like I said, all of the fruits of my labor, um, and a couple other like secret projects kind of revving up for this year.

But I think in five years, I would love to be doing work like this on this level that fuels me and that creates spaces for other people. You know, I want to be doing those types of roles that impact people and that create visibility for my communities. I want to be doing that on whatever level it is.

This is Me…Now is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Follow Brandon on Instagram.

Last update on 2024-02-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API