V Exclusive! Romeo Santos Talks Starring in Will Smith-Produced TV Series and Selling Out MSG
Last October we learned the beloved Latin bachata artist Romeo Santos was cast to star in a comedy series slated to air on ABC.
While the series has yet to be named or filmed, Santos has long begun prepping for his acting debut.
Santos talked to VIBE.com about his excitement and the growing momentum around both his acting and singing careers.
“It’s a really good show," he says. "Not everything is defined, we’re still working on some characters, but it’s going to be a really fun family comedy.”
The comedy series is being produced by Overbook Entertainment--the company founded by Will Smith and James Lassiter. For his role, Santos plays a Dominican American torn between his parents’ traditional roots and following his own ambitions. Even though the storyline and characters are still being molded, Santos has no doubt in his mind this project will be a success once all elements are stitched together.
"I’ve always wanted to get into acting and I’d never though it’d be this fast and this type of project. But I’m really psyched about that," Santos tells VIBE.
Santos says the comedy series will begin filming in roughly two months, but in the meantime, he has been sculpting his acting skills by working with an acting coach.
The “Untitled Romeo Project,” as it’s since been known, closely mirrors Santos’ real life, but he’s trying to make a clear distinction between Romeo the actor and Romeo the musician. While he says he’s willing to incorporate his own music into the show, Santos wants to keep his projects separate.
“I think we’re trying to stay away from the music aspect of this,” says Santos. “The characters have nothing to do with Romeo the artist, but you never know."
But it’s hard not to acknowledge his music when he’s already tasted so much success. Santos recently sold out three concert appearances at Madison Square Garden. Unlike acting, Santos has been in the music game for awhile, but he remains humble about any amount of success that comes to him.
“I never think about any of my accomplishments and I always get butterflies in my stomach and I never get too comfortable with the status,” he says. “I think that being able to do three nights at Madison Square Garden coming from a group that was so successful, you don’t really see the success continue that way that fast. And I was able to actually continue growing. And it’s amazing how it’s just.. it’s overwhelming.” —Tanya Chen with additional reporting by John Kennedy
