Alexander Chavez
Nicholas Alexander Chavez’s cinematic gymnastic audition to play Lyle in the forthcoming movie “Monsters” has also resulted in a curious quest of craft and personal identity as an actor.
Chavez, primarily known for his strong TV work in numerous roles, recalls going to the audition with mixed feelings. But unbeknownst to him, this would be not only a run that would test him as a performer but that would uncover deeper truths about his own artistic identity.
Leading up to the audition, Chavez had fallen deep into Lyle‘s skin-a multifaceted character who moves through a world teeming with monster of internal & external variance.
Grasping Lyle’s journey was paramount; he had to express some weaknesses but also show strength here and there.
In prep, Chavez looked into Lyle’s backstory, motivations and fears, in order to figure out who the character was. What started as a way to book the role turned into more; this preparation became a personal odyssey that was fueled by experiences and emotional territories within Chavez.
Chavez gave an audition that hit the casting directors and producers where they live, too. It was a multifaceted performance with humor, vulnerability, heartache and anger.
Filling Lyle’s shoes for Chavez was a first-time experience, culminating in emotions he did not know the extent of his ability to express.
He said that he saw in the character some of what he was going through in his own life, enabling him to relate and identify; thus, these elements bled into his performance and lent it an added level of authenticity.
This was one of the most surprising things he uncovered, which just shows how everything is so interconnected.
In the wake of his audition, Chavez took to social media for reflection. Dredging Lyle’s depths had taken him even beyond his own actorly stratosphere, he realized.
It was more than just reading the words — hitting your marks — it was about knowing how to emote those feelings in the scripts. He then began to view the craft of acting in a different way and it was welcomed with open arms.
But what he realized was that auditions were not just a means to an end — they were avenues of self-exploration and catharsis.
Also, this audition reminded me how essential being vulnerable when we act. By allowing his inner turmoil to come through on screen, Chavez discovered he was able to create a more fully-layered Lyle and endear himself to the hearts of viewers in turn.
For him, the most surprising was the discovery that accepting of one’s fears and insecurities culminates in authentic performances. It continued his belief that a character, any character even figments hold a mirror up to the actor’s own life.
When word of Chavez’s tryout got around, the storyline immediately caught the attention of industry veterans and fans alike. Enjoy a sample of how Lyle would become the breakout character that fans could connect and identify with on so many levels.
Some of the conversations about Chavez’s process raise questions around acting as a kind of mystical path towards broadening understanding and illuminating those aspects within us we’d rather not confront.
This experience reflects a more ubiquitous issue in the audition process. We tend to think of auditions as the gateway to roles, but they are far more than just gateways.
Every audition should help reveal another dimension of an actor, making them a better, evolving performer.
To sum up, all this makes Nicholas Alexander Chavez dummy audition for Lyle from “Monsters” a remarkable journey and testament of personal and artistic self-discovery.
Not only did he manage to display his skill, but so too did he show how acting can change us; for better and worse. It is this journey that underscores the great symbiotic relationship between character and performer, and proves how layering oneself with a role can be a transformative experience.
It is a shame that fans are put in an uncertain spot pending their viewing of this movie, but such words help remind us when seeing any performance that we are seeing an extension of character as well as person.
