BROWNSVILLE — Even as a child, Francisco Rodriguez knew he had a love for the stage.
Part of the appeal was the attention he would get. Some of the fun was in getting to play pretend. As he got older, Rodriguez realized that acting satisfied a creative yearning he always had.
Rodriguez graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in theatre and dance. He got his master’s degree in acting from the Florida State University Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
He has lived in Los Angeles for four years and recently acquired a minor role in Seth Rogen’s upcoming television series, “Future Man.”
“Getting a role you’ve worked towards is a fantastic feeling, because you’ve worked hard and are validated, if only for a moment,” Rodriguez said. “But when you book the role, the work has actually just begun. Now, you have the opportunity to do work.”
Before “Future Man,” Rodriguez was cast in National Geographic’s “The Numbers Game.”
Even when he has earned a role, he does not rest easy until the scenes are shot.
“Just because you shoot the scene — and you might have done your absolute best — does not mean that you will come on the show or in the movie,” Rodriguez said. “The show still gets edited, so it is up to someone else to see if your character serves the story as a whole.”
The acting industry is tough. If someone wants to be actor, they have to make that their priority, Rodriguez said.
“A teacher once told me, ‘If any other industry speaks to you, I recommend you go and do that. Do not become an actor unless you absolutely need it,’” Rodriguez said.
Rejection is a natural part of the auditioning process. It is likely that someone will hear “no” far more than “yes” because of the amount of factors an actor or actress cannot control, such as whether a casting director likes him or her.
Rodriguez considers it a “numbers game.”
“It’s like a deck of cards. There are 52 cards, and I’m trying to find the ace in that deck. Slowly, the odds of pulling it out improve. If you think about auditions in the same light, by accepting the rejection, maybe to a certain extent, I move closer to my goal,” Rodriguez said.
