Actor Johanan Benavides Uses Award-Winning Filmmaking Skills to Heighten His On-Screen Performances

Bringing it. In front of or behind. The camera.

Actor and multiple award-winning filmmaker Johanan Benavides is a big believer in teamwork for filmmaking and in action sports like rock climbing. Indeed, he’s as dedicated as one of his acting heroes, and superstar Tom Cruise, who did some amazing filmmaking and rock-climbing in Mission Impossible.

Bolivia-born Benavides, whose father got him into rock climbing, also starred in, directed and wrote Engaño a Primera Vista (aka Deceit at First Sight), the most watched movie in Bolivia, and he credits collaboration as key to getting this successful indie film produced—it has earned numerous awards and honors.

Of superstar Cruise, Benavides explains, “I’m a big fan of Tom Cruise for what he's done in filmmaking and for his vision of entertainment. I admire his focus and commitment to the craft, and his versatility, going from acting, to directing and producing which shows his level of involvement.”

Indeed, Benavides continues to display his own total commitment and acting versatility, including: doing voice acting for shows translated to Spanish and to English that have ended up on platforms like HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Prime Video and Vix; and acting in a recent feature, Christmas Overtime, and also having a lead in the very innovative theatrical play, History On Wheels.

In fact, he continues his commitment to teamwork, explaining, “I’ve also learned that some of the lessons of rock climbing include pushing yourself, developing a clear vision or goals, learning to trust yourself and others, problem-solving on the go, and sacrificing for the team. Teamwork and vision are also crucial when working on films. With Deceit at First Sight, my brother Yecid and I wanted to showcase our talents as actors so the project had a vision from the very beginning and we stuck to it all the way through.”

Johanan, who has worked on other award-winning films like Desconexion which was also selected for festivals that are Academy Award qualifiers, further explains, “The goal for Deceit at First Sight was that we wanted to demonstrate our acting skills, and also produce a commercial and entertaining film for a wide audience. This film was ultimately a low budget film with high budget aspirations and everything that could save money and time and make the film better was used. Thankfully, we achieved our team goals and acting in it definitely helped put me on the map.”

Moreover, “Hermanos Benavides” used their broad range of filmmaking, video and commercial shooting skills to support their acting endeavors. Johanan’s other filmmaking skills also include producing, directing, writing, editing, cinematography and camera-work—the whole spectrum. He says, “Having experience in different fields in the film industry has given me a better understanding of how to collaborate with the different teams on set and outside of the set, in order to bring my character to life.”

Indeed, Johanan Benavides’ resume is jam-packed with acting credits in short and feature length films, TV shows and theatrical plays. But, he also has worked in production on over 200 videos, documentaries, movies and short, and international commercials.

Johanan Benavides, who was born in La Paz, Bolivia and offers the asset of being fluent in English and Spanish, talks about bringing his characters to life; how he admires Oscar winning actors like Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix; and, the strengths he brings to the table as an actor who understands being on both sides of the camera.

How would you describe "Deceit”—the nerds of The Big Bang Theory meet Dumb and Dumber?

Yeah, there's a little Big Bang Theory in the two lead characters for sure. I guess there's some of that Dumb and Dumber dynamic duo vibe too, because even though these characters are smart—book smart that is—sometimes they can be really dumb. The movie was written by all three of us, my father, brother (Yecid) and I, so there's a lot of influences from each one of our different generations. You could say there is also a little bit of slapstick comedy, Three Stooges style, sprinkled in the film. 

What sort of artistic background did you grow up in?

Going back to childhood, I've always been an entertainer and liked being in front of people and I liked the creativity in acting. I knew I was going to be acting. My father and mother are singers, but my father is also a composer/musician, producer/sound engineer and he has dedicated his life to the arts and entertainment industry. So, the environment and influence I had as a kid was conducive to creativity and expression. In school, one study book asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, and at age nine, I wrote ‘filmmaker.’ Acting was one of the many things that called my attention within filmmaking.

What uniqueness do you bring to the table?

As an actor I strive to be the best possible tool to serve the character and script, and I believe my life experience and my understanding of people is what makes me a valuable player in any cast. For example, my experiences have included: growing up in different and contrasting cultures; meeting all sorts of people from ex-convicts to presidents; and, experiencing true success and terrible failure, having no money and then having some money. All these experiences shaped me as a person, and adds to what I can bring to any character I’m portraying.

What’s the challenge of directing yourself as an actor? 

Great question. Acting and directing together is just as stressful as it sounds. At times it was overwhelming, but most of the time I felt it was worthwhile, because I had a co-director, my brother, and we both had a really clear vision. At times we wouldn't agree with some aesthetic or minor decisions, but the vision was clear, and that made a world of difference. Now, my previous filmmaking experience—including doing framing, lighting, blocking, scheduling, grip work, camera movement, editing, you name it—did come in handy more than anything to make my acting process more efficient. Even though we had weeks of rehearsal as well as an acting coach, I didn't have as much time to explore and prepare for the role as the other actors, so I had to be efficient. Then as a director, I knew what I was looking for in the acting, so there was no guessing work when I got in front of the camera. I could easily adapt to unexpected situations or the crew's needs when acting, because I understood how everyone's jobs were done and what they needed. It helped me better serve them and myself as an actor, because I wasn't losing time with theoretical acting fantasy, it was all efficient and for the screen.  

As opposed to “Deceit,” how was it just acting on Christmas Overtime?

Christmas Overtime is a holiday movie to be released 2024. Having a director on set is a completely different experience than doing both directing and acting. Overall, you have more time to focus on the present, you're more relaxed and able to share with the rest of the cast and crew. And if you get to work with a good director, they can direct you to a place you wouldn't have taken yourself.

How did doing a play, History on Wheels, demonstrate your versatility as an actor?

It’s a unique theatre production that took place in five different locations in downtown Miami. The audience showed up on bikes and scooters, and they got to experience the entirety of the show by riding their bikes from the first location to the next with the help of guides and safety officers. I was delighted to play the role of celebrated innovator Nikola Tesla. I performed in the first and last locations of the play, which meant that I was in the opening as well as the closing scenes—since the locations formed a circuit that finished where it had started. I brought a Croatian accent, which is similar to a Russian accent, because the director needed that from me, and there was a lot of props, blocking, timing, comedy and physicality to the role.

Explain the difference for you in acting in a play like History on Wheels or is it all just acting?

I find that the challenge is more so on the role you're playing than whether it's for theatre or the big screen, but there are some differences. When acting in a play you get to play off the other actor/character a lot more, there's more time to develop the relationship and to build familiarity. In film, this is broken down. As much as it has advantages, especially in the editing room, where a lot of acting ends up being refined, but as an actor you don't get the fluid experience theater brings intrinsically. What I like about acting for the screen is the amount of nuance you get to add to expressions and voice, especially within a close up shot, which is not available in theater. On the other hand, theater can give you an opportunity to add nuance to your character in other ways, like through body language, or through your reactions while other characters are speaking or maybe through the freshness of every new performance of the same play.

What are your goals in the industry?

I would like to try drama and then science fiction or action, like Tom Cruise, why not? But, I really like filmmaking as a whole and there's something in most genres that calls my attention. Short-term, I want to continue building my acting resume. Long-term, to continue producing movies, participating both in front and behind cameras, and expand to other areas in the entertainment industry. Additionally, I used to look up to the Oscars as the pinnacle of success in acting and filmmaking, and even though it still holds tremendous value, there’s a lot of it that has been eroded. Most recently and infamously, the slap situation was really a downer. For some time now, even before making Deceit, I've been more focused on filmmaking that's made for audiences and not so much specifically awards, because to a large degree I find that the average movie goer truly determines the success of a film. And, yes, connecting with audiences and entertaining them does give me a special satisfaction. It's one of the elements that provides purpose in my life.

Who do you admire or would like to work with and why?

One actor that comes to mind is Joaquin Phoenix in Her. Most of the film is in his shoulders. A very challenging role. His performance was subtle but powerful and true. Also, a great example of good casting. I would like to work with legendary director Peter Jackson because I have tremendous respect for the amount of work he puts into his projects. I've also heard he creates a good environment to work in. Also, I find he has a bold and creative approach to problem solving, which I feel I can learn a lot from. Another writer/director Christopher Nolan puts a lot of thought into his writing and how he collaborates with the actors and his crew, more specifically, his cinematographer. I find he makes films that I not only enjoy watching but that I would enjoy making. I have a lot of respect for the intelligence and care with which he tells stories. I would, no doubt, learn a lot from a process like that, and feel I could share a vision with him. So, bring it on.  

Drop in on Johanan’s IMDb and Instagram pages. And check out the trailers for Deceit at First Sight and Disconexion.