Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
The global entertainment scene has continued to welcome great and diverse actors with incredible back stories who are now redefining the space and improving the industry. One such unique, up-and-coming talent is actor Bryan Arion. Bryan has quickly cemented his place in the entertainment field, collaborated with top names in the industry, and worked on several projects that have received a multitude of commendations. He has worked with brands like 5 Gum and has appeared in numerous productions like NBC’s Days of Our Lives, TNT’s The Last Ship, and most recently, Selena: The Series on Netflix. Like any other great feat, it always comes at a price. Bryan’s journey was not easy, as he has faced his fair share of struggle, heartbreak, and sacrifice to earn a shot at achieving his dream.
Bryan was born in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, one of the most violent and poor cities in Mexico and, incidentally, the world. While reminiscing about growing up in this city, Bryan explains it can be difficult to relive some of his memories. Attempting to make something of yourself in such an environment would feel like fighting a losing battle. Unfortunately, most of his relatives were victims of the cartel. Some had lost their lives, and others were forced to join different cartels to survive—Bryan almost certainly knew this would be his fate.
Bryan’s background was nothing short of a nightmare as he tells the story of his grandmother, who was a kidnapping victim and saw her father beheaded in front of her at just nine years old. Things only worsened as some of his family members pushed hard to escape the narco lifestyle.
The cartel threatened to execute Bryan’s family, which condemned him and his mother to live a life of fear. Bryan explains this was one of the most challenging times of his life.
But he never let his fears overcome his dreams. From an early age, he had a fascination with the arts and strived to lighten the mood by performing in front of his family, recreating movie scenes and acting out skits whenever he had the chance to do so
In retrospect, he says that this helped him cope with the situation and only hopes it did the same for his family. It also made him realize that acting was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
Bryan moved to the US when he was just five years old. After he and his mother fled Mexico alone, they ended up in a small town in North Carolina. While life there was much better, with less fear of the cartels getting to them, the change of lifestyle brought about its own challenges. As the new kid who looked and spoke differently, he became a target for racism and discrimination. Surviving again became a struggle. He quickly realized the need to defend himself and became heavily involved in mixed martial arts, which took his confidence to heights it had never been before. That and his ability to understand human behavior have enabled him to achieve what no one would have ever expected out of a kid from Guerrero.
Being in a better place now, he uses his voice to preach perseverance, help his family and community, and share whatever he has to offer with the world.
He says his goal is to use his abilities to help others from his country, as he supports and champions other immigrants and anyone with a dream, like himself.
“Just like no winter lasts forever, or spring skips its turn, no situation is permanent,” says Bryan. He encourages everyone going through a challenging time to keep the faith and be relentless about achieving their dreams. He further emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself.
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