Interview: Kevin Alejandro, Director of BEDTIME STORY

There’s a multitude of reasons why you might’ve heard of actor Kevin Alejandro; right now, audiences can catch him every week on Lucifer, playing Detective Dan Espinoza, and before that, he’s appeared in True Blood, Arrow, The Returned and plenty of other hit shows. When he’s not in front of the camera, he’s made quite a prolific career stepping behind it, directing and producing short films with his production company Alejandro Films, which is co-run by Leslie Alejandro and Dani De Jesus.

His latest short, Bedtime Story, methodically lays out the unfolding fable of a cash-strapped literary agent (Lucifer co-star Tricia Helfer) who hatches a plan to turn a dead-beat writer (Patrick Fischler) into a bestselling author. Alejandro distills Adrian Cunningham’s baroque script into a cutting literary satire that recalls the work of Steven Soderbergh, perfectly crystallising the old proverb of never judging a book by its cover – literally.

I had the chance to talk with Kevin Alejandro about his short film Bedtime Story, the challenges of running his own production company, balancing it with his acting work and what the future holds for him.

Alex Lines for Film Inquiry: Last year you directed the short Bedtime Story, can you explain to us what the film is about?

Kevin Alejandro: Bedtime Story is an anecdote about point-blank honesty in a world where illusion, delusion and dishonesty are the norm. The story focuses on misplaced optimism, agism, unrealistic dreams and unfulfilled ambition. Bedtime Story toys with the idea of whether a writer of questionable literary ability can truly become a best-selling author in today’s “add-milk-and-stir” culture. It’s a familiar emotional struggle, but told with the unique voice of getting what you want but not in the way you expected.

For you, which love came first: acting to film-making?

Kevin Alejandro: I’ve always been an actor. All of my dreams and most of the decisions I’ve made in my life revolved around being an actor. I live and breath it. It is my first true love. However, as time progressed, the desire to expand my creativity has crept its way into my soul. The more time I spend on a set, the more I yearn to learn everything about making films.

It’s become somewhat of an obsession. I love stories, and I’m fascinated by the many different ways people tell them. Filmmaking is extremely intricate and there are so many different elements that have to fit together perfectly to make a story come to life in the way you (the filmmaker) sees it. It’s trying to figure out these elements that has begun to fuel my passion for being a filmmaker.

How have you found juggling your acting and production work this year?

Kevin Alejandro: It’s actually been an extremely smooth transition this year. I was given the opportunity to direct the Mid Season finale of Lucifer for our final season. Which is turning out to be pretty damn great (if I do say so myself)!

Our Lucifer production team has done a wonderful job of allowing me the necessary time to prepare for the duties of directing this episode, all the while, dispersing my responsibilities as an actor to minimal days. It gets a little tricky going from the headspace of the director to the actor, but I love it. I feel like it creates a different level of intensity for my performance.

Throughout your successful acting career, when did you decide to pick up the camera the first time, and what was the first film you made yourself?

Kevin Alejandro: I first picked up a camera when I inherited an old VHS camera in college, but once the digital world entered the scene, it made things more accessible for filmmakers. I found myself making several micro short films to challenge myself to learn as much as I could about making films.

After being accepted into the Warner Brothers Director’s Program I decided to try and up my game and shoot Bedtime Story. We put together a wonderful cast and crew and created a pretty cool story.

What type of stories do you wish to tell?

Kevin Alejandro: After teaming up with my producing partners Leslie Alejandro and Dani de Jesus to form our production company Alejandro Films, we realized that as storytellers, now was the time to tell stories that resonate within ourselves, as well as all of the stories out there that are just begging to be told. Alejandro Films organically came out of our need as creatives and as a family to blend art and entertainment around the social issues we feel are important in today’s times.

Therefore, we’re not confining ourselves to one genre – we love to laugh, to cry, to be scared, to scratch our heads, but most importantly, we love to engage. Nor are we restricting ourselves to one format – TV, film, docs, podcasts, web series. For us, it all comes down to the story and the best way for that story to be told.

As an actor, do you prefer to act in your own directed work, or hire others to fulfill your vision?

Kevin Alejandro: As I said earlier, I love acting! However, if I feel there is someone more capable of handling the material, I will not hesitate to find that actor. For me, it’s all about telling the story in the most profound way as possible, and if that means finding a person with more depth, then I’ll search until the right person comes along.

With your production company Alejandro Films, how is the creative collaboration between your wife and you?

Kevin Alejandro: Alejandro Films is first and foremost about family. Our family has always come first, and it’s what keeps us both grounded and motivated. This is the reason Leslie, Dani, and I decided to team up. We are a husband/wife/ sister team with different sensibilities to filmmaking.

What we’ve come to realize is that family is more than just blood. We are surrounded by talented people who not only inspire and lift us up, but who challenge us creatively and provocatively take us to the next level. Because of this, we are inspired to find projects that speak to all of us.

What would you identify as the biggest challenges of running your own production company?

Kevin Alejandro: Time is everything! I think the biggest challenge is there isn’t enough time in the day. We find ourselves working late to accommodate our busy schedules and find our rhythm. However, after the end of Lucifer, our Santa Monica based company will roll full steam ahead!

On the flip-side, what have been the greatest rewards for doing so?

Kevin Alejandro: The freedom of searching for stories is the greatest reward! We’ve had nice success in the film festival world with our various projects as directors and producers, and people are starting to notice that Alejandro Films is around. We are on their radars.

I have recently become a board member for San Antonio Film Festival and seeing all the amazing talent out there shines a great light on all the incredible talent there is. It’s inspiring and rewarding to know there are so many of us with the appreciation for storytelling.

What are some upcoming projects we can expect in 2020? 

Kevin Alejandro: Alejandro Films has a new short film called Adult Night out in the festival world which we are excited to share when the time is right. It’s a funny heartfelt story about a couple stuck in a sticky situation and how their love and respect for each other can get them through any obstacle.

It stars Lesley- Ann Brandt and myself. We will keep everyone posted as the festival acceptances trickle in! We also executive produced an incredible short film directed by Todd Sandler called A Cohort of Guests, which did extremely well in the festivals. It a brilliantly told story about how powerful kindness can be. The film is based on a true event starring Sarah Drew, Kelly McCreary, Brandon Scott, and Jake Borelli.

Film Inquiry thanks Kevin Alejandro for taking the time to talk with us.

More information about Alejandro Film’s upcoming productions can be found here: www.alejandrofilms.com.