Radek Lord was born in San José, Costa Rica. He began acting professionally at the age of six in Costa Rica where he lived until he was nearly eight. Radek also lived in Antwerp, Belgium as well as Northern Kentucky outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has resided in California since 2014. (Source: IMDB)
We had an opportunity to speak with Radek. What an awesome guy! Check out the interview below.
Hi, Radek! 2017 is shaping up to be a defining year for you. We’re excited to learn about your role in “Ballers.” Tell us more about Jimmy Burns.
Well, this has definitely been the biggest role I have booked so far! I have worked with some amazing people because of this opportunity. Jimmy Burns is just a regular high school student in Miami, who gets swept into the Ballers world when Ricky Jerret, a professional football player, mistakenly walks into Jimmy’s house thinking it’s his own. Jimmy gets punched in the face by Ricky who is confused and thinks Jimmy is an intruder. This security footage of the incident gets leaked, it sweeps Jimmy into some unwanted drama and stardom. In this storyline, I worked very closely with JD Washington, who plays Ricky Jerret. He was truly welcoming and we got along super well from the first day. I mentioned that I was from Costa Rica, and he proceeded to tell me about the time he had spent in Costa Rica learning the culture and how much he loved it.
This weekend my climax episode airs when everything with my character gets resolved by the one and only, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It was absolutely unforgettable and surreal actually working with the biggest actor in Hollywood given that just fifteen years ago, I was playing with his WWE action figure. He’s absolutely massive! I heard rumors before working with him that besides being truly massive, that he was the nicest, funniest, and most humble guy ever. This was all completely true. It was so energizing and fun getting to bounce around ideas with him while soaking in all the practical industry and life wisdom he shared with me. He was genuinely supportive and really inspired me to work hard, stay focused, and follow my passion, not to mention hitting the gym more often.
Let’s talk “Girlfriend’s Day.” You play Peabody. Tell us about your role in the film.
Peabody is the student intern at the card writing company who looks up to the character Ray Wentworth, a celebrity in the card world, more than anybody else. Ray is played by the comic genius of Bob Odenkirk, so needless to say our days on set were filled with laughter. One shot that the director wanted to get was a close-up of me laughing at something Bob’s character said, so Bob wanted to get a genuine reaction from me. Instead of reading the scripted lines that I knew, he went off on an improvised tangent and it was the funniest thing I had ever heard. Even after they called cut, I could not stop laughing. During the audition, I was asked to give a background to the character Peabody. I went on a ten-minute rant of who I thought Peabody was and what his childhood was like, and it was absolutely ridiculous. I was saying things like “his father left him and only sends him cards as forms of communication” and “Ray Wentworth is a sort of surrogate father figure for him,” and the only character description they had given to me before the audition was that he wears bow-ties and is the intern. At the end of the rant, I looked at the director and all he said was “that’s exactly correct. Well done.”
If there is a role you could play, what would it be?
I love these questions because this is the kind of stuff I think about before going to sleep. I would definitely want a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I grew up wearing Spider-Man PJ’s and wearing Wolverine claws, so this has always been a dream. I used to always want to play a superhero, but recently I’ve been more inclined to play a super villain. I think playing evil characters is more fun! Another role I have always wanted to play, which is more far-fetched, is to be The Doctor in Doctor Who. That to me is the ultimate role. I got into Doctor Who about four years ago and fell in love with Matt Smith’s Doctor. The acting and writing on that show are the best I have ever seen. The Doctor is a character that has been played by 14 different actors since the 1960’s, and it’s a character that has such an intense backstory. The reason I don’t think I’ll ever be able to portray him is that I am not British, and they cast British actors exclusively.
Has acting always been your passion?
When I was about five years old, my mom took me to a recording studio where I had to read some lines. I thought nothing of this experience until three months later when I am on my way to school and I hear my voice on the radio advertising the National Bank of Costa Rica. This was my awakening. I eventually found myself on stage when I moved to Belgium. After Belgium, I moved to Cincinnati, where I got my first agent; Peter Condopoulus from PCG Talent! He got me auditions from commercials to big time movies. I booked my first big break with him in 2012, when I had a guest starring role on the show Supah Ninjas.
What’s next for you?
I am still doing internet sketches with my friend Ray William Johnson, and those have always been super fun to make. But recently I’ve been focusing on learning the back-end of the business. I have gotten interested in writing some original material and producing my own content. In my experience, I feel some actors forget that Hollywood is a business. I feel that learning as much of the business as I can make me a better actor and more desirable in the industry. On top of these film industry classes I am taking, I am taking Improv classes at the world famous Groundlings. They have amazing classes and the alumni to prove it.
Thank you for chatting with us about your films. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I am still on my journey through the beast that is Hollywood! It hasn’t been an easy journey, but it is totally worth it. Last thing I want to add is super cliché; follow your dreams. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it. I used to play with The Rock’s action figure, and then I got to work with him. When I was ten years old, I had a crush on Olivia Munn, and then ten years later I worked with her and she follows me on Instagram. It’s all about working hard and consistently.
If you want to keep an eye on my journey, the best way to do so is to follow me on social media – @RadekLord and check out my IMDb!
Connect with Radek:
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/radeklord
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/
Featured Image Credit: Photography by Colin Stark
About Author
