“It was difficult, in a world full of violence and gangs I felt like I didn’t belong; I isolated myself. Solitude was my teacher. I had to defend myself, fight—not because I wanted to, but because I had to defend my space,” he says. (Eric Flores)
Since childhood, Eric Flores performed for his family in the living room; he was the main attraction.
“I sang and acted, I don’t know where I got it from; my parents weren’t artists. I think one of my relatives sang, so maybe that’s where it came from,” says Eric, who plays the role of Angel in the acclaimed short film El Paisa, debuting nationally this Monday as part of the 2024 PBS Short Film Festival after winning the award for Best LGBTQ+ Short at the Cannes International Film Festival.
His mother, of Cuban origin, and his father, of Mexican origin, divorced and then moved from place to place. But he mostly grew up in Downey.
“It was difficult, in a world full of violence and gangs I felt like I didn’t belong; I isolated myself. Solitude was my teacher. I had to defend myself, fight—not because I wanted to, but because I had to defend my space,” he says.
In El Paisa, Eric brings to life Angel, a gang member who exhibits violent behavior.
“If you know me, you wouldn’t believe it, I’m very sweet, but reading the script I understood this world a lot. I lived it. As an actor, you have to be prepared to represent different characters, but this one was very personal,” he says.
In El Paisa, Eric brings to life Angel, a gang member who exhibits violent behavior. (El Paisa Films)
Now, he mostly works in theater and builds his own projects in the industry.
“I always had a very observant attitude, I saw everything around me. I think that helped. For me, it’s important to identify and give voice to who I am, a Latino, Queer actor,” he says.
When he attended college, he had chosen a major in business, but one day, after taking an elective acting class, the teacher invited him to talk and recommended to take acting classes.
“You have a natural talent. You stand out from everyone,” he was told.
Eric knew it, and now he had the confirmation he needed.
“In the acting world, there’s a phrase, ‘What if… What if I had done this. What if I did the other. It’s something that lives with us,” he says. “I knew I belonged to this world.”
Like the entire entertainment world, he faced a lack of work during the pandemic, but this ‘sweet boy’ was prepared. Those years in Downey, those fights had prepared him for everything.
“I worked as a waiter in a restaurant. It wasn’t very comfortable, knowing all that you can do. But, you have to do what you have to do,” he says.
The most important thing for him is to keep preparing; he’s now going to New York to continue studying.
“I want to play other characters. Tell my life story. Let’s see what happens. I don’t know what the future holds for me,” he says.
Eric has developed immense self-confidence. That solitude that accompanied him, those thoughts of identity and belonging are still there, they have helped transform and strengthen him.
“I know who I am and what I want to do. What if… It’s the next stage,” he concludes.
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