Unlike his character Jackie Moreno in the Netflix sitcom “Running Point,” Fabrizio Guido wasn’t much of a basketball connoisseur before booking the gig. He’s more into pugilism.
“I constantly compare acting [to] boxing,” said the 25-year-old Angeleno about getting the call informing him that he would be portraying Moreno, a concessions worker for the fictional Los Angeles Waves who finds out he’s the product of an affair and, in turn, the youngest and newest member of a basketball family dynasty.
“I remember I just threw both hands up in the air like if I had just been boxing 12 rounds and it was the knockout I had been looking for.”
The comedy series, which premiered Feb. 27, stars Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, the only sister in a family of brothers who is often overlooked but is unexpectedly appointed as the new Waves president.
The revelation that Jackie is a love child and the fifth Gordon sibling is one of the many blips Isla encounters as she looks to prove herself in a male-dominated industry.
Much like his new half-sister, 19 year-old Jackie is looking to prove himself as a new member of the Gordon clan. Though an outsider in the family, Jackie’s comedic chops have rendered him a fan favorite for his off-the-cuff lines and seamless delivery.
Humor is a skill Guido has crafted in previous roles as Mikey Gutierrez in Netflix’s series “Mr. Iglesias,” as Dennis (a.k.a. Baby Joker) in the Laura Steinel film “Family,” and Mr. Jensen in Paramount’s “Good Burger 2.”
De Los spoke to Guido following the announcement of “Running Point‘s” renewal for a second season.
The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Tell me more about yourself. Where did you grow up?
I am L.A. born and raised. I was born in Montebello. To be honest with you, I’m at a point in my life where I can’t exactly claim anywhere ’cause I moved around a lot as a kid. I spent a lot of time in Whittier, Pico Rivera. I lived in Culver City at one point and in San Diego for a couple of years. My formative years were spent in Alhambra, near City Terrace, so that whole East [L.A.] community.
How did you land the role of Jackie Moreno?
It was a very traditional kind of process. An audition came my way from my team; it was “Running Point.” The role was Jackie Moreno, who was a 19-year-old kid from L.A., Boyle Heights specifically.
They wanted someone with very strong comedic chops. I feel like that was a big focus for the role. I read it and fell in love with this character. I felt like I could bring more to what the page had to offer, and that’s not a knock on our writers. This is an essence I’m familiar with, a culture I’m familiar with.
I was told the audition went really well. They said I was their top pick. I wake up a day later, and my phone is blowing up. My DMs are full of an open casting [call] that [co-creator] Mindy Kaling put out for the same role. I was like, “I thought we were tight!”
I just said thank you to everybody sending the casting call my way, and I was like, you know what, I’m happy. I’m actually really happy about this. I feel like it’s a perfect opportunity to just attack the impostor syndrome and get it out of the way. I was like, “I gotta feel like I earned it. Fine. This is perfect. Let’s go against the world. Let’s do this.”
Bam. I sent [in the tape]. I just felt like the role was mine.
Walk me through the day when you got the news that you booked Jackie Moreno?
I can’t describe it, but I felt like a workhorse blocking out a lot of the noise.
I constantly compare acting to boxing. I’m not talking about getting beat up or it being a fight. When I say fight, I mean the beautiful sport that is boxing. I just felt like a fight for these 12 rounds. I remember I was home alone, and my agents had spoken to my mom.
The call came in from my mom. She’s on the other side of the phone crying, “They want you for this show.”
It was exactly the project I wanted.
What are some personal elements that resonate with you and your character?
For starters, it was definitely the cultural aspect. I knew Jackie might have to dabble in some Spanish and I was like, “perfect.” A huge part of this character’s life is his relationship with his mom and what it’s like to deal with her loss. I love the layers of that. I think everybody deals with loss. I’m slightly older than Jackie, so I had to dial it back to a younger part of me that I felt like was enthusiastic and ready to learn.
And you got to work with Keyla Monterroso Mejia in one of the first scenes. How was that?
I was just talking to her last week. She gave me a call. She’s the absolute best. I was so excited to get the chance to work with her ’cause I feel like you get to see a side that’s not always seen in that style of comedy.
Tell me how you were able to form an onscreen relationship with your older, rich and white siblings?
I think in the same way as Jackie — I don’t want to say I wanted to be accepted but I had a thirst to understand them. I feel like that thirst for me personally [was] as an artist. I would sit in, hearing them talk. I would listen to the life experience that they have. They’re so easy to get along with, so funny.
Oftentimes, we would schedule little lunches when we could get all together as a family. I had the opportunity to work with each one of them in one-on-one scenes. So that lent itself to get into more focused conversations with them.
Did the cast give you any advice?
I often found myself kind of seeking Brenda Song for advice on sports, ’cause she’s really, really knowledgeable, and I’m not as knowledgeable as Brenda.
So I would talk to her about trade rumors and stuff, and she served as a great guide, and that kind of transitioned into like, “Hey. How do you know when a project’s right for you? How do you know how to make these moves?” Brenda has just been amazing in giving me her opinion about things and how she’s moved through her career.
My other siblings, I love ’em because they’re a joy to be around. Their advice has just all been about life, relationships.
You’ve worked closely with comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias on his show “Mr. Iglesias” and have also done some stand-up comedy yourself. Do you see yourself staying in the comedy realm?
[Stand-up] comedy is my newest passion thanks to Fluffy. I’m not exactly looking to do anything with this. I just wanna do it for my own fulfillment. I’m going to go up there and have fun. That’s my goal every time I go up. I get super nervous about something, and I’m like, “Hey, you have nothing to prove, nothing to gain.”
I would love to go on tour. I love every time I get invited to open for someone I admire. I love being out late at night with other comics and hearing their set, coming up with jokes, spending my days writing. It’s a huge and very important part of my life right now.
There’s this clip of you as Dennis, a.k.a. Baby Joker from the 2018 film “Family,” that has been circulating social media. I also notice it in the comment sections of “Running Point” promos. What do you think about that?
It came out of nowhere honestly. I had done that film a couple of years ago. It’s a fantastic film. It’s just been really cool to watch this video resurface. Now, anything that gets posted about “Running Point,” there’s always some sort of Baby joker comment. People love Dennis! I’m glad it’s bringing views to the film because I’ve always felt it’s such a strong comedic film, and I just want to give Laura her flowers.
What was your reaction to “Running Point‘s” Season 2 renewal?
I was asleep, and my phone just started going off with congratulations. I thought this may still be coming from people that are just watching. Then it was an article that revealed it got renewed for Season 2. It was a good, really exciting morning, but still, I was like, “Is this true? Like, what’s going on? How come Netflix hasn’t called?” But I guess they were just super open and ready to rock and roll with this one.
