Isaac Arellanes Talks My Life With the Walter Boys and Teases Season 2
When My Life With the Walter Boys hit Netflix in December, it was an immediate smash hit, and it doesn't take a genius to see why.
Adaptated from Ali Novak's hit Wattpad novel of the same name, the series follows Jackie, a teen girl from New York City who loses her entire family in a car accident and relocates to rural Colorado, where she's taken in by the Walter family. Not only is she dealing with her grief and loss, but a love triangle between two of the Walter boys begins to bloom, leading to all kinds of complications.
Another member of the Walter household is Isaac Garcia, a nephew of the Walters who lives with the family, and also has a reputation for being a bit of a ladies' man. He's played by 18-year-old Hopi-Latino actor Isaac Arellanes, an Emmy-nominated star also known for roles in Euphoria, Reservation Dogs and more. We got the chance to chat with Isaac to learn more about his history with acting, the Netflix series and what might be coming up next in the interview below.
Sweety High: When did you discover your passion for acting? Was there any specific a-ha moment that made you realize it was the path for you?
Isaac Arellanes: I began acting at the age of 9. I was a competitive dancer, so I was used to performing in front of crowds when my older brother Israel wanted to take an acting class. My mom decided to have all three of us try it out, and I really enjoyed it. It was foreign to me at first, but at the same time, it came very naturally to me. From that point on, we began attending class consistently and I think within about a year I got my first role on a popular show called The Night Shift. I would say that my experience on that episode solidified my desire to pursue acting as my career.
(Photo credit: Israel Arellanes)
SH: Were you familiar with the Wattpad novel My Life with the Walter Boys before you signed on for the series?
IA: If I'm honest, I am not a huge reader, so I wasn't even familiar with Wattpad itself. By default, I was not familiar with the book.
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SH: What can you tell us about your character, Isaac Garcia? What is his role in the film?
IA: Isaac Garcia is known as the cool guy who is sort of a ladies' man. Isaac and his little brother Lee are cousins of the Walters, and they live with the family on their ranch.
SH: How similar are you to him in real life? What would you say are your biggest similarities and differences?
IA: My family and other people who know me say I'm basically playing myself in the show so I guess there are some similarities! One thing that really resonates is the idea that "Isaac" takes a really long time to get ready because he cares about his appearance. I'm really into fashion, so I tend to take a while to get out the door, I gotta get the fit right. The big difference between myself and my character is I would never trick someone into bleaching their hair. That's just wrong on so many levels and it's downright ugly to do to someone.
(Photo credit: Israel Arellanes)
SH: What was your most memorable moment from the set?
IA: My most memorable moment from set was filming the breakfast scene because it was the first time we were all on screen together. With such a large cast, there was so much going on, and it took lots of coordination to get it done but it was incredibly fun!
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SH: What's been your favorite fan reaction to the show?
IA: My favorite fan reaction has been the formation of the Team Cole and Team Alex hashtags. I was completely taken by surprise when the Team Isaac fans emerged. That was pretty cool. You know your show is entering new territory when Netflix puts Team Cole or Team Alex in their bio.
SH: Where else can we see your work right now?
IA: I did a film called Wind River: Rising after Walter Boys. I'm not exactly sure when it's coming out, but I'm pretty sure it'll be this first half of 2024. It was an awesome experience as I was able to star alongside some great actors such as Martin Sensmeier, Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood, Kali Reis and Alan Ruck, so be on the lookout for that. As far as work that has recently come out, you can see me in a few episodes of various shows like Reservation Dogs and Law & Order.
(Photo credit: Israel Arellanes)
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
IA: I'm looking forward to beginning filming on Season 2 of My Life With The Walter Boys. We don't have any details yet, but hopefully, those will come soon.
For more stories from our favorite up-and-coming actors, click HERE to read our interview with triple-threat Paris Joy.