PHOTO SHOOT + ARTICLE
Before Blastoff
By Altrean Alan & Brandon Silva
Models
Altrean Alan
Stylists
Elijah Allen, Michael Alvarez, Bebe Smith
Directors
Elijah Allen, Brandon Silva, Bebe Smith
Photographer
Giacomo Silvestri
Cosmic ‘25 brings with us our cover star, Altrean Alan. A man who is reaching for the stars. Altrean is majoring in both physics and acting, as well as serving as the vice president of RU F.A.C.E Modeling, all in his sophomore year. He is one of those rare shooting stars you catch long before he reaches his peak. At the end of the day, Altrean is a hilarious friend and a good person who has a very bright future ahead of him. Being a good friend of mine, I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing him. The catch? I would treat the entire interview as a bit, aiming to catch Altrean in his purest form, a goofy goober with a heart of gold. Without further ado, here is what many will call… one of the best interviews of all time.
A = Altrean Alan, our ever-talented cover star, who loves replying ‘I don’t know’ to every question, but we fixed it in post so you, the reader, don’t see that side of him.
B = Brandon Silva, definitely one of the worst interviewers of all time.
B: Do you feel as an actor you put on a performance with different people? Or are you originally an authentic version of yourself?
A: I feel like I'm pretty authentic, and if I need to be another version, that happens on stage. Regardless of the friend group, that’s just who I am.
B: How do you deal with the clash of living as a student and also being an actor and also being in the modeling club?
A: Oof. Don't get me started. I don't know. I just kind of like go about my day, get my assignments done, People have told me like it's not the smartest to be, you know, doing physics and acting and then also having modeling and, you know, but I just, I just get my work done, like set a to-do list, take it off one by one and yeah, you're pretty set.
B: What's the vision for your career post this interview right now and beyond?
A: In college, just stay in school, get my assignments done, go to auditions, go to casting calls on the side. It’s a good thing to be doing during college because once you're out of college, you don't really have your parents to rely on. You don't have meal swipes to rely on. You're just surviving out there. Here I still have like a lot of leeway to take risks, and if I mess up, that's fine. Essentially, I'm just doing what I have to do for the real world, preparing myself, but also preparing for my degree. After college definitely going to be living up in North Jersey or New York, literally working like a job as a waiter or something, your typical actor sidejob and then just going to auditions, so I can make it big, do something. I'll figure it out, something to like get me up there. That's the dream. I dream big. I’m trying to get that Oscar.
B: Do you think being the Routure cover will be the peak of your life? I sure think so!
A: Yeah, no, for sure.
B: Okay, I can quote you on that.
B: Why modeling? What about the art of modeling speaks to you?
A: When I came into RU Modeling, I recently just finished a modeling gig overseas in Indonesia. And it was my first modeling gig ever. And it was a blast, just the attention on you and being in this massive room with like the flashes and all that stuff, modeling for a bag brand, it was all so much fun. And going from there, and also learning how to walk like a runway model, I felt like RU modeling was the next best thing for me to explore if I really liked it. From there, I met Routure.
B: After F.A.C.E Modeling?
A: For me, that's how it happened.
B: Yes, that's how it usually goes.
A: Yeah, but for others, you know, it could be Routure first and then F.A.C.E. You never know. But for me, that was just like–
B: For me I think it’s like F.A.C.E, Photo Club, then Routure…Anyway, so being the VP of F.A.C.E, what pressures and fears do you worry about, and what do you think you bring definitely to the club?
A: No comment.
B: Has modeling improved your ability to act?
A: For sure. I feel like staying in character behind the camera in front of the camera definitely has helped me in acting because, you know, when you're on stage and you're trying to do a scene, you got to stay in character, you can't break face. You just got to stay in character because if you break face, then there's no more show.
You just got to stay in character because if you break face, then there's no more show.
B: Oh, that's finally a good quote from you. I’m going to have Sarina put that in bold. What is something you think people assume about acting that isn't true?
A: The need to perform, like to over exaggerate, and to do a lot, you don't have to do all that. That's overacting, and nobody likes that. Everybody can tell that's fake. I feel that people often misinterpret acting as being a good liar or being able to perform at any given moment. Sometimes I can't even perform.
B: Oh, we know… Like both, you're a bad actor and your inability to perform correctly.
A: Please tell me that's making it. It would be so funny.
B: I'll see what I can do. I know the president.
B: Have you had a previous role that has stuck with you?
A: Not really, my most recent role was Boy / Servant in ‘The Rivals’. It wasn’t a big role, but it shows I did my part as a freshman getting a role at Mason Gross. It’s a pretty big deal. I'm very proud of myself for that, and it was a pretty funny character. The same people I had watched last year on stage at Mason Gross, I was on stage with them. So, for me, putting that into perspective of how much I've grown since last year is a massive accomplishment. It was a role that really put into perspective that if you really put your mind to things, it'll work out.
B: Why do you think you deserve to reach stardom?
A: I feel like, I don't know.
B: Then why on earth are you cover?
A: It's not that I like, I just don't like-
B: You can lie.
A: No, no, no. I'm not lying. I just like.. I'm grateful that I got this cover of Routure.
B: We have to edit so many ‘I don't knows’ from this conversation. Bebe is going to kill me.
A: Actually, yes, I do feel like. I deserve this, you know...
B: What changed in the last 10 seconds?
A: I don't think it's about me deserving stardom, I think.
B: Stardoms deserving you? See, that's a good quote, if you want to take that.
A: No thanks. What I mean is that I don't even care about all that. This idea of ‘Stardom’ I don't care about stardom. I care about putting in the work. When you put in the work, the good things will come after. And if it doesn't, that's fine by me. I still did the work. I pushed myself. That means something.
This idea of 'Stardom' I don't care about stardom. I care about putting in the work.
B: What's a performance in a movie you most relate to?
A: Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon's character. The fact that he's really smart at the same time, so emotionally unavailable. And I'm not saying I'm not emotionally unavailable. I'm saying..
B: Let's quote him on that!
A: I'm just saying that I've had incidents where I had to bottle things up. And it would lead me to just crashing out and not really knowing why I'm upset or at whom. I would lash out at other people. In the film, the whole therapy scene where he really breaks it down like why he's going through this, and then like having to talk to his Minnie Driver’s character, his like situationship?
B: I don't think those were a thing back in 1997.
A: Fair. Fair. His girlfriend, I guess. The fact he was finally open to letting out his true emotions, the movie really spoke to me.
B: Who are you off the script? What is the unfiltered documentary version of you? What does it look like?
A: Who on earth wrote this script?
B: ME! Not ChatGPT. Jerk…
A: It's so like, I don't know, theater core.
B: Oh, I wonder why! Oh!!!
A: Who am I? I am. I'm just a little boy.
B: That’s the quote. We are quoting that.
A: A little boy. Just a little boy. I don't know. I feel like. I said, I don't know again.
B: You can say that. I won’t edit this part in post.
A: I'm just an Indonesian American man.
B: Is that like the end of the sentence? This is the best interview ever.
A: No, I'm a person who really loves, you know, hanging out with people, playing sports, doing the arts, obviously. If you need an editor, I got you. If you need an actor, I got you. A model? I got you. Paintings? I got you. Videographer? Check me out, at @akaprodz.
B: You paint? What do you paint?
A: I paint, so a lot of my paintings are… uhh…
B: Oh, like, that bad huh?
A: No. Yeah. Honestly, yeah. Yeah, we got deep there.
B: I mean, I can sing. I'm not going to say in the interview that I'm a singer.
A: I wouldn't say like, you know what? I am a painter!
B: You’re right!
A: Yeah! It is! I love painting. I love painting. I'm an abstract painter, a lot of my paintings have to do with my own personal experience and how I visualize.
B: It's your outlet for your traumas and your life experience.
A: I guess so if you want to put it that way.
B: Yeah. I will put it that way! I'll just put the words in your mouth! It’s so simple!
B: If your life were a movie title, what would the title be?
A: Altrean.
B: That's so good. That is so true. It's like Beyonce. Like Zendaya! You are just like Zendaya in every way.
B: In a world of AI, what do you think humans bring to the profession of acting and creativity?
A: Man, I hate AI., I feel like it ruins everything in every industry. AI sucks. AI can't replicate what human beings do. We have the authenticity of it. Our emotions are reflected in everything we create. So having a robot to mimic that, it just isn’t real.
B: How do you handle all those eyes on you when you're on stage?
A: I just.. I love it, to be honest.
B: You're sick, man. Freak.
A: Having the audience watch you, that's, I think, a really..
B: Would say it turns you on?
A: No.
B: So I can't quote you on that?
A: No, you can't quote me on that. It does not turn me on.
B: The audience do not turn you on?
A: No.
B: I can quote you on that?
A: Yeah, the audience does not turn me on. I feel as if the audience excites me.
Yeah, the audience does not turn me on. I feel as if the audience excites me.
B: *loud laughter*
A: I literally just used a different word...
B: Oh, my God. I want to quote that, but they won't let me. They're gonna stop me. They're gonna say we can't do that.
A: No, the audience…. I don't know what to say. They make me happy! The audience excites me. And not in the sense of like any weirdness, but more of just like, I don't feel pressure on stage. I feel like I'm putting on a great show, and this is who I am. And the audience is a part of that show; their reaction, their laughter, their tears - whatever they're feeling is the ultimate catharsis.
B: What do you think you bring differently to the stage compared to everyone else? This is an actual interview now.
A: I do my best not to perform as an actor. As an actor, you don't want to perform because that's not the truth. Your reaction to whatever another actor is doing or your reaction to a scene should be authentic to the moment. You just have to go into that scene with truth. For example, you're a good actor if you try not to cry.
B: I cry for free. I cried today. I cried a lot this week, actually.
A: Oh… I'm so sorry…
B: I wish I were an actor. I don't want to cry. Pardon me, and finish your quote.
A: Yeah, just like as an actor, you like. Just be yourself, you know? Like we speak the truth.
B: As a past model in our magazine, what about Routure speaks to you?
A: Just the difference of like how F.A.C.E modeling you're always locked in, you know, you can't break face, you always have to do your model walk, three poses etc. But with Routure, I feel like I can, you know, have fun–
B: Oh! Some Shade!
A: Oh no, that’s when I get cut. What I mean to say is I just love the different opportunities Routure offers, from FNAF, to Sinners, to this Cover; it’s always a different kind of photoshoot, and that’s why I feel like this organization is so awesome.
B: What celebrity most inspires you today?
A: I'd say Frank Ocean–
B: Wow, really? He hasn't said or done anything in like eight years.
A: I think the next person for me would be Matthew McConaughey.
B: Why?
A: I don't know.
B: Okay. You know what? I'm happy with that. It’s making it in.
B: What does being seen mean to you?
A: To be seen, is to be accepted for your whole self.
To be seen, is to be accepted for your whole self.
B: Wow, actually, finally another good quote I can use.
B: Okay, the big finale, what advice do you want to give our readers? Whatever you say right now is making it in, no matter what.
A: Love is like a fart. If you force it, it turns to sh*t.
