Raphael Alejandro is quickly becoming a good luck charm for Disney. He’s made himself known as a part of Disney both on TV and in movies. Fans may know Raphael Alejandro best from the hit Disney Channel show Bunk’d where he plays Matteo. Matteo is a cautious kid who is learning to face his fears while at Camp Kikiwaka. Plus Raphael Alejandro will be seen in Disney’s live action Jungle Cruise movie alongside Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, coming out next summer. YEM spoke with Raphael Alejandro about his adventures on Bunk’d and aboard Jungle Cruise.
Photo Credit: Lilly K Photography
Young Entertainment Mag: First, how did you first get involved in acting?
Raphael Alejandro: I started acting at 4 years old by following the footsteps of my big sister, Dalila Bela, and my older brother, Bruce Salomon. I saw them having so much fun on set that I wanted to try acting as well. I ended up falling in love with the entertainment world, and I would like to continue acting for many years to come.
YEM: Our readers know you as Matteo on Bunk’d! What’s your favorite part about playing Matteo?
Raphael: I love playing Matteo because in a sense we like some of the same things like learning, specially Science. But also, Matteo and I have some differences like being afraid of pretty much everything, which I’m not, I’m actually a bit of a dare devil. Those differences give me some challenges as an actor to portray them correctly.
YEM: Matteo can be cautious, but at camp he has to face his fears. Is there anything that you’re afraid of? Have you ever had to face your fears?
Raphael: I’m a bit afraid of heights. Yes, sometimes I have to shoot on high ground on set, so because I’m afraid of being up high, I try to calm myself down by thinking positive that everything is going to be fine.
Photo Credit: Lilly K Photography
YEM: Bunk’d just got picked up for a historic fifth season! Are you excited to return to Camp Kikiwaka?
Raphael: I’m very happy and excited that Bunk’d got picked up for a Season 5. I cannot wait to see what new adventures we will experience at Camp Kikiwaka.
YEM: Since the show is about a summer camp, do you like being outdoors? Do you go camping a lot?
Raphael: I like being outdoors. Some of the things that I like to do are going for hikes, spending time on the beach and playing sports. I’ve never been camping before, but it is something on my list of new things to try.
YEM: You are also starring in the upcoming Disney movie Jungle Cruise! Can you tell us a little about the movie and your character?
Raphael: Unfortunately, I cannot share much about the movie or my character thus far. What I can say is that I had a lot of fun shooting this movie with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Emily Blunt and Paul Giamatti.
YEM: So were there a lot of adventures scenes to film in the movie?
Raphael: Jungle Cruise is full of adventure and supernatural scenes. I’m pretty sure that it will be a crowd pleaser.
YEM: The movie stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. What was it like to be in a movie with them?
Raphael: It was amazing shooting with Dwayne and Emily. They were extremely nice and respectful. We had a lot of fun on set during our breaks talking and playing word games.
YEM: So have you ever been on the Jungle Cruise ride at the Disney theme parks?
Raphael: Yes, I’ve visited the Jungle Cruise ride at Disney World. It was so much fun going through the “Amazon River”. Our guide was amazing and made the ride very exciting.
