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Photo by Jackson Davis, courtesy of Cesar Ramos.
Casting , Interview , News , The Daily Roundup

My Casting Story: Cesar Ramos on Booking a Verizon Spot


November 14, 2023

Cesar Ramos has showcased his on-camera versatility, spanning from a prominent FIFA World Cup spot to Peacock’s Bel-Air. In a recent virtual conversation with Casting Networks, the focus was on his latest project—a new Verizon commercial. Ramos detailed to us his role of Uncle Juan in the Spanish-language spot that takes place at a family dinner table and is all about the “platos.”

When we asked about the casting process behind the major booking, Ramos shared that he’d been in the Dan Bell Casting office the week before for another commercial callback. He didn’t think he nailed that performance and remembered feeling discouraged. “I was like, ‘OK, so my acting life is over,’” the actor recalled with a laugh.

Ramos told us how he was able to let go of it so he was ready for his next opportunity and noted how the session runner for the Verizon audition set him up for success. “He even said, ‘Take your time — talk to each other,’” the actor said. “When you’re ready to go, I’ll hit record.” Having time to rehearse and make adjustments put Ramos at ease, and he felt great walking out of that audition.

When Ramos returned for the Verizon callback, the session runner shared a helpful insight before the actor walked into the room. “He said, ‘Hey guys, just so you know, the directors in there — they’re fantastic,’” Ramos said. “‘They’re really quiet. They might give you an adjustment, but they’re really chill.’”

Ramos conveyed how it can sometimes be disconcerting when there’s little said during a callback, even though it likely has nothing to do with the actor’s actual performance. According to Ramos, understanding the feel of the room before going in helped him do his best work. He made sure to give the session director a shoutout. “George, if you see this, I just want to say thank you,” he said.

Upon learning that he booked the Verizon spot, Ramos was reminded by a friend how he’d been contemplating a career change just the week before. Other thespians may find the tale of how Ramos landed such a major booking to be an inspiring one, including how he bounced back so quickly from a perceived bad audition before it. You can find more insights into Ramos’ journey to landing the new Verizon spot with this on-camera installment of My Casting Story.

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This video interview has been edited and condensed.

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