Between Riverside and Crazy’s Victor Almanzar on Subway Surfing & Learning English From Fresh Prince

Age: “Between 25 and 35.”

Hometown: La Vega, Dominican Republic

Current Role: Almanzar reprises the role of ex-con and reformed junk-food junkie Oswaldo, a troubled young man trying to turn his life around in Stephen Adly Guirgis' Between Riverside and Crazy at Second Stage.

Stage & Screen Cred: After performing at LAByrinth Theater Company and Center Stage New York, Almanzar starred in Between Riverside and Crazy at the Atlantic Theatre Company. He is pursuing his Master's degree at the Actors Studio Drama School and plays dad to four-year-old Viviana.

“Moving to Queens at 13 from the Dominican Republic was very much a culture shock. I didn’t know the language at all. I learned English by watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin Lawrence. Picked it up in six months.”

“There was a lot of gang culture at my school, so my father transferred me to LaGuardia Community College, where they have an international high school in the basement. They had a drama program, and I did it for a semester—it was just fun and something to keep me away from bad influences.”

“I joined the marines after high school—met my recruiter on a Friday and the next Friday, I was gone. When 9/11 happened, I went to Iraq, and I was part of the NATO missions in Kosovo and Macedonia. It was tough, going to war. I experienced a lot of stuff not everybody does, but it made me stronger.”

“My daughter Viviana is the greatest actor I’ve ever seen in my life. She does Frozen characters, Disney characters... She has all these funny facial expressions. She’s gonna be a great actor if she decides to do it. She has a knack for entertainment, she’s the life of the party.”

“I met Stephen Adly Guirgis at LAByrinth and I’m blessed he kept me around. I played Oswaldo in the first workshop, and one day I got the call offering me the role at Atlantic. I tried to stay calm, but as soon as I hung up, I screamed, 'Woohoo, I got it!' Then I picked up my daughter and kissed her.”

“In Riverside, I don’t even notice we’re on a rotating turntable. I’m so involved in the world. It’s more of a challenge trying to ride the subway to get there. That feels like I’m surfing. The stage is a piece of cake compared to that!”