The Traveler
Life is good if you’re Lazaro “Laz” Alonso. Not only are you set to play FBI Agent Will Moreno in the highly anticipated NBC series “Deception,” but you’re also spending most of your spare time bouncing around the globe, immersing yourself in foreign cultures and acting as a travel ambassador for American Airlines and their travel portal BlackAtlas.com. So as Alonso takes a moment to admire the artistry of the Escadaria Selarón steps in Rio de Janeiro, the gravity of his life’s accomplishments suddenly begin to wash over him like a wave of euphoria.
“Being able to travel and see the world really makes me appreciate the blessings in my life,” he says in thoughtful reflection. “There are so many people that will never get a chance to see some of the things that I’ve seen during my travels. I’ll never take that for granted.”
Moments like this happen often while on the road with Alonso as rolling out discovered on our travels with the award-winning actor. From La Romana to Cabo to Rio, you can always count on a moment where Alonso takes a step back to think about and absorb the blessings of being a serious player in Hollywood. One such moment came two weeks before our exploration of Brazil, as our bus rode through a small Dominican village where the neighborhood leaders had gathered everyone to hold a dance competition in an effort to keep the kids off the streets. As the van drove by, Alonso asked the driver to pull over to give him an opportunity to speak to the kids.
After exchanging pleasantries with one of the community organizers, Alonso grabbed the microphone, and in perfect Spanish began imploring the kids to follow their dreams.
“You may have seen me in movies like Fast & Furious and Avatar,” Alonso shared. “But I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that without hard work and determination. You can accomplish anything if you just stay out of trouble and do the right things.”
As he handed the microphone back, the audience erupted in applause, while kids and parents alike ran up to take pictures and secure his autograph. Back on the bus, Alonso shared why that moment was so important to him.
“I always wanted to make a difference when I got into the industry,” he explained. “The interviews and red carpets are cool, but this type of thing is what I really enjoy. You never know how your words can positively affect someone … so that is something that has always been very important to me.”
Later that night, as our small dinner party sat on the beach sipping authentic mojitos and listening to the gentle strumming of a salt-and-pepper haired gentleman’s guitar, the conversation switched to Alonso’s latest project, “Deception,” a murder mystery starring Alonso and Meagan Good, which premieres on NBC Jan. 7. Having discussed projects in the past with Alonso, I expected him to downplay the possible impact of the show. Like a Vegas poker pro, the typical move for Alonso would be to hold his cards close to his chest, never tipping anyone off on how good his hand really was.
But the prospect of “Deception’s” impact brought something else out of him. That something was an outward manifestation of confidence, pride, and most important — optimism.
“I really think that people are going to be blown away by this show,” he shared with a big grin, reminiscent of a happy kid on Christmas. morning. “Everything about the show is excellent — from the writing to the actors … it’s just a really good show. I think that it has the ability to get some legs and really grow into something special.”
A Moment With God
The foundation for positive thoughts may have been laid that night in the Dominican Republic, but it was driven home in a profound way back in Brazil. After leaving the Escadaria Selarón, Alonso was determined to see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue.
“I just can’t leave Rio without seeing this,” he would articulate to anyone within earshot and who was willing to listen. “If you could only pick one thing to see while you were in Brazil, that would have to be it.”
It would take nearly 30 minutes for our bus to drive up the winding roads to the base of the statue. As Alonso hopped out of the van and began to take the stairs to make the final ascent to the statue, a heavy cloud cover started to break and the sun began to shine through so magnificently that it wouldn’t have been a stretch to picture God himself rolling out the red carpet to welcome Alonso in grand fashion. The beauty of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone — Alonso especially. So as soon as he made it to the base of the statue, he paused for a moment, admired Christ’s outstretched hands, then closed his eyes and exhaled.
“I feel God here,” he shared as his eyes slowly opened.
After taking a few more moments to soak in the honor of standing in front of one of the world’s seven greatest wonders, Alonso began to descend the stairwell with an increased pep in his step, clearly rejuvenated by the experience.
In Alonso’s mind, he can only hope that television enthusiasts encounter a similar transformative experience when he begins to appear on their television sets on a weekly basis.
Jan. 7 can’t get here soon enough.
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