The Step Up franchise has hit cinemas again and this time, all-stars from previous episodes come together to battle for a victory that could define their dreams and careers.
Set in Las Vegas, quintessential nice guy, Sean Asa (Ryan Guzman) risks it all to win, including the love and respect of those closest to him.
Starring Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Misha Gabriel and Izabella Miko, and directed by Trish Sie, the next installment of the popular dance films, Step Up All In, sees a different side to a favourite character.
Speaking to Glam Adelaide from Los Angeles, Ryan Guzman said he’s thrilled to be playing Sean Asa again, despite the character’s flaws and bad decisions in this film.
“It was great to revisit Sean and play around with the role and dive into new territory with him,” he said.
“This time he’s more of a Debbie Downer so he’s hurting relationships and he’s bringing people down because he’s so driven and it was awesome to play that and still be a good guy.”
And being driven is certainly a trait Guzman can relate to. The 26 year old left his home in Texas to make it in show biz and he’s determined to make that happen.
“I am as driven as Sean. I had to be because I wanted to make it so bad. My dream is to buy my family a new house, pay my family’s old house off and enjoy life as much as possible. Acting offers that opportunity. I feel honoured to do what I do. I feel blessed,” he said.
“When I first came out here I came with $25 to my name, a minivan, and I was living in a one bedroom with five guys. I had to grit my teeth a lot and luckily I made it through.”
And if working with Grammy Award winning choreographer and director Trish Sie is anything to go by, Guzman has definitely made it.
“Trish is awesome,” Guzman said. “She’s got a great sense of humour and she thought to use that comedic tone which is new to the Step Up franchise. There was always a couple of laughs here and there previously but this time, it’s all about having fun.”
As well as working on the Step Up films, Guzman is venturing into production, direction and screenwriting.
Deceit is his brainchild and is near to completion; and the ambitious young star is hoping for big things for his film.
“It was awesome to get behind the camera. I was the lead actor and, just because I knew what I wanted, it was a lot easier to act. It taught me so much about the industry and opened up my eyes to so many things,” he said.
“I can’t wait to showcase it when it’s ready. We’re just waiting on an artist to lay down vocals on a track and we’ll send it out to festivals and hopefully make something out of it.”
Until then, though, Guzman has just wrapped a Universal Studios film with Jennifer Lopez where he plays a totally different role to what we’ve seen from him.
“I just finished doing reshoots for Boy Next Door, where I play a really insane character. I had so much fun playing that. It was a total 180 from anything anyone has seen me do,” he laughed.
But even with so much on the go at one time, the former model shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
“There’s enough time to rest when I’m dead,” he laughed. “I came out here for a reason and I’m sticking to it and nobody can take me away from it, no matter what the cost. I’m trying to give it my all.”
Step Up All In is in cinemas now and is worth watching to see Ryan Guzman giving his all and proving himself as a worthy actor, dancer and rising star.
View the trailer here.
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