Up-and-coming young actor Oliver Alexander is a jack of all trades. The 12-year-old star is not only a fine actor but also excels in athletics.
Alexander began acting at four when he performed in a play produced by a local theatre in Glendale, California. The Southern California-born Alexander has also been playing sports from a young age and excels in a multitude of them, including gymnastics and lacrosse, to name a few.
Currently, the tween stars as famous comedian Paul Rodriguez’s son, Max Garcia Ramirez, in the HBO Max sitcom, The Garcia’s. Alexander has also had roles in big-time projects such as the Rob Lowe starring FOX show, 9-1-1 Lonestar, the Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union “Bad Boys” spinoff, L.A.’s Finest, and the Disney Channel show Sydney to the Max alongside veteran actress Caroline Rhea and up-and-coming actress Ava Kolker.
In addition to acting, Oliver enjoys giving back to the community, as he raises money for people with Autism and Down Syndrome, along with the environment.
The young actor sat down with Celeb Secrets to let us in on what it was like working on Sydney to the Max, The Garcia’s, his love of sports, and what we can expect from him in the future!
Read the full Q&A below and let us know your thoughts on Alexander and what you want to see from him next! You can connect with Oliver by giving him a follow on Instagram at @oliveralexander.
Celeb Secrets: Hi Oliver! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. For people who don’t know you already, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Oliver Alexander: “Thank you for this interview opportunity. I’m just a typical 11-year-old kid. My favorite subject at school is Science. My favorite sport is Lacrosse and acting is my hobby. I mean, not that much different than most kids my age, right?”
CS: We know that you’ve been acting since you were four years old. What do you love most about acting?
OA: “I love everything about acting. Portraying different characters, traveling to remote locations, getting to meet and work with so many amazing people, being silly in between takes and crafty. I guess I just love that set life!”
CS: You’ve been on many different shows – like Disney’s Sydney to the Max, FOX’s 9-1-1 Lonestar and LA’s Finest among others. Which has been your favorite role to play and why?
OA: “Yes, I have been very fortunate to have been a part of many different amazing shows. They’ve all been special in one way or another but if I had to pick one, I’d say my favorite role would have to be playing the role of Josh on Disney’s Sydney to the Max. Mostly because it was the very first series I was a part of and the cast was mostly made up of kids, which meant playing during downtime! We enjoyed dancing, playing football and basketball in between takes. They were all so welcoming and went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. These are memories I won’t ever forget, it was just an overall great experience for me.”
CS: While being on set, were you able to receive any advice or tips during your time with your co-stars?
OA: “Yes, absolutely. While on set, there is usually time for tips and advice from co-stars. I love soaking up any advice that I can get, especially from people who have made great careers in this industry.”
CS: Currently, our readers can see you in “The Garcias” on HBO Max – can you tell us more about your character as well as your favorite memories from working on the show?
OA: “So, in the HBO Max series, The Garcias, I played an eight year old boy named Max. Max, is a cooking fanatic with a strong family bond. He leans on his family for advice in times of need. He enjoys the company of his cousins and together they’re always seeking new adventures.
While filming on location in the beautiful Puerto Aventuras, Mexico I too seeked adventure with my cast mates. We jumped from cenotes (underwater caves), played tennis, learned to drive golf carts and even became scuba certified. It really made for some of my favorite memories working on the show. We got to know each other quite well and bonded like a true family on and off the set.”
CS: Do you have any other projects that we should be on the lookout for?
OA: “Since the HBO Max series, The Garcias, I haven’t worked on any other projects with the exception of a couple commercials that are currently on the air.”
CS: What are some of your dream acting roles?
OA: “One of my dream acting roles is to be a Lead in a feature film.”
CS: In addition to acting, you spend time giving back to the community by supporting different charities that support autism, Down syndrome and environmental causes. Can you tell us why you like to support these specific causes?
OA: “Charities that support autism and down syndrome are those that I personally like to donate to or volunteer for because they are organizations that are so near and dear to me. I have a cousin who has Autism and one who has Down syndrome. They are both so special to me. I love them each for who they are and as they are. I am very passionate about disability awareness because I believe the more knowledgeable the world is, the less likely they are to discriminate towards those with disabilities. As for the environmental causes, well that’s kind of a no brainer. I love the outdoors, so I am all about keeping out planet clean for everyone to enjoy.”
CS: How can kids like you give back in their communities?
OA: “So kids like me can give it back to the communities in many different ways. Social media has made it so easy to find good organizations that are in need of volunteers. For example I just joined a new organization called Volunteer Community Center and they are all about cleaning up in or around my community. That’s neat because you really get to see the difference you’re making first hand. Sometimes finding the organization isn’t the hard part, it’s finding the time. But if you can find the time it’s well worth your efforts.”
CS: We also know that you are a big sports guy! Tell us which sports you play and how you got involved in each.
OA: “I became involved in many sports early on. At 6 months I began swimming lessons with the Infant Swimming Resource. At the age of 3, I started gymnastics, baseball and soccer. I juggled all three sports for many years but I soon had to choose which sport I wanted to pursue, so I chose gymnastics. Gymnastics is a very challenging sport. It takes a lot of sweat, blood and tears (literally) to be a gymnast. You definitely have to be very dedicated. In 2019 I took 2nd in the state of California on the Rings (Level 5). In 2021 I placed 3rd overall in the state of California (Level 6). In May of 2021 I decided to leave gymnastics to follow my dreams in Acting. I haven’t left the sport completely though, I still do parkour which is very much gymnastics driven, just not at a competitive level. My big sport these days is lacrosse. I also play all types of sports for fun such as; tennis, racketball, running, skateboarding, dirt bike riding, mountain biking… there really isn’t a sport I dislike or wouldn’t try.”
CS: We know this may be hard, but do you have a favorite sport to play?
OA: “Actually this is easy to answer, since I started playing lacrosse, a little under a year ago, I’ve been quite the fanatic. I pretty much have a stick in my hand at all times. If I’m not practicing it, I’m watching it. I enjoy watching it at the professional level, college level and even the high school level. I think I caught lacrosse fever!”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets (fun facts) about yourself that our readers wouldn’t know about you?
OA: “This isn’t so much of a secret but more of a fun fact, I share the exact same birthday with my sister. Yep, that’s right we are exactly five years apart. It has its advantages and disadvantages I’ll be honest but overall I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
