Xavi de Guzman is a power house! His aptitude for sports fueled an athleticism that led him to a professional career in boxing. This beast of a man went as far as to win the 2008 lightweight championship title in Canada. Unlike most actors, Xavi received his first on-camera role without any acting experience – ABC’s “Rookie Blue” as a boxer. Since “Rookie Blue”, Xavi has appeared in numerous productions including The CW’s ‘The 100’ and ABC’s ‘Take Two’. Now you can check out his most recent project on Netflix, where he takes on the role of Ethan in the miniseries "Maid". In addition, Xavi is a huge advocate for mental health! Through his experience as a professional boxer, he learned the importance of taking care of one's mental health. He founded of the Play On foundation and created a talk titled "You Can't Be Out of Shape to Chase Your Dreams". Read on to learn more about Xavi de Guzman journey as an actor and advocate for mental health.

Where are you based?
Toronto will always be my home, but are we talking physically or emotionally? Physically I am permanently based where my charity is registered, and that is Vancouver, B.C. However, right now, I’m living in the tiny home I built and I’m based where the weather is hot, so currently I’m in Texas.

Growing up you had a natural athletic ability that led to boxing. In what ways did boxing influence your acting career?
Boxing taught me how to independently grow and set personal goals. In boxing I was held responsible and accountable to do my own pushups, run my own miles, and spend time on the bag because I knew my opponent was doing just that. This helped me to stay just as diligent, as an actor, when it came to setting my own goals and being independent when it comes to time management, from learning monologues, to staying in class, and reading books.

How did you develop an interest in acting?
It all stemmed through starting off in stunts and being on set experiencing and watching principal actors do their lines on camera. It was so captivating that I ended up wanting to do it myself. Shoutout to my friend Alex Mallari Jr. for introducing me to my first acting class!

Your first role was in ABC’s “Rookie Blue” as a boxer. Could you tell us a little bit about the transition from boxing to acting? What challenges did you face?
Transition from boxing to acting was challenging in the aspect that I had to pick one over the other. After investing ten years, the better part of my life, in boxing and martial arts, it was hard to let go. For both arts, it comes to mastery when it comes to competition so I had to choose; Do I master boxing and martial arts or master being an actor. Two very different things. So, when I finally made the decision to give up boxing it was easy then to know where I would put all of my time.

How did you prepare for your role as a boxer on camera only having experience being a boxer in the ring? How different was it from doing the real thing?
There was zero preparation as I already knew the art, I already knew boxing. In regards to major differences, there were two. One, I didn’t have to actually get physically hit, which was amazing, and two, I had to unlearn how to keep my guard up. Keeping your guard up isn’t good for the screen, it hides what they like to call in the industry — the money maker lol. So, I had to loosen up and play to the camera.

Since “Rookie Blue”, you have taken on various film and television projects like The CW’s ‘The 100’ and ABC’s ‘Take Two’. In what ways have you grown as an actor and as an individual through these different roles?
I’ve matured as an actor in regards to the ease of the craft. Knowing the right questions to ask has become more second nature than a task. It’s also easier for me to break down scenes and learn dialogue with a lot less time given, especially with last minute script changes. As an individual, it’s granted me the grace to have more empathy as a human being and interact with other people. Learning to see their perspectives before my own judgement kicks in.

You play the role of Ethan in the Netflix miniseries "Maid". Can you tell us a little bit about “Maid” and your character, Ethan?
Maid is a story that highlights different aspects of domestic violence, from relationships and events a single mother may face and how it can impact growth for herself and her child. My character, Ethan, and keep in mind that I’ve been taught never to judge my characters, is Sean’s (Nick Robinson) loyal, fun, and really cool best friend who at the end of the day will always have his back. But as an audience member watching the show, there is something to say about Ethan and his ability to turn his eye to domestic violence, which is horrible and something I don’t agree with and would never do.

Do you have a favorite role?
All of my roles resonate with me in a way. Take Two was a favorite because it was my first big role, but my favorite project was a small project called Rainbow Connection. Rainbow Connection is a story that revolves around autism, and I had the honor to work at a set designed in school for autistic children. Being in that space, around those on various parts of the spectrum, taught me to hold a different type of presence as a person and how to exist in a space by just being me, as Xavi or as an actor. It was very special.

Jejune loves that you are an advocate for mental health. You created a talk titled "You Can't Be Out of Shape to Chase Your Dreams". Can you tell us more about your talk and your message?
The talk essentially breaks down what it means to chase your dreams and that you have to be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy to do so. Everyone knows how to be physically fit, but generally don’t know how to train their mental or emotional fitness, and be more certain of themselves as a person. The talk focuses more on the mental and emotional rather than the physical, and in it I stress that rest and giving yourself grace as a person, where you might be hard on yourself, is extremely important.

Mental health has been a huge issue during the pandemic. Do you have any advice for anyone struggling these days?
Getting over my own mental breakdown during the pandemic, I can now stress that it’s okay to not be okay. As cliche as that quote is, people need to hear it more, and it needs to become more mainstream. We need to recognize these emotions of stress and sadness and what the pandemic has done, and again allow ourselves that grace to accept that we are stepping into a new type of normal.

You also founded the Play On foundation, which supports neurological research & brain aneurysm prevention. Can you tell us about the foundation, what inspired it, and its mission? Why was this important to you?
The inspiration to start Play On Foundation came from the passing away of my friend, Nathan Noel, eight years ago. He died of a brain aneurysm, and I wasn’t satisfied with the diagnosis or the prognoses that an aneurysm can happen to anybody. I also learned from professionals that aneurysm research isn’t funded like strokes or tumor research, and the reality is that its costs an enormous amount of money, $5000.00 just to be checked if you even have an aneurysm through a CT or MRI, and even more on top if you want to fix the diagnosis. The goal of my foundation is to funnel funds directly into prevention and detection, and make being checked for an aneurysm as common as a PAP or Prostate exam.

What do you want the general public to know more about brain aneurysms? How can our readers get involved?
The definition of an aneurysm, which I didn’t understand at first, is a weakness in the blood vessel. Most of the time we associate an aneurysm only being what it is when it has ruptured, and that is a completely different diagnosis and fatal condition. People can actually have aneurysms their entire lives and don’t know it. In fact, 1 in 50 people have a brain aneurysm and we don’t know. No symptoms don’t mean there isn’t a risk; so, it’s important that we start getting checked out for the condition.

Back to my earlier point about cost being so outrageously high, President Biden who has suffered from two aneurysm’s in 1988, has since been able to get checked out to make sure there has been no recurrence of the disease. But, we as a general population don’t have the luxury or funds for that kind of recurring examination. In order for awareness and funds to be pushed forward, we need to donate directly to neurological foundations instead of general health organizations.

How have you been staying positive during shelter in place? Are you back to normal now?
Living on the road in my tiny home, accepting the way the world is, and not being fixed to a city waiting for auditions is my new normal. I’m trying to live life and accept that I have a luxury to explore. Hopefully this new normal translates to my future work.

What is your motto in life?
Hakuna Matata! And, from the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom; Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.

To learn more about Xavi, please follow him via the platforms below:
Letsplayon.org
Instagram: @playon2013 and @xdeguz

Photography by Ronnie Lee Photography.

Xavi de Guzman Trains His Mental Fitness