We recently had the chance to connect with Allen Bonilla and have shared our conversation below.
Allen, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing purpose through storytelling — not fame, not applause, but that sacred space where real emotion connects with a stranger and makes them feel something they didn’t know they needed. I chase those moments that remind people they’re not alone. Because I know what it’s like to be overlooked, to feel like your voice is too quiet for the world to hear — and acting gave me a mic.
If I stopped?
If I stopped chasing that purpose, I wouldn’t just be putting down a script — I’d be turning down the very thing that saved me. From a middle school theater class meant to keep me out of trouble to sleeping at a bus station with nothing but a monologue and a dream, this craft has always been my anchor.
I’ve been the kid who had no business in the room but earned the room anyway. If I stopped, I’d be betraying that kid — and the ones watching now, hoping to find their own way in.
So no… stopping isn’t on the table.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Allen Bonilla, and I’m an actor, creator, and storyteller from the great state of Texas. My journey in entertainment began back in 2008, thanks to my grandmother who signed me up for theater to help steer me in a better direction. What started as a way to stay out of trouble quickly became my purpose. Since then, I’ve had the honor of performing in over a dozen productions, including Vindication, Red Stone, HardCastle, and The Runners, among others.
What makes my story unique is that I never had a traditional start — I literally ran away to a talent showcase in Louisiana at 16 years old, slept in a bus station, wrote a monologue, and walked into a room full of professionals. That one moment changed my life and landed me my first contract. From that day forward, I’ve been committed to the craft — training, showing up, and building a career that represents resilience, faith, and the power of second chances.
I’m currently represented by and Icon Studios Dallas, and I trained at Michelle Sherrill’s Actor Studio, one of the most respected acting schools in the region. Outside of acting, I’m also a voiceover artist, music creator, and entrepreneur building platforms to help other rising talent find their voice.
Right now, I’m working on several exciting projects, including film roles, commercial work, and expanding my brand as a Texas-based actor who brings grit, depth, and soul to the screen. I’m passionate about not just telling stories, but living one — and I want people to know that no matter where you start, your story matters, and it’s never too late to chase what sets your soul on fire.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the biggest moments that shaped how I see the world was the night I spent sleeping at a bus station in Shreveport, Louisiana. I was 16, chasing a dream with nothing but a monologue and pure faith. I didn’t have a place to stay, I didn’t know anyone, and I had no backup plan. But in that moment — alone, cold, and waiting for a chance — I realized that sometimes the world doesn’t open doors for you… you’ve got to kick them open yourself.
That experience taught me that hunger, heart, and belief will always outweigh circumstances. I saw that even when you’re down to nothing, if you still have vision and determination, you’re never really out of the game. It made me see people differently — because we never really know what someone is carrying behind their smile, or what fight they had to survive just to show up.
From that moment on, I knew I’d never let fear dictate my direction. I live by that to this day — and I pour that energy into every role I take on.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me humility, resilience, and the ability to stand still in the storm — things success could never teach me.
When you’ve been overlooked, slept on, or had to fight just to be in the room, you learn that your worth isn’t tied to applause, contracts, or camera time. Suffering stripped away the noise and taught me how to keep showing up even when no one’s watching — to do the work when there’s no reward yet, no spotlight, no guarantee. It taught me to dig into my spirit, not just my talent.
Success is loud and shiny, but suffering is quiet and honest. It introduced me to the real me — the one who refuses to quit even when it hurts, who writes monologues on bus benches, who keeps training even when the phone isn’t ringing. That version of me is unshakable — and that’s something success alone could’ve never built.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
One truth that’s so foundational to me I rarely say it out loud is this: I don’t believe in giving up — not on myself, not on people, and not on purpose.
It’s not something I announce, it’s just in how I move. I’ve been counted out, broke, overlooked — but I never let that define me. I’ve learned that pain, delays, and detours don’t mean “no”… they just mean “not yet.” That quiet truth keeps me going when things don’t make sense, when opportunities feel far, or when life throws punches I didn’t see coming.
Another truth is: you never know who’s watching you. I carry myself with that in mind, not for validation, but because I know my grind, my discipline, my story — it’s not just mine. Someone else might need it. Whether I’m acting, creating, or just talking to a stranger, I move like it matters… because it does.
And finally: everything I went through made me better. I don’t resent my struggles — I wear them like armor. They built the man, the actor, the voice I am today.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope when I’m gone, people don’t just talk about the roles I played or the projects I was part of — I hope they say, “He made people believe again.”
That I was the one who showed others that no matter where you come from, how many times you fall, or how hard life hits — you can still rise, still dream, and still win. I want people to say I didn’t just chase the spotlight — I created one that lit the path for others too.
I hope they tell the story of a kid from Texas who slept in a bus station for a dream… and never let the world break his spirit. That I stayed true, I stayed kind, I stayed real — even when it was hard.
I want to be remembered not just as a great actor, but as a man who kept showing up — for himself, for his people, for his purpose. Someone who made the grind look graceful… and gave every role, every moment, and every person his full heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://share.google/fOO6HJIWJhysycfmI
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allenbonillaactor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaseyAB25
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs4owHajljeFpCwLyfVu4lg
Image Credits
Bryan Chatlien @ www.brtanchatlien.com
