By Kathy Chouteau
Alonso Saravia of Hercules, an actor who got his first acting job via a story on the Standard, recently appeared on the TV show “Let’s Make a Deal” and competed for the grand prize of the episode: a car.
Saravia wasn’t alone in this appearance on the show—he donned a cowboy hat and was accompanied by a plastic horse with big ears—so he could appear as a Mexican cowboy, or charro. “The idea of coming out with a horse came from wanting to stand out and also [wanting] to represent my cultural background,” he said.
The local actor-turned-charro even pretended to consult his horse before guessing cards in a game competing for a car. Ultimately, Saravia didn’t win it, but he came incredibly close by getting three out of four cards right in the game.
And the inside scoop? Saravia—who has appeared with the likes of Brad Pitt, Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Lopez in various movies—said his appearance on Let’s Make a Deal was an acting gig. He auditioned for it and was selected by the casting directors.
The episode was filmed at CBS Studios in Los Angeles and Saravia appeared on the show June 14, 2024 on Paramount Plus and CBS. He said the episode is still viewable on Paramount Plus for anyone who wants to check it out.
“It was overall an amazing experience working with Wayne Brady and everyone else on the show,” said Saravia, who said Brady thanked him afterwards for coming out from the Bay Area to make an appearance on his show.
Next up, Saravia will play a doctor in the feature film “No Address,” coming to theatres in February 2025.
