Camping: Arturo Del Puerto dishes about latest role and working with all-star cast

Arturo Del Puerto of Camping spoke to Show Snob about working on his dream come true and what it was like to work with an all-star cast!

Camping premiered its season one finale back in December, but the humor and joy it brought to viewers still resonates with us in the new year. The series follows a group of individuals on a birthday camping trip, but things don’t exactly go as planned.

Starring Jennifer Garner, David Tennant, and a motley crew of talented stars, Camping takes viewers by surprise with it’s comedic yet engaging storyline.

We had the opportunity to speak with one of the amazing and talented cast members, Arturo Del Puerto who plays the tragic and conflicted character of Miguel.

Del Puerto spoke to us about his experience on Camping and how it fulfilled a long-time dream of his. And just so you know, he’s every bit hilarious and enthusiastic as his character.

Del Puerto was a pleasure to speak with and had so much optimism for his role as Miguel. In fact, working on HBO was a dream of his and he’s happy to report it came true!

Check out our interview with Del Puerto below and head to HBO to watch the entire first season of Camping!

Camping has been such a hilarious and fun show to watch. Did you have as much fun being in it as we had watching it?

I think I had a little bit more fun. :: insert laughs:: It was such a fun set to be on. Everyone connected and we all enjoyed each other’s company and were constantly joking around. We were working hard and some days were long hours and nights, but it was all just so organic and fun. It turned out to be a very enjoyable experience.

What attracted you to the show and made you want to be a part of it? Was it the script or the cast? What was your audition like?

When I moved to Los Angeles I set a goal to be a series regular on an HBO show. So when the audition came and I found out about the cast and creators (Lena and Jenny), I knew instantly it was amazing. So I was attracted from the get-go because of these factors.

It was curious because before I got the audition and before I even knew this project existed I was in Vancouver shooting The Flash. I normally don’t go out and buy a lot of clothes but I was in need of clothes. I have a friend who lives there and is a stylist so I was buying clothes for myself. So when I got back to Los Angeles and I got the audition call, the breakdown of the character was a guy that just went through a crisis and dresses like a hipster from Vancouver. :: insert laughs:: What are the odds?

I got the material for the audition like the day before so it was not a lot of time to work on 11 pages of material. Miguel is not a simple character and he’s very layered so it was very intense. And it was a short amount of time to factor all of that in. The next day I was all over the place but when I got into the room, things just clicked and it was such a beautiful audition. When you connect with the material it’s just magic.

When I left the room, I got a call from my agent saying they put a pin on me and then two hours later I was home waiting and my agent called saying I got the part. It can take up to a month or more sometimes before you find out so that was amazing! When things are meant to be, they happen and you have to be ready for it.

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There were so many different characters and personalities on Camping and the chemistry you all share is unbelievable! Was it a challenge to make it all come together and also stand out as your own character amidst everyone else?

We had two weeks of rehearsal which is very uncommon for a tv show. But it was a great way to break the ice and get to know each other. It allowed us to explore the characters and make mistakes and have time to really find the essence of our characters.

For me, it allowed me to understand what Miguel is going through and what his circumstances were before he was thrown into this trip.

It was a challenge in terms of finding where to connect. I’m not married or anything but we’ve both had our hearts broken. He is going through a heartbreak and a phase where he doesn’t really know who he is or what he wants. So he is getting to explore all these different areas that were not available to him if not for Jandice. I just had to try and find his journey and what he is going through. There were a lot of factors and people he was forced to deal with like Jandice and Catherine—so it was definitely interesting.

How was it like working with Juliette Lewis? You guys are absolutely hilarious on the show and have powerful chemistry!

It was great! It was a very joint creative process and we were both able to explore parts of the relationship that maybe wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have that rehearsal. From the beginning, we established a very friendly relationship and tried to be free with each other and respect each other. It was a very good experience overall. The same goes for everyone else too, it was just a blessing to work with all of them.

The fishing scene was one of my favorites from the season. How was filming that scene and what was that day like?

That scene and that day we filmed it was one of my favorites from the season. We had so much fun and we were up at a lake and it was absolutely beautiful and amazing. It was actually super sunny and we were standing in the water for hours, but we were having so much fun doing it.

It was a very important scene for Miguel because it’s a turning point in the whole dynamic between all of them. Will comments on how much sex we’re having or rather how little sex we’re having and Walter’s confession at that moment is a big one. While we were having so much fun doing the scene we also knew it was a scene with guys talking about what we’re going through and feeling. It was basically getting “naked” in front of each other.

But that day was so great though, we had a floating dock with a dolly on top of it so we had a lot of technical support and the production value was amazing. I’m glad you brought up this scene because that means the joy we were having is translating to the audience and they became a part of it.

Are you the type of person who enjoys the outdoors? Was this a type of show that was completely new for you or were you comfortable from the get-go?

I actually enjoy the outdoors very much! I take my puppy out all the time and have rented out a house in the desert with some friends. As a kid, I used to go fishing and water skiing and mountain climbing. So very much an outdoorsy person!

What was the most memorable thing that happened while filming for the Camping?

Oh man, there were so many moments that I remember! I cut my foot during the lake scene and I got bit by red ants. Jen Garner brought us all honey from home on set one day from her own bees. There were so many little beautiful moments and I have a lot of fun memories from it. I’d say it was an accumulation of all the little things.

If there is a second season, what do you think the story would be and how would this exact group be convinced to come together again?

Oh man, I don’t know, that’s a tough question. The writers will figure it out I guess. But if it was up to me then maybe a funeral? It’d be one of the very few situations that would force us all to come together again.

Be sure to head to HBO and check out season 1 of Camping–you won’t regret it!