Germain Arroyo on Working with Sharon Stone on Netflix's "Ratched" and Returning to CBS' "S.W.A.T." (Video)

"Acting made me feel like I could kind of be someone else without being myself," Arroyo said of their early days pursuing their career and navigating their identity. "Growing up I was, by nature, very flamboyant, but I wasn't very out loud with it. I had to hide and not be myself, tone it down. Acting gave me that fantasy world where I could be somebody else and be seen without being seen."

In Ryan Murphy's Ratched, Germain plays Diego, a servant to Henry and Lenore, played by Brandon Flynn and Sharon Stone, respectively, and has a gruesome scene in which Diego kills Stone's character. "I remember we were rehearsing and people were coming to me and explaining the stunt and then someone else would say, 'Don't stab her too hard! You don't want to hurt her.' There was a lot happening," they recalled. "And then before they called 'action' Sharon grabbed me, looked me in the eyes and said, 'This is your moment. Screw what everyone else just said. Have your moment, get your close-up and just make it happen.'"

Fast forward to today and Arroyo makes a return to the hit CBS series S.W.A.T. after their first appearance in 2019. Procedural network dramas go through a dozen guest stars and co-stars every episode, so your time on the series is usually a one-and-done. But occasionally, writers find a way to bring a character back, as was the case with Germain when they reprised their role as Miguel. "I've always wanted to be an action star, but the first time I did [the show] I wasn't a part of the action," they explained. "Things were happening all around me and it was super exciting. But this time my character was brought back, so they gave me a much larger story and part in the episode. I got to be part of the action this time around."

You can see Germain in action in the latest episode of S.W.A.T., available on Paramount+. Ratched is available to binge on Netflix.

Watch the full interview above or listen wherever you download your podcasts, including Audacy,iHeartRadio,Spotify,Apple, GooglePodcasts, Pandora, Stitcher and TuneIn.

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