By Alexandra Bonnet
In life, we are faced with many obstacles and experiences that push us out of our comfort zone. “I was nervous. Shaking in my boots. It was a struggle to keep the jitters down,” shared Deaken Bluman about his first time on set of the infamous “13 Reasons Why.” Being the newbie, he knew he had to just get through it and pay his dues, earn it. “Now flash forward to the fourth season. I was even more terrified than my very first day,” he shared laughingly. At this point, they went looking for a guru and it was John F Bocca. who kept Deaken “cool through episodes 2-10. Still is. Thanks, John.”
Truly showcasing his talent in the series, the young actor was able to learn a lot from this experience. “A ton. From showing up. Set parodical. “Social skilling/skiing.” From just the basis of knowing how to learn lines. Being surrounded by artists,” he expressed. Everyone on set played a huge role in this process “from other actors to the genius who put up the lights.” Bluman admits he gained a lot from this but as he put it “doesn’t mean I won’t be scared shitless next time.”
Open and honest, Bluman is truly a breath of fresh air. Staying true to himself, he painted us a picture of his childhood so we could get to know the “OG Bluman.” Now, I could go ahead and paraphrase his response but I think we will all agree he couldn’t have said it better himself… “I loved the smells of the apple orchards in fall. The crisp snowy wind in winter. The lead and lunchbox plastic of a classroom. The shag carpet of home. Grandma’s famous cooking. Recipes that are a hundred years old by now. The logs of my cabin. The pine trees…mmm. I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Yep, I was born in a zoo.” You got the chills too, right?
Bluman shared these moments with his brother, Dempsey, who also happens to be the most influential person in his life. “We have the best times. We could be anyone in the sacred ground that the forest granted,” he shared excitedly. Before hitting the big screen, it’s safe to say that the talented actor came from a very nurturing and wholesome background. Having no idea what direction his life would take, Bluman found himself in the entertainment industry and as he shared openly “I had no idea what I wanted to be. Still don’t. Isn’t that the greatest thing about this craft? You can be whatever you want to be.”
Taking life head-on, we all face obstacles at some point and what matters is how we decide to overcome them. For Bluman, it’s “Bite by bite. Chew then swallow. Enjoying the rollercoaster of hell might be a dandy trick.” There is still time to master this; something many of us are still trying to do day by day. It’s a learning process right? We are constantly evolving as people, discovering new things about yourself, and how we view the world. Layer after layer, there is always something new to discover about ourselves and for others to discover about us.
So what is something about our dear Bluman most people don’t know? He likes to fold laundry. Bet you weren’t expecting that answer. During a summer when he was just starting to make money, all the good jobs were taken so he got a job at the Fairfield Inn in Traverse City, Michigan. He and his co-worker worked in the basement of this “skanky hotel, blazing hot dryers going all day, folding, smoking Pall Malls in a hundred degree heat with the humidity over that.” But when it was time to quit Bluman just jumped in with his clothes. “The best thing that came out of it is that I know how to fold a fitted sheet better than anyone I know. By far,” he shared boldly.
Embracing the philosophy of carpe diem, Deaken Bluman brings boldness, authenticity, and talent to the table. When asked what his dream role would be, he shared that it would only be characters he has seen before. “I think taking the things that I really loved about the people I’ve seen in movies and adding them to a person I would create, is a dream. Even the opportunity in doing that is a dream,” he expressed. Excited to see where his endeavors take him next, Bluman inspires those around him to remain true to themselves and seize the day!
TEAM CREDITS
Photography & Styling TONY DURAN www.tonyduran.net
Creative Direction ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC @alekandsteph
Grooming KELA WONG @kelawong using Tom Ford Beauty & Balmain Hair Couture
Production @BELLOmediagroup x @maisonpriveepr_la x @bonnetalex18
CLOTHING CREDITS
DULCE BESTIA SAPPHIRE STUDIOS FREE LANCE JEAN BAPTISTE RAUTUREAU PREMIERE APPAREL ICELINK OREN KASH SUSU HANDBAGS NO!JEANS CHARLES AND RON IRIS TRENDS
Order your print copy Of BELLO August 2020 with Deaken HERE.