When it comes to Luis Quintero, comedy is his gig, but he’s so much more than just a joke teller. The 15-year-old freshman at Seven Lakes
High School is as much a serious actor as he is the self-described class clown.
And a polite class clown at that, according to Luis.
“I’ve been entertaining in some way since kindergarten. I’m a class clown in a sense, but I have fun with the teacher, and never in a
mocking way. I
’m kind of a show-off, but I’m also humble as well. I like serious theater too.”
It should come as no surprise that Luis’ favorite actor is Robert De Niro. The iconic actor is the total package
according to Luis because he can do serious acting and then turn it around and
be hilarious. Luis seems to be following in his footsteps.
Luis was first bitten by the comedy bug while in middle school. It was during a
time when classmates made fun of his weight. He decided if he could make the
jokes first, it would take the sting out. And it worked.
“I saw a comedian who was admitting he was fat and it was hilarious,” said Luis. “His delivery was right on target, amazing, so I started thinking maybe I could
do that. The next day before the insults started to fly from everyone else,
they first came from me, and boy it just made people mad that they couldn
’t dis me because I was doing it myself, and I was slowly starting to make my class
chuckle and then eventually laugh,
” said Luis, who has honed his skills and been making people laugh ever since,
but never at the expense of others.
What do you get when you combine the skills of a serious actor with the perfect
timing of a comic? You get Luis Quintero who can ad lib when someone flubs
their lines on stage. Whether it
’s a miscommunication backstage, a missed entrance or an awkward silence on
stage, when a fellow actor misses his cue, it is Luis to the rescue.
“When someone forgets their lines it’s a horrible feeling. I ad lib only when I can tell something isn’t going right. I’ll kind of say a line extra loud and obnoxiously to signify that we’re now in improv mode. I’ve ad-libbed countless times. I’ve actually saved the show a couple of times.”
Luis is more than just a funny man. His schedule is well-rounded. Besides high school theater and comedy, Luis
recently had a small part in a Walmart commercial, and is signed with a talent
agency. Both in school and off campus he spends a great deal of time
volunteering, and still manages to find time to play musical instruments. He
’s also claimed his spot on the football team the last couple of years.
One of Luis’ biggest fans is English teacher Todd Knobbe, who feels fortunate to have him in
his class.
“I truly believe he will be making money telling jokes someday. Luis is one of
the most imaginative students I
’ve ever taught,” he said.
Luis has lived many places internationally, such as Dubai, Indonesia, Venezuela
and England, and domestically in Louisiana, Georgia and Texas. He
’s learned to imitate many accents and every time his family moved, he saw it as
a great opportunity to see how other cultures interact.
So far, Luis said that Katy has been his favorite place to live. He lives with
his mom, Deborah, dad, Luis, and his brother, Pablo, who has Down syndrome.
Luis described his relationship with his 13-year-old brother as fantastic.
“The only obstacle between us is a lack of communication. Sometimes I can’t fully understand what he wants. I’m teaching him ASL (American Sign Language) so he can convey his mood,” said Luis, who wants to serve as a role model for Pablo.
Luis volunteers at the Down Syndrome Association of Houston’s annual Buddy Walk, a fundraiser to promote Down syndrome awareness and
acceptance. He also gives his time to the River Performing and Visual Arts
Center, a place where children with special needs get a fine arts education in
dance, music, art and drama.
After college, Luis would like to make his living doing comedy. Yet, he could
also see himself as a serious actor, theater teacher or even a pastor. Any of
those options would be fine with him since they all involve playing to an
audience.
“My future will be on stage in some form or fashion. The feeling you get when you’re playing to the audience, the atmosphere, people believing in you—it’s like magic.”
