Meet Brandon Perea, Pinoy star of Jordan Peele's 'Nope'

Brandon Perea is one of the main stars of Universal Pictures' latest film 'Nope' alongside Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer.

The actor, whose mother is Filipina, admitted that he got emotional when he saw himself on posters and billboards for the film, which was written and directed by Jordan Peele. Perea was previously seen in the Netflix series 'The OA.'

"I feel like I cried. It was just this moment of like, all my hard work, it was kind of like a lifetime of work to get to that moment and I know at face value, it's got a big picture hanging up and I'm like, I represent so much more than that though," he said.

"You just have these visions in your mind and it's just all this work that's led to a big moment like that. I was like, I have to cherish this. And it's my first one on the biggest stage. So it's just a blessing."

Perea believes that his being Filipino-Puerto Rican-American made a difference in the way he was perceived or treated during auditions.

"It was always funny when it was ethnically ambiguous. It was like the thing I'd get. I'm glad that Jordan (Peele) took the chance with me and really trusted me to carry this role in this type of film.  I hope that I can continue to do more. I just feel like it's good change and we're heading in the right direction and Jordan is kind of spearheading that. So just grateful to be a part of that."

In 'Nope,' he plays Angel, an electronics store employee who, together with Kaluuya and Palmer's characters, found something strange in their neighborhood.

"Being able to portray how someone who deals with trauma and really trying to discover their purpose, and then once they kind of found something that they can do something about it and help, it was just full go ahead, put the life on the line and try to complete this mission and just learning more as he went. He's the smartest person in the room. But he ran into people that he respects their minds as well and how they operate in life. It's just cool to see this dynamic and the switch. I'm excited for people to kind of be introduced to Angel and then see the transitions as it continues to go," Perea said.

The film also stars Steven Yeun who plays a former child actor who can’t seem to stay away from the spotlight.

"He's built by the outside world. He is made by others in a way. Maybe he listens to other people's expectations and desires about who he should be more than he does about his own self," Yeun said.

'Nope' premieres in US theaters on July 22.