El Paso, TX (KFOX14/CBS4) — Robert Arevalo, an El Paso native, has carved a unique path in the entertainment industry, blending his skills in martial arts, acting, and filmmaking.
Arevalo, who attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School and graduated from Hanks High School, moved to Los Angeles at 18. There, he trained in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Kali under Bruce Lee’s protégés and earned a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the Machado brothers (cousins of the Gracie’s).
Arevalo’s journey into screenplay writing was inspired by an encounter with Sylvester Stallone. “I used to work at a bar in Beverly Hills, and Stallone used to come in there all the time,” Arevalo said. “One day I followed him out and I said, ‘Hey, do you mind if I talk to you for a second?’… I said, ‘I would love to be a legend like you.’ He kind of laughed and said, ‘I wrote Rocky for the way I walked and the way I talked…