Today's Read Team 
Andrés Mejía Vallejo, internationally recognized for his work as an actor, writer, and athlete, has released his debut memoir titled The Upstairs Neighbor, offering a deeply personal account of navigating the tensions and discomforts of communal living in Hollywood, California. With this book, Mejía Vallejo brings a new layer to his multidisciplinary career, presenting readers with an introspective narrative rooted in everyday challenges that many urban residents face.
The memoir explores life inside a typical Los Angeles apartment building, where thin walls and compromised construction allow even the smallest sounds to become constant disruptions. In vivid and unfiltered detail, The Upstairs Neighbor focuses on Mejía Vallejo’s lived experiences, particularly his strained encounters with a persistently loud neighbor whose behavior tested the limits of patience, composure, and personal well-being.
Known for his performances in acclaimed productions such as Jane The Virgin, Apple TV’s Ghostwriter, and competitive television formats like El Domo Del Dinero, Andrés Mejía Vallejo has consistently built a public profile around versatility, persistence, and creative integrity. This latest venture into literature signals a new chapter in that ongoing evolution. Unlike his previous work in scripted environments, the memoir serves as a direct expression of personal experience, capturing the realities of city life with honesty and restraint.
The book, which is available in both English and Spanish (El vecino del segundo piso), offers readers a bilingual opportunity to connect with the author’s story. The dual-language publication reflects Mejía Vallejo’s commitment to accessibility and cultural authenticity. It also strengthens the book’s resonance with a broader audience, particularly within bilingual and Latin American communities.
Mejía Vallejo’s reflections on noise, privacy, and the psychological toll of shared living spaces unfold through carefully crafted prose. Through firsthand storytelling, he documents the emotional consequences of being unable to find quiet or respite within one’s own home—an experience that many readers may recognize, but few have articulated with such clarity.
Speaking about the motivation behind the book, Mejía Vallejo noted, “This was not just about one neighbor—it was about everything that comes with feeling invaded in your own space. Writing gave me a way to process it, to shape the experience into something meaningful and hopefully helpful to others.”
While the narrative is rooted in a very specific scenario, The Upstairs Neighbor addresses broader themes of frustration, resilience, emotional boundary-setting, and the human need for solitude. In portraying the internal conflicts brought on by constant noise and tension, Mejía Vallejo adds a literary voice to the ongoing conversation around mental health in high-density urban settings.
His background in performance has clearly influenced the structure and rhythm of the book. Each chapter builds with the pacing and nuance of a dramatic arc, allowing readers to not only visualize the scenes described but to also feel the emotional shifts taking place. This fusion of lived reality and narrative craft results in a memoir that is both engaging and reflective.
Prior to the book’s publication, Andrés Mejía Vallejo was already recognized as a multifaceted talent. After moving from Colombia to the United States at the age of 19, he began building a life defined by adaptability and perseverance. From learning English independently to obtaining legal residency and moving through roles in music publicity, television production, acting, and competitive athletics, his trajectory is one shaped by persistence and creative drive.
In television, he earned recognition for both acting and athleticism. His appearance on Telemundo’s El Domo Del Dinero, a four-month-long competition program, marked him as a standout participant. He recently filmed a competitive athletic series in Moscow, representing the United States on an international stage. These achievements complement his growing body of work across theater and film in both English and Spanish.
However, with The Upstairs Neighbor, Mejía Vallejo shifts focus from performance to authorship, using the written word to engage with the world in a more introspective form. The book underscores his desire to explore artistic mediums that allow for direct connection, raw expression, and personal storytelling.
Readers interested in experiencing The Upstairs Neighbor can access the book via Amazon, where both language editions are currently available. For continued updates about his literary and entertainment work, his official Instagram profile is available here.
The memoir marks a milestone in the expanding creative portfolio of Andrés Mejía Vallejo. By shedding light on an often-overlooked aspect of urban life, he offers a reflective, engaging, and ultimately relatable perspective on the pursuit of peace in an increasingly chaotic world.