Mi Guía Magazine November 2004

At 25 Diego Luna is the most important Mexican actor in Hollywood ~ November 2004

One would be committing an error by saying that Diego Luna’s career began to have success when he stared in the movie Y tu mamá también, along side Gael García. And the fact is, this one truly opened the doors to Hollywood for him. But his story started being written when at 7 years old he took part in the staging of De Película, alternating with actors of exceptional quality, such as Julieta Egurrola and Damián Alcázar. He entered this work not so much of his own interest, but because being in the theater brought him near his father who was a theatre designer. In that then, as the main character in Criminal, a film carried out under the production of George Clooney, he never imagined that his life would be dedicated to performance. But it is from this moment that his career begins to take off and together with it, the passion for playing different characters. Diego is characterized by his image of tenderness and wild abandon that has captivated the public and directors like Steven Spielberg or Kevin Costner. And that fact is, from a simple view, he seemed to be an irresponsible young man, although he is quite the opposite. Yet at 25 he’s already done 16 movies, 15 plays and 3 soap operas.

Although many think like all the rest of the Mexican actors looking to conquer Hollywood, he assures that his entrance to American cinema happened as pure coincidence, as he commented to Gustavo Adolfo Infante’s radio program: “I never went away wanting to do it in the US. It was a big advantage and luck I had doing Y tu mamá también since it made a lot of noise. Hence we travel to Toronto and New York, and in one of these presentations someone said to me: ‘You have to meet Kevin Costner who wants to do a movie with you.’ It was as I say; really I did not look for it.” Although he hardly ever likes speaking about his private life, in this interview with Mi Guía Diego revealed to us the following thing. “Once a cousin and I were harassing girls in school and chasing them. The purpose was to give them a kiss, but one time they punished me and I left school. It made me sad because it seemed that I was a bully and that situation was horrible.”

From a child you liked being flirtatious?
DL: “I do not know if it was flirtatious, but to chase women was entertaining. Besides, the kisses were modest, not with the tongue. And when we saw the girls’ panties, very little was seen, as at this age they were not wearing mini-skirts. But seeing the thigh was the maximum thing!”

Do you still like modest kisses or passionate ones?
DL: “Passionate kisses clearly! I love everything. I like that things are passionate. I do not like lukewarm relationships. They are more comfortable than real.”

Do you like young or mature women?
DL: “Those my age are my favorite, although generally I like being with intelligent women. It’s not important how old they are.”

Have they stolen a kiss from you?
DL: “Of course, although one always ends up being the outrageous one.”

What Steven Spielberg says about Diego:
“Diego is a charming, professional boy with much future. I hired him for The Terminal simply because the work he’s done in Mexico seemed sensational to me, and here he did it very well. I am very pleased with his work. He is a boy with a lot of energy and talent and I hope that another project will happen so that he works with me.”

What Tom Hanks says about Diego:
“The only thing I know in Spanish is Diego Luna’s name. I loved working with him. He is a charming boy and Mexicans should be proud of him. I hope we can share the screen on another occasion, as I would love working with him again.”

What Gustavo Adolfo Infante says about Diego:
Diego “is an artist in the whole extension of the word. He has not lost his footing and knows what he wants. He possesses a charm like Gael; both are very disciplined and prepare themselves to the end. Diego proves to be just as he is, for he does not try to pretend to be a pseudo-intellectual like many others.”