Interview with the Mexican actor Diego Luna, who has also had a great outcome in
his career and snuck through as a Latin artist in the great world of
Hollywood
When
in
Hollywood
there are desires to turn an actor into a super-star, they are worth all
attempts. And Diego Luna is the best example. Since he surprised in the Mexican
movie Y tu mamá también, they were opening the most important doors of
the cinema world to him, hiring him for Frida, next to Salma Hayek,or
appearing next to Kevin Costner in
Open
Range.
They tried to turn him into the new Patrick Swayze with the second version of Dirty Dancing
called Havana Nights. Even George Clooney chose to
produce him in his own movie: Criminal (the American version of the
Argentina Nine Queens). Later Steven Spielberg called him to work with
Tom Hanks in The Terminal. The surname Luna is sufficient to shine as a
star, but at least in this interview he demonstrates that his ego has not yet
risen to the clouds.
Do you like
Hollywood?
Diego: "Finally I could know the city and I saw that there is a whole world
behind the hotels and the world of cinema. In fact, I realized that in the
center of Los
Angeles
there is a duplicate of
Mexico, with people walking along the streets, with Mexican businesses and the
best tacos."
Do
you handle Spanish well there?
Diego: "In
truth, they do not all speak Spanish. It is quite strange. It depends if they
are first, second, or third generation Mexican. There are people who only want
to speak English, too. I always try to speak Spanish, until they ask me to film
a movie."
Were
you dreaming of coming to Hollywood when you were working in Mexico? And what
does it seem like to you, now that you have come?
Diego: "Now
that I arrived, I want to return (laughing). No, no. The truth, I never
dreamed of working in
Hollywood. My dreams always were based in working with certain directors, like
the Coen brothers, for example. And they are here, so certainly it makes to me
happy to have come. But also, I am happy traveling other places than Mexico,
Latin America
and
Spain.
I do not have any goal of triumphing in the United States.
My goal is to film good movies and to tell stories that I like. It can happen in
any place."
Then
are you going to return to Mexico? You do not change definitively to Hollywood?
Diego: "No.
I am going to continue living in
Mexico. I have my house there, even though I do not spend too much time there
because I work too much outside. But it is the place that I call home."
How
do you compare American cinema with Hispanic?
Diego: "There
is a great difference. Now I am going to film a big movie in
Mexico,
Only God Knows, that costs three million dollars and in
Hollywood
that looks like change (coins). It is hard. Every dollar, rather every peso,
that we spend, we invest in something that appears on the screen. What they
spend on with catering service in
Hollywood,
we film an entire movie on. Another great difference is that in my country
nobody lives off the cinema. And if you like this work, it is necessary to look
for another economic income, like a restaurant or to ask relatives for support."
Some
favorite between all the big actors?
Diego: "Tom
Hanks. A very good person that works very hard, and maintains gentleness. You
notice that he enjoys what he does. Seeing him work has taught me a lot, in
spite of only noticing how he rehearses or does a character. I like watching.
It is the best lesson I can have."
Since Y tú mamá también, Alfonso Cuarón jumped to directing the last version of
Harry Potter and and your partner Gael García Bernal also continues your steps
in
Hollywood.
Is there a certain competition among you?
Diego: "Not at all. They are my friends. With Gael we only compete in soccer.
He thinks he’s better than me, but he’s mistaken. I saw him in his movies and
he seemed grandiose to me. I admire him a lot."
Is
there anything big that you have bought yourself with one of your movies?
Diego: "No.
Parties, yes. I invite my friends. We entertain ourselves together. I like
long lunches that turn into dinners. Eating and drinking, talking and eating,
until 2:00
AM,
asking for a taxi because I cannot go by car. I travel with only one suitcase,
nothing more. I don’t have anything big."
ANGELICAL
With
a water bottle in his hand, at the Four Seasons Hotel of Beverly Hills, he looks
very young behind his 24 years that don't even show. Although the beard that so
unequally grows on him has been left.
His
angelical charisma perhaps reflects from his dear mother who takes care of it
from 'above' (she died in a car accident when Diego was two years old). And the
taste for performance he inherited from his father, a theatrical designer.
Since boyhood he worked in Mexico as an actor, with local productions and soap
operas. But the movie Y tu mamá también, with Gael García Bernal and the
direction of Alfonso Cuarón was the big international blast-off.
Source:
http://www-ni.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2004/octubre/07/revista
