WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:04.040 This is Latino USA, the radio journal of News and 2 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:09.280 Courture Latino US. Latin Latino USA. I'm Maria Inojosa. We 3 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:13.000 bring you stories that are underreported but that mattered to you, 4 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:15.040 overlooked by the wrest of the media. And while the 5 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:17.360 country is struggling to deal with these, we listen to 6 00:00:17.400 --> 00:00:20.960 the stories of Black and Latino Studio United Latino Front, 7 00:00:21.200 --> 00:00:25.520 a cultural renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement. 8 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:27.440 I'm Maria Ino Jossa. 9 00:00:31.040 --> 00:00:34.880 Every time they need a gang member, called Latino a narco, 10 00:00:35.120 --> 00:00:40.600 color Latino, an abuser, a murder an abuser, called Latino. 11 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:44.120 A poor, downtrodden immigrant, refugee color. 12 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:47.080 Latino, and we were more than that, and I was 13 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.319 always fighting for that. I promise myself if I am 14 00:00:50.360 --> 00:00:52.800 able one day to produce my own movies in the US, 15 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:55.600 I'm going to try to change that narrative. 16 00:01:00.040 --> 00:01:04.920 Futuro Media and PRX, It's Latino USA. I'm Maria no Josa. Today, 17 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:17.680 Mexican actor and comedian Ehango Derves gets serious. Ellego Derves 18 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.319 is one of the most famous Mexican artists and comedians 19 00:01:22.360 --> 00:01:25.840 of our generation. And though we do not like to 20 00:01:25.880 --> 00:01:29.759 do comparisons. In case there's someone who knows nothing about 21 00:01:29.800 --> 00:01:33.560 Ilheingo der Revez, he would be the equivalent of Steve Martin, 22 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:36.480 for example, unable to walk down the streets of Mexico 23 00:01:36.520 --> 00:01:41.480 City without getting recognized. He is an actor, a writer, 24 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:44.160 a director, and a producer. He got his start at 25 00:01:44.160 --> 00:01:47.200 the forefront of many comedy series that have made families 26 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:52.320 laugh for decades on television. Some of them include Alderecho, Ijlderves, 27 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:57.640 Dereves and Guando and La Familia Pluce. You can still 28 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:02.080 catch some of Oheno's shows on reruns today. Ilhenho isn't 29 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:04.600 only famous in Mexico, though, he's a well known name 30 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:08.399 across Latin America and in many Spanish speaking households. Right 31 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.200 here in the US. You have been talking reorder. 32 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:14.560 I'm a big fan and I like its range and 33 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.280 the grow that he has done since he first started. 34 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:18.920 He's making Mexico proud. 35 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:27.280 Either Mexico Latin America. That's right. You might recognize Derbase 36 00:02:27.440 --> 00:02:30.639 as the voice of Donkey in the Spanish language version 37 00:02:30.760 --> 00:02:33.520 of the Shrek movies. He wrote his own jokes for 38 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:36.800 the role, and some say his version is even better 39 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:38.480 than the original English version. 40 00:02:38.600 --> 00:02:47.919 Oh Wowesta. 41 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.920 In recent Yearshino has reinvented himself in the US, a 42 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:56.720 process that was not easy. While he was a mega 43 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:00.239 star in Mexico, he was just some guy name named 44 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.880 Ilho in Hollywood and in the United States. So he 45 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.200 sees the opportunity to completely transform his career by becoming 46 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:11.800 a dramatic actor. A big opportunity came knocking with the 47 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:15.960 movie Coda. He played the supporting role of a music teacher. 48 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:20.120 Do you have something to say? I think so good, 49 00:03:20.720 --> 00:03:23.440 then I'll see you in class Bob. 50 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.960 Coda went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture 51 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:32.360 in twenty twenty two. Now, Elhango Dedabase has returned to 52 00:03:32.480 --> 00:03:37.760 Mexico to star in Radcal, his first leading dramatic role. 53 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:41.200 In the movie. Again, he plays the role of a teacher. 54 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:44.200 His name is Serchio and one of his students is 55 00:03:44.200 --> 00:03:47.920 Baloma Nojola, a brilliant student with a lot of potential. 56 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:51.680 This time the film is based on a true story. 57 00:03:52.160 --> 00:03:54.880 Here now is my conversation with Ilhango de Bas. We 58 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:58.160 talk about his work, his drive, and how he keeps 59 00:03:58.160 --> 00:04:04.880 his feet on the ground. I'm really happy that you're here, Iheno. 60 00:04:05.040 --> 00:04:08.400 It's so very happy to finally meet in person. 61 00:04:09.040 --> 00:04:14.040 So Eheno, we interviewed you in twenty thirteen, in twenty seventeen, 62 00:04:14.920 --> 00:04:17.600 and now you're back again, So that doesn't happen a 63 00:04:17.640 --> 00:04:21.080 lot on Latino USA. I was thinking about this. You're 64 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:22.279 an artist that I respect. 65 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.440 I got to says Maria Calinda. Thank you very much 66 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:27.000 for your kind words. 67 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:27.640 Thank you. 68 00:04:28.200 --> 00:04:30.000 One of the things that we're going to talk about 69 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.279 in this interview is the notion of reinvention. 70 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:33.680 Yeah. 71 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:36.480 Absolutely, I wanted to talk to you a little bit 72 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:40.159 going back to your twenty seventeen interview where you talked 73 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:45.679 about leaving Dololokitini is behind in Mexico, all of the fame. 74 00:04:46.080 --> 00:04:49.760 You cannot walk down a street in Mexico without being mobbed. 75 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:52.120 Now that you have a little bit of distance, right 76 00:04:52.520 --> 00:04:55.000 the time that you left Mexico to move to Hollywood, 77 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:58.719 the successes that you've had, But can you go back 78 00:04:58.760 --> 00:05:01.279 to those first day where you were like me boy, 79 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.599 and I'm gonna move to la and start all over again, 80 00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:06.920 Like do you remember those emotions? 81 00:05:06.960 --> 00:05:07.599 Absolutely? 82 00:05:07.880 --> 00:05:10.719 It was hard to process because back then, every time 83 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:12.880 I was traveling to the US for a meeting with 84 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:16.599 an executive producer, for example, in Hollywood, and you know, 85 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.559 at the airport they were like, mister, the rest here 86 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:25.440 there and a whole antourage around me, paparazzis blah blah blah. 87 00:05:25.520 --> 00:05:27.800 And then as soon as I landed in la it 88 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:32.279 was just me carrying my luggage asking for a taxi, 89 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:37.760 you know, then arriving to the producer's offices and they 90 00:05:37.760 --> 00:05:39.960 don't even know how to write my name or pronounce it. 91 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.520 They were like, what can you write it down and 92 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:45.520 then sit down, wait, and they kept me waiting there 93 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:49.640 for half an hour. But that helped me a lot 94 00:05:49.760 --> 00:05:54.560 to understand that a tira, which your feet on the ground, 95 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.360 my fee in the ground. Because I was aware that 96 00:05:57.400 --> 00:06:01.200 I was not more than anyone else that in one country, 97 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:06.120 I was trendy, super famous, famous, and then the other one, 98 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:10.919 it's just a human being, that's it. So it was 99 00:06:10.960 --> 00:06:13.279 really hard for me to process that. But at the 100 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:15.520 same time it was very I enjoyed it a lot. 101 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.400 It was like living these two worlds sometimes in the 102 00:06:18.400 --> 00:06:20.680 same day. So it was a very curious experience. 103 00:06:21.760 --> 00:06:23.479 One of the things that has happened in your time 104 00:06:23.520 --> 00:06:26.000 here in the United States, because it's been what a 105 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:29.520 decade now A decade now, Okay, So when you move 106 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.760 to the United States, you're breaking out of the comedic 107 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:36.960 box and you're doing work that is increasingly more serious. Right, 108 00:06:37.400 --> 00:06:39.360 So what you do is that when you move to 109 00:06:39.400 --> 00:06:41.680 the United States, you form your own production company. It's 110 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:46.800 called Trespassos three pas three pass no medias, three pussy. 111 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.440 I'm really getting schooled by you, man, I wear pus. 112 00:06:51.440 --> 00:06:58.240 Oh my god, you guys. So it's t R three pas. 113 00:06:57.400 --> 00:07:01.800 Three in English and then pass true And because it's 114 00:07:02.320 --> 00:07:05.640 bilingual company, we decided to do that and three puss. 115 00:07:05.640 --> 00:07:08.840 It's guts because. 116 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:11.080 Every important decision that you're make in your life is 117 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:12.720 with your guts, with your three passes. 118 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.600 Oh my god, is that cool? So part of your 119 00:07:15.640 --> 00:07:18.760 ethos right of actually trusting your gut, is that you 120 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.840 say yes to playing the role of Bernardo Bielovos in Coda, 121 00:07:22.880 --> 00:07:26.480 about a community that is set aside the deaf community. 122 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:27.280 Yeah. 123 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:30.280 Do you know what Bowis said about up Dylan a 124 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:32.080 voice like sand and glue. 125 00:07:32.960 --> 00:07:35.960 There are plenty of pretty voices with nothing to say. 126 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:38.160 Do you have something to say? 127 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:39.840 Then? 128 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.320 In twenty twenty two, Coda wins the Oscar for Best 129 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:48.880 picture an extraordinary moment, so oh yeaheno when you're just like, 130 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:51.440 oh my god, I'm on the stage at the Oscars, 131 00:07:51.520 --> 00:07:52.760 what was that moment? Like? 132 00:07:53.880 --> 00:07:57.520 It was the most unbliable thing ever in my entire life. 133 00:07:57.840 --> 00:08:01.360 I mean, first of all, he didn't expect it at all. 134 00:08:01.640 --> 00:08:04.840 And I swear, and let me tell you why. It's easy. 135 00:08:05.440 --> 00:08:08.800 We were a small independent movie, but you know, not 136 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.480 big commercial Hollywood names, and the other movies were full 137 00:08:12.520 --> 00:08:17.160 of them, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. The other 138 00:08:17.200 --> 00:08:20.600 one was like Meryl Strip, another one that al Pacino, 139 00:08:20.840 --> 00:08:24.720 another one Adam Driver, Lady Gaga. I mean, we were 140 00:08:24.840 --> 00:08:27.480 against the biggest Hollywood actors ever. 141 00:08:28.640 --> 00:08:29.360 So I was. 142 00:08:29.440 --> 00:08:33.840 Completely sure, completely sure, we're not gonna be able to 143 00:08:33.880 --> 00:08:34.360 win anything. 144 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:35.760 I mean, there was a part of you that was like, 145 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:38.160 oh my god, wouldn't it be cool if that happened, 146 00:08:38.160 --> 00:08:39.360 But it's never gonna happen. 147 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.520 But I was, I swear, I'm not kidding. I was 148 00:08:42.520 --> 00:08:45.200 one hundred percent sure that was not gonna happen. So 149 00:08:45.280 --> 00:08:47.720 I was actually enjoying. You know, when you were in 150 00:08:47.760 --> 00:08:50.640 a show and you're always nervous, ah, what if this, 151 00:08:50.800 --> 00:08:51.160 what if that? 152 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.400 I was completely relaxed. 153 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:54.400 It's never gonna happen. 154 00:08:54.400 --> 00:08:55.360 It's never gonna happen. 155 00:08:55.400 --> 00:08:57.440 So and all of a sudden when they said and 156 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:03.000 the winner is coda, I don't even remember what happened there. 157 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:05.080 It's like blurred in my mind. 158 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.520 I just remember that I'm on stage already with them, 159 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:13.880 and remembering that. Since I was eight years old, every 160 00:09:13.920 --> 00:09:17.359 single year, I was always watching the Oscars with my mom, 161 00:09:17.520 --> 00:09:19.880 and I was always dreaming. I was always telling my mom, 162 00:09:19.920 --> 00:09:21.760 I want to do that. I want to be a storyteller. 163 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.720 Aiki Lindo. So you didn't say I want to be famous. 164 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:26.160 No, no, no no. 165 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:31.160 In Espanol, mama yokiro de di came yokio, contaristorias, kumoras, 166 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:35.319 pelliculas in Hollywood, in. 167 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.560 Because so many people are just like I want to 168 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:39.160 be on the stage because I want to be famous. 169 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.880 No, no, no, it was it was not about fame. 170 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.440 It was about movies. I loved going to the movie 171 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.880 theaters and my mom and I were every single week 172 00:09:48.920 --> 00:09:52.640 and we went to see at least two or even 173 00:09:52.760 --> 00:09:53.720 for a day. 174 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.800 To Maria, like. 175 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:57.360 What movie theater would you go to? 176 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:01.240 In Mexico City, there were multi cinemas and they were like, 177 00:10:01.520 --> 00:10:06.800 the schedule was already like four, six, eight ten, so something. 178 00:10:06.880 --> 00:10:10.280 My mama was like, let's do four pm, this one, six, 179 00:10:10.640 --> 00:10:15.160 this other one, eight and ten. So what I felt 180 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:17.840 every time I was in the movie theater, I was 181 00:10:18.280 --> 00:10:21.120 moved by every story that I watched, and that made 182 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:24.160 me fell in love with cinema. And that's when I 183 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:27.040 told my mom, especially when I was watching the Oscars 184 00:10:27.040 --> 00:10:29.760 and I was like, Mom, I want to be one 185 00:10:29.800 --> 00:10:32.199 of these guys. I want to be one day an 186 00:10:32.280 --> 00:10:36.080 actor or a director. And my mom was really really kind. 187 00:10:36.160 --> 00:10:38.840 She never said nah, but she was like I know, 188 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:41.400 my love, but it's it's really hard. 189 00:10:42.280 --> 00:10:45.000 It's a lot of competition there. It's complicated. 190 00:10:45.800 --> 00:10:48.439 If you want, you need to be well prepared and 191 00:10:48.640 --> 00:10:50.800 you have to go to the US and take. 192 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:54.079 A She was like giving you a serious answer. If 193 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:55.280 you want to do it, you're going to have to 194 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:56.800 do exactly. 195 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.560 And many many years later, I was on that stage. 196 00:11:00.800 --> 00:11:03.120 So when I was standing up on the stage and 197 00:11:03.160 --> 00:11:11.520 the Oscar goes to okay, coda, there was a moment 198 00:11:11.520 --> 00:11:12.360 that I looked copular. 199 00:11:12.400 --> 00:11:15.920 I remember because I was connecting with my mom. 200 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:18.800 I was like, mom, here it was like, mamay and 201 00:11:18.920 --> 00:11:21.360 here I am many many years later, and I was 202 00:11:21.400 --> 00:11:23.720 like trying to go all the way back to that 203 00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:26.360 small apartment in Mexico City. 204 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:28.520 It was very, very touching. 205 00:11:28.640 --> 00:11:31.440 What a beautiful story. And it's interesting that you bring 206 00:11:31.520 --> 00:11:34.560 up your mom, who obviously had a big influence on you. 207 00:11:35.280 --> 00:11:37.839 In relation to Coda, there were many things I loved 208 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:40.839 about the film. Focusing on the deaf community and then 209 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.080 just making them part of the mainstream is just such 210 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.320 a something really beautiful to watch. But what I loved 211 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.960 about Coda was that you were not You were not 212 00:11:51.400 --> 00:11:56.640 El Mexicano, you know, the funny guy, the purposely thick accent. 213 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:00.000 You were an actor playing the role of the teacher. Right. 214 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:01.800 That's how I remember you, is playing the role of 215 00:12:01.800 --> 00:12:05.960 the teacher, having this beautiful, this beautiful back narrative. And 216 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.079 I'm wondering about that decision to say yes to a 217 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:10.720 role where you were like not going to be able 218 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.480 to fall back on the comedic tradition. This was serious 219 00:12:13.520 --> 00:12:14.120 acting for you. 220 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:18.360 It was very challenging and I knew it was a risk. 221 00:12:18.920 --> 00:12:21.840 But at the same time, those kind of roles were 222 00:12:22.040 --> 00:12:24.240 never offered to me when I was in Mexico. 223 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:26.480 Yeah, in Mexico. 224 00:12:26.640 --> 00:12:28.920 There was a time where I wanted to be also 225 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.920 a dramatic actor or start doing movies and things with 226 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.400 more depth, things that would be more serious, and they 227 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:42.480 never gave me a chance to do something like that. 228 00:12:42.679 --> 00:12:45.520 They were like always telling me, as you know, people 229 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:47.719 are going to laugh they see you, you're going to 230 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:52.400 ruin the movie. They were really really really straightforward when 231 00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:55.880 they were telling me why and they were like, no, 232 00:12:55.960 --> 00:13:00.400 you know, this is a very dramatic movie and if 233 00:13:00.400 --> 00:13:03.800 they see you on screen, they will immediately think that 234 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.880 you were a comedian, or they're gonna remember your characters. 235 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.200 Whatever. So they never gave me a chance. 236 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.640 And in the US, when they were offering me a coda, 237 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.440 for example, I knew that the director she was not 238 00:13:16.520 --> 00:13:19.720 aware of my background or my characters or my TV shows. 239 00:13:20.280 --> 00:13:22.079 It was so refreshing because you. 240 00:13:22.040 --> 00:13:24.400 Went into the audition just like. 241 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:27.480 As an actor, and because one of the producers told 242 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:32.120 the director, this guy is really popular among Latinos, it 243 00:13:32.160 --> 00:13:34.000 would be great, it would be good to have a 244 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.040 Latino in this story. What I loved about the character 245 00:13:37.760 --> 00:13:40.240 was that because you know, every time they need a 246 00:13:40.280 --> 00:13:44.439 gang member called Latino and narco color Latino. 247 00:13:45.280 --> 00:13:48.920 An abuser, a murder, an abuser called Latina. 248 00:13:48.640 --> 00:13:52.079 Who were downtrodden immigrant refugee. 249 00:13:51.640 --> 00:13:54.920 Called Latino, and we were more than that. And I 250 00:13:55.040 --> 00:13:58.400 was always fighting for that. And I promise myself, if 251 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:00.720 I am able one day to produce my own movies 252 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.400 in the US, I'm going to try to change that 253 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.120 narrative and portray Latinos in a different way. So when 254 00:14:07.160 --> 00:14:10.400 they offered me this role, I knew it was perfect 255 00:14:10.400 --> 00:14:12.640 for me because it was just a music teacher that 256 00:14:12.800 --> 00:14:16.480 happens to be Latino. And that's the way it should be. 257 00:14:16.520 --> 00:14:17.719 That's real diversity. 258 00:14:17.880 --> 00:14:20.760 Yeah, because that's life in the United States exactly. I mean, 259 00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:27.520 we're Latinos are everywhere North Dakota, Alaska, Maine, Florida, Arkansas, everywhere. 260 00:14:27.640 --> 00:14:28.360 Absolutely. 261 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:33.720 So immediately said yes to Koda, and so we made 262 00:14:33.800 --> 00:14:37.400 we adapted some tough to say that he was from Mexico, 263 00:14:37.560 --> 00:14:39.520 that he studied in mexicoh blah blah, and then he 264 00:14:39.560 --> 00:14:42.640 moved to the US. It was really a very important 265 00:14:42.680 --> 00:14:45.320 role to me because they were finally giving me a 266 00:14:45.400 --> 00:14:48.320 chance to be a dramatic actor and it was not 267 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:50.000 about being Latino. 268 00:14:50.400 --> 00:14:53.120 You know, people I know this happens to you, ill Henu, 269 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:56.080 it happens to me right, you reach a certain level 270 00:14:56.120 --> 00:15:01.280 of visibility and because of social medi frankly, life can 271 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:05.480 look great on social media, but actually it's really hard. 272 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.480 Like you're having to go into an audition cold. You 273 00:15:09.520 --> 00:15:12.880 don't have to audition for anything in Mexico and here 274 00:15:12.880 --> 00:15:14.880 you're going into an audition where they're just like, yeah, 275 00:15:14.920 --> 00:15:19.680 try this guy out. People need to understand it's really hard. 276 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:23.440 What does that hard part do for you? The fact 277 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:26.800 that it's like, oh, what is I mean? You know, 278 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:29.520 your company is named Threepas. It's all about trusting your gut, 279 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:32.840 but you know, the gut is also we can get wounded, 280 00:15:32.880 --> 00:15:35.560 we can get hit right in our gut. 281 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:39.680 Right constantly, constantly since I moved to this country, every 282 00:15:39.760 --> 00:15:42.640 single day I am doing things that make me feel 283 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.760 uncomfortable in a good way. I mean, when I was 284 00:15:45.760 --> 00:15:49.120 in Mexico, I was the king in Televisa. 285 00:15:49.880 --> 00:15:52.000 So here every. 286 00:15:51.760 --> 00:15:54.720 Single day I'm like, oh my god, I have a 287 00:15:54.840 --> 00:16:00.040 meeting in Universal Studios or Paramounds or Sony and a 288 00:16:00.040 --> 00:16:03.440 lot of important executives and in English, and English is 289 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:07.400 not my first language. As you can tell, it's complicated, 290 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:11.440 so I'm always like full of fear. It has helped 291 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:15.840 me to be more humble, honestly, and it makes me nervous. 292 00:16:15.880 --> 00:16:19.560 Of course, I prepare way more than when I was young, 293 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:22.400 because I'm now in Hollywood. 294 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:23.960 It's the top of the line. 295 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.360 You know, there's nothing beyond that, so I need to 296 00:16:27.400 --> 00:16:31.240 be really prepared. I need to take sometimes acting lessons 297 00:16:31.280 --> 00:16:34.800 just for a casting. But on the other hand, that's 298 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:38.520 the kind of things that keep me young, that keep 299 00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:42.240 me hungry, that make me feel like when I was 300 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.080 I don't know, seventeen eighteen years old, and I was 301 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:50.840 studying my life and fighting for credibility, a teenager fighting 302 00:16:50.880 --> 00:16:52.320 for a place in the world. 303 00:16:56.280 --> 00:16:59.440 Coming up on Latino USA, we continue our conversation with 304 00:16:59.520 --> 00:17:03.120 Mexican actor and producer a Hano that is and talk 305 00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:05.840 about the challenges of taking on a lead role in 306 00:17:05.880 --> 00:18:05.600 a dramatic movie. Stay with us, not yes, Hey, we're back. 307 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:09.439 We're going to continue chatting with Eheno Verbees. We're talking 308 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.640 about his transition from comedy star in Mexico and Latin 309 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:16.800 America to his most recent work, a dramatic lead role 310 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.560 in his own movie Radical. It's the true story of 311 00:18:20.600 --> 00:18:24.320 a teacher in Matamoros, a Mexican border city, who tries 312 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:28.000 to support his students in an underserved community. All right, 313 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:32.480 let's jump back to our conversation. So you decide to 314 00:18:32.520 --> 00:18:36.760 fight again in an interesting way because you know, after 315 00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:40.280 you win the Oscar again, the doors now are more open, 316 00:18:40.560 --> 00:18:43.679 just more open. Somebody could have thought, well, Eheno is 317 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:47.600 now going to do a fully English language film, very mainstream, 318 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:53.480 you know, because he's fully mainstream now. Instead, you released 319 00:18:53.560 --> 00:18:57.200 at the end of twenty twenty three radcal or Radical. 320 00:18:57.760 --> 00:19:02.480 You make this fully spent language with subtitles. It did 321 00:19:02.520 --> 00:19:04.840 win the Festival Favorite Award at the twenty twenty three 322 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:08.280 Sundance Film Festival. That was huge, and we decided that 323 00:19:08.320 --> 00:19:12.600 we wanted to have you describe what Radical is about. 324 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.480 So what's the plot, what's the storyline? It's based on 325 00:19:15.520 --> 00:19:16.320 a true story. 326 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:21.000 The Wired magazine in the US named a twelve year 327 00:19:21.040 --> 00:19:24.879 old kid the next Steve Jobs. And this is the 328 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:28.080 story of a girl that was born in the trash 329 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:31.639 that wants to become an astronaut and that she has 330 00:19:31.760 --> 00:19:35.160 the potential to get there. And then I learned that 331 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:40.160 there was a teacher behind this girl and many other things. 332 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:44.000 So I remember I was in twenty twelve living in Mexico. 333 00:19:44.040 --> 00:19:47.439 Back then, I was watching the news and everyone was 334 00:19:47.560 --> 00:19:48.360 talking about that. 335 00:19:48.520 --> 00:19:49.399 It was a big moment. 336 00:19:49.520 --> 00:19:51.720 It was a big It was a big moment in Mexico. 337 00:19:53.080 --> 00:20:00.119 Wiredespecialnologia a persona in particular Como Lasso says so. 338 00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:04.479 Postive jobs, and I was shocked. 339 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:08.200 I mean, how come this twelve year old girl from 340 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:11.760 a small public school in Matamora was now named the 341 00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:14.960 next step Jobs? But they didn't tell a lot about 342 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.960 the story, about the background of Paloma. So a few 343 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.159 years later, when I moved already to the US, the 344 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:24.480 journalist who wrote the original article came to us and 345 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.800 he offered the rights for the movie, and I immediately 346 00:20:27.840 --> 00:20:30.240 say yes, let's do it. I said, this is the 347 00:20:30.320 --> 00:20:33.080 kind of stories I need to tell. First because it's interesting, 348 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:36.159 Second because I know this is going to be universal. 349 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:39.320 This story could happen in any part of the world 350 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:42.960 and you're going to feel identified. And also because it 351 00:20:43.080 --> 00:20:45.280 was the kind of movies that I want to tell 352 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.640 in my company. Movies were Even though it's a raw, 353 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:54.200 very raw and tough movie, you can see also people 354 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:57.720 like Sei Ho, the teacher or Paloma the student. There 355 00:20:57.760 --> 00:21:00.439 are good people, good Mexicans, and I was tired of 356 00:21:00.560 --> 00:21:04.159 watching the news and just watching the faces of the 357 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:07.080 narcos or the criminals or the gang members. 358 00:21:07.320 --> 00:21:08.360 And we're more than that. 359 00:21:08.840 --> 00:21:12.000 So it's time to put the spotlight on the good 360 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:12.840 people too. 361 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:17.959 The interesting thing is for you in this movie is 362 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:25.560 that there's nothing between Eheno Derbz and the audience. We 363 00:21:25.800 --> 00:21:29.720 don't see you actually in any comedic form. We don't 364 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:34.320 see you wearing any kind of interesting get up or 365 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:38.239 look at all. It's very, as you said, raw, And 366 00:21:38.280 --> 00:21:41.400 it's kind of like again this time because it's not 367 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:44.760 in somebody else's film, it's your film. It's the comedic 368 00:21:44.800 --> 00:21:49.760 megastar who is really choosing to be quite serious. So 369 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:52.040 can you tell us a little bit about that very 370 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:56.359 particular decision. Again, of the United States is a place 371 00:21:56.359 --> 00:21:59.800 where you've had to keep yourself grounded. But what about 372 00:21:59.840 --> 00:22:04.040 this notion about you, the comedic megastarre really saying I'm 373 00:22:04.040 --> 00:22:07.440 gonna be serious. I'm taking it yet another step further 374 00:22:07.520 --> 00:22:12.120 than coda. Right. Absolutely, it's intentional. 375 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:14.679 It's completely intentional, and it was actually this is my 376 00:22:14.800 --> 00:22:20.120 first dramatic role starring in a movie, because I've done 377 00:22:20.520 --> 00:22:23.800 a little bit, but not much, but some dramatic roles 378 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.560 in other movies. But it's just like Coda probably was 379 00:22:26.560 --> 00:22:28.480 the biggest role I've got. 380 00:22:28.520 --> 00:22:31.280 But I was part of the ensemble cast, right, this 381 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:31.800 is you. 382 00:22:32.040 --> 00:22:36.600 This is me just starring in a dramatic moviecause st Loco. 383 00:22:37.760 --> 00:22:38.680 Let's that's what youngle that. 384 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:45.600 So look, I'm okay, you see see what. 385 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:50.640 Probably two days before you start shooting, I was having 386 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.360 second thoughts. I got cold feet. I was like, what 387 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:56.000 am I doing here? People are going to criticize me. 388 00:22:56.560 --> 00:22:58.680 They're gonna say, what what is he doing here? 389 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:00.000 Hello? 390 00:23:00.320 --> 00:23:03.399 He should go back to his characters exactly, all that 391 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:05.160 stuff that I was like, Oh my god. 392 00:23:05.280 --> 00:23:08.240 I was so nervous. I thought it was a mistake. 393 00:23:08.280 --> 00:23:10.959 Probably I thought that I should just produce it but 394 00:23:11.040 --> 00:23:15.520 not be an actor in it. So I was panicked, honestly, 395 00:23:15.840 --> 00:23:19.639 especially because the director, Christopher Sala, who's been all around 396 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:22.960 the world, he was not aware of Mexico and how 397 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.720 they perceive my image there, and so I was constantly 398 00:23:26.760 --> 00:23:30.360 fighting with him, like Chris, you don't know people. They 399 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:33.399 know me really well, so I don't want them to 400 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:36.480 see hen you at a bese on screen, I want 401 00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:39.919