I don't know, 'Zorro' was just so great for me because, knowing where I came from, everyone spoke Spanish to me, like, forever after that. And I'm, like, from Wales.
There just aren't enough positive portrayals of Latino life in film.
We really wanted our characters to be very Latin-based because we've always been so proud of our roots.
It's no secret that Cuba is a typical Latin American culture in that it has a fair amount of homophobia. Homosexuals have been notoriously persecuted under Fidel's government.
Selena is my angel. She is my biggest inspiration. Being from San Antonio, Texas, I really feel that connection to her because she had a lot of performances and a lot of her most iconic performances in San Antonio. Back in my hometown, we love her. We all, as a community, celebrate her and adore her. We keep her memory alive.
'Instructions Not Included' is proving that there is a huge Latin market that needs a special project. They love seeing their own people; they want to see themselves onscreen. In my case, I know them pretty well. I know what they laugh at. I think it's going to open a lot of doors, this movie.
I was lucky enough to see the original cast of 'In the Heights.' This one blew my mind. The infusion of Latin, hip hop and rap with musical theatre, great storytelling and talent was a powerful combination to me during a time when I'd not been moved by much!
I was growing up and maturing at a time where we were invisible, man. We were nowhere except negative. Any time you saw a Latin person in Hollywood or on TV, they were some sort of negative character.
When you get a bunch of Latinxs together, we get to handle our stories. A cultural shorthand happens.
We need a lot more positive Latin role models in movies and in television. They exist! It's not fiction.
It was just an honor for me to be doing the role of Miguel because I identify with him. I grew up watching Disney movies, and 'Coco' shows a wonderful tradition, culture, and celebration that not many movies have shown.
I learned to dance at quinceañeras - big [15th] birthday parties for Spanish girls. It was always funny to bring the white guy out [on the floor] and let him look like a fool.
'In The Heights' was my favorite show, so hip hop is something that's really close to my heart, but aside from the hip hop, there are so many wondrous things about it.
You want a lesson? I'll give you a lesson. How about a geography lesson? My father's from Puerto Rico. My mother's from El Salvador. And neither one of those is Mexico.
When the movie 'Selena' came out, I got really obsessed with her, and my mom and I went and saw it.
I'd love to do some period pieces and some historic work; I just feel like no one's tapped into Latin history and Latin contributions to the making of America, and we've been there over 500 years.
It's hard for the American industry to see a Latin actor playing something that is not a gardener or someone in a cartel. It's hard to find the material that tells a story of a Latin or European Spanish guy that is not a bad guy.
