By Guillermo Azabal |
Los Angeles (USA) (EFE).- Diego Luna (Mexico, 1979) is said to be one of the current exponents of the Star Wars franchise; that he left a legacy in the streaming market with “Narcos: Mexico”; that he charmed Spielberg and Cuarón, and that he is an honest person. But if those premises are true they are due to the latter.
On an almost summer night in London, where Luna is filming night scenes for the second part of “Andor”, the actor takes paper and a pen and sits in front of the camera for his virtual interview with EFE: “First of all, sorry for the delay”, he expresses, waiting for the first question to rain on him.
Only five minutes have passed since the stipulated time and he has arrived just in time to put on a cap and hide his tired face, but the Hollywood figure -who knows from within the importance of each professional in the industry- cares with love and subtlety the details of a trade that continues to fascinate him.
The son of the plastic artist Fiona Alexander – who died when he was barely two years old – and the set designer Alejandro Luna, the interpreter grew up behind the scenes and at the age of 12 he was already a figure on Mexican television. Later, would come titles such as “Y tu mamá también” (2001), “The Terminal” (2004) or “Milk” (2008), among others.
Diego Luna, a Latin symbol in the industry
Practically 35 of the 44 years that Luna will be celebrating in December have been dedicated to film and television from various facets. A seasoned career from below that could be crowned at the next Emmys, where he aspires to become the first Latino of the 21st century to be nominated for best actor in a dramatic series.
“Things are slowly changing for Latinos, but there is still a lot of ground to gain (…). When you find out about that fact, you realize the magnitude of this situation. We are no longer talking about being awarded, only about being nominated ”, affirms the Mexican, noting a comment on his page so as not to forget to mention it.
In 1999, Jimmy Smits was the first, and so far only, Latino to have been nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series throughout the 74 editions of the awards given by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences of US television
On July 12, it will be revealed if the first part of “Andor”, the successful series from the Star Wars universe in which the life of the spy Cassian Andor (played by Luna) is narrated before “Rogue One”, has enough merit for the Television Academy and allows the Mexican to break this record.
“There are more and more references with a connection to Latin America who are telling stories and finding different audiences. Their examples of successes move me”, added the also director and producer born in the town of Toluca de Lerdo.
a man of convictions
Colleagues by profession such as the Mexican Tenoch Huerta (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) or the Chilean Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) have also managed to carve out a reputable reputation in Hollywood, but Luna, almost as if in parallel with his character from Andor knows that they will have to continue fighting with what is established.
“If this series (“Andor”) has done well, it is partly because it has political and social relevance. He talks about the rebellion (…) Of course he has a connection to the world we live in”, the actor had stated a few minutes before being questioned about the situation of Hispanic talent in the industry.
With strong convictions and clear ideas, Luna has also stood out throughout her career for expressing clear positions on different issues in the political sphere or on global problems such as climate change or the water crisis.
The multiplatform works of his production company La Corriente del Golfo, which he co-founded with his friend Gael García Bernal, as well as the series “Pan y Circo” (Prime Video) attest to this.
Support for scriptwriters
Thus, from the almost 8,800 kilometers that separate London from the film mecca of Hollywood, the Mexican interpreter does not lose sight of the strike that the Writers Guild of the United States (WGA, in English) has been holding for eight weeks to try to put pressure on the big studios and improve their working conditions and economic remuneration.
“I celebrate what the writers are doing, that ability to agree in such a polarized world where that seems impossible… It seems to me something very positive and I hope it will be resolved soon for the good of so many families who live in this industry,” he replied. to EFE with total transparency.
The clock says half past twelve in the London room where Luna is staying temporarily; he has already warmed up and his reflexes are quick; and his look continues to show naturalness and honesty in each answer, but it’s time to close because tomorrow will come another “hard” day of shooting with “crazy schedules at full steam”.
“The nights are very short now. We are going at a very intense pace to be able to finish on time. (…) We are filming twelve episodes. Basically it’s like making four movies, ”Luna brandished with the illusion of someone who loves her profession. After this interview she will continue to spend hours building her character.
