Luis Chavez is Cesar on Starz’s “Crash” TV Series
Luis Chavez who stars as Cesar on the T.V. version of the movie Crash recently dished to Hissip about a couple of things: what’s it’s like to work as a Latino in Hollywood, stuff like that. You know you’re nosey, and wanna know how it went, so here goes:
Hissip: Hi Luis, Please tell me about yourself.
Luis Chavez: Well, I was born and raised in Michoacán, Mexico up until the age of 15. At that time my parents and siblings had already immigrated to Los Angeles and it was decided that it was time for me to join them. I arrived here with a student visa, therefore I had to return to Mexico at every end of the school year to renew it.
I come from a large family and for the most part we are pretty close. I might not have similar interests as most, if not all of my siblings, but we still have a great time when we get together.
My dad is a little older, he is 74, and even though at the beginning he was not excited, or even, supportive of my chosen career, I feel that now, even if he might not voice it, he is proud of whatever accomplishments I have gained. My mom has been supportive from the get-go.
The fact that they, themselves, immigrated to Los Angeles without inspection makes my work as “Cesar” in the TV show “Crash” more relevant to them. They love it and are so glad to see that their son, in a way, can give a face to the millions of people with the same legal status as “Cesar”
H: How’d you get the role of “Cesar Uman”.
LC: I met with the casting Director for “Crash“. To tell you the truth I was the very FIRST actor she saw for the role. The auditioning material was in English, but they asked me to translate to Spanish for the meeting. When I arrived to the meeting, the casting director told me that she did not speak Spanish and she had not seen anyone for the role of Cesar yet, so she asked me if I would translate the auditioning material for her to use with the other actors meeting for that role. Since Spanish is my first language, that was not a big deal, so I was more than happy to do that.
Usually when I go into a meeting for a role, I like to go in the room and straight into it, since I feel I’m character, so the fact that I had to spend about 15 minutes talking to her, translating the dialogue made me feel that I was not in character anymore, so I did not think my meeting went that well.
Right before I left she asked me if I had a “demo reel”, clips of my previous work, I said I did not have one. About 3 weeks before that meeting, The Academy of Motion Pictures, the same one that gives out the Oscars, had awarded a short film that I starred in with a Golden Medal as Best Student Film, and since my role in that short film had many similarities with “Cesar” I decided to offer her a copy of “A Day’s Work”, the short film. She took it.
I honestly have a feeling that, my work in the short film really had something to do with me being cast as “Cesar”. But you never know, unfortunately in this business, sometimes your talent might have less relevance than the way you look, how tall you are, your skin tone or any other factor for certain roles.
H: Any actors you look up to?
LC: I think Daniel Day Lewis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Meryl Streep are my favorite actors. Every time they are on the screen is like an acting workshop for an actor. It’s amazing how they make acting look so easy!
Hissip: Next up you have “While She was Out” opposite Kim Basinger, how was it, sharing the screen with her? What’s your character like for that role?
Luis Chavez: In the story, I play one of the criminals who commits a crime and we have to get rid of the only witness, Kim Bassinger. It’s a cat and mouse chase, and we are chasing after Kim’s character. Because of the movie plot and because different actors have different ways to approach their characters, Kim would only talk to us as and when she was in character. I think it takes a lot of discipline to do that! I could not do it. In between scenes I can not stop chatting with the other actors.
It’s an honor to work alongside Oscar winning actors, directors, and producers. It makes you want to “up” your acting game even a little more.
H: You are a Mexican playing a Guatemalan in “Crash”. Have you gotten any flack from Guatemalan actors in Hollywood?
LC: It’s interesting that you ask that, because I thought I did not know of any Guatemalan actors in Hollywood, because I see us Latinos, as being from one single origin.
But thinking about it I come to the realization that my two friends ARE Guatemalan ACTORS!
They are very supportive of me playing a Guatemalan character and when in doubt I just call them to give me a hand on the Guatemalan lingo. Haha.
I get the scripts in English and whenever they need to be translated into “Guatemalan” Spanish, my good friend Emanuel Loarca, a Guatemalan actor, helps me out with that task.
H: With your recurring role in the “Sarah Connor Chronicles”, and your movie projects, do you find your head spinning at times?
LC: Well, I was recurring in Terminator: “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” in the first season. Once the second season for that show started filming I had already been approached to do “Crash” and did not go back to work in “Sarah Connor Chronicles”. So I never had schedule conflicts with the shows.
I do not work in any other projects while working in “Crash”. But once the season is wrapped, then I start in a new project. For example, right now I’ m in the middle of shooting a comedy with Adrien Brody and Michael Chiklis, since it’s a feature film, it will wrap filming mid January and from then on I will be available for the next gig.
H: What are your favorite movies?
LC: Those that in an entertaining way educate me about different issues and situations in life. It is such a good feeling when you feel that a certain movie made you change for the better. Sometimes we do not realize we are doing something wrong until we see a character in a film do it to someone else. Then you stop and say: “Wait a minute, I’ve done the same thing before and I did not realize how bad that is”.
THOSE movies are my favorite ones, but I enjoy all genres. Since I have tens of nephews and nieces from different age ranges, and I love taking them to the movies, I watch from “Pokemon” to “There will be Blood”, and I enjoy most of them.
H: Do you have any formal training in acting?
LC: There are those who are blessed to be born with an acting talent gene. But I feel that either way, we all, as actors, need to get training to polish and refine our skills.
When I first decided to take acting I had a very disciplinary coach, Eunice Suarez, I have always said that whatever acting skill I have I owe it to her coaching. Ever since her, there have been other acting coaches but I feel she’s the one that really had an impact on me.
H: Are Latinos where they ought to be in Hollywood?
LC: To be a successful Latino actor is not a “human rights” issue. Being a successful Latino actor is not owed to us. It IS a personal goal and struggle. I believe that if, as an actor, -regardless of ethnic background-, you work hard and show that you excel in the craft, then you will be recognized.
Now, if you are referring to the percentage of Latino characters on TV and film in comparison to the real population of the country, then that’s a different story.
It is called the show BUSINESS. And unfortunately, the BUSINESS “owners” will hire whoever they want. I doubt they really concern themselves with population statistics.
For the same reason I really applaud STARZ! For having such a diverse cast in “Crash”, including two Latino characters. We need to support these shows and let them know we appreciate that they see us and we have a voice in their shows.
H: The British actor Mark Rylance once said, “Great actors try to dismiss all ideas from their conscious minds in order to provide an experience that is real” Do you agree? Can you share your thoughts on that?
LC: I would edit that statement to “SOME actors” rather than “GREAT actors”. As I said before, as actors we have different ways to approach the character, and it’s not a “one size fits all” formula. I agree that while performing, you can not be influenced by your own personal ideals and feelings-if different than the character’s- about the situation the character is experiencing. But while in the process of creating the character those personal ideas and ideals, are the ones that will make you realize either the similarities or differences about you and the character and make it clear what to change or embrace to become him.
H: Who would you like to work with in the future?
LC: With my favorite actors: [Daniel] Day Lewis, Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep among others. Also there are some amazing directors that I would be thrilled to be working under: [Alfonso] Arau, [Guillermo] Del Toro, Inaratu, Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood, and so many others!
H: Do you fret about being typecast?
LC: All characters need to be given life. I do not believe in “artistic abortion”. If I’m hired to give life to ANY character, regardless of economic or ethnic origin, I will. Because If I don’t, because of my own personal issues, then someone else will.
To see Luis in action as Cesar on Starz’s “Crash”, CLICK HERE.
Dinora
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:35 amHe sounds so intelligent.
Jose Luis Mayer
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:37 amLuis you should change your name to something else. Too many Luis. I for myself am a Luis.
Bianca
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:38 amI’m happy to read about you Luis because I don’t have Starz! Keep up the good work.
Claudia Munoz
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:38 amLuis you sound very smart. My favorite part about the interview is the part where you say that Mexicans and Guatemalans are Latinos. I live in Opa Locka, Florida and some people here have a hard time realizing that.
Eryn
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:39 amlUIS KEeep doing your thing. Don’t let Hollyweird get to u.
Tambao83
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:39 amHow can you tell him to change his name. Nothing wrong with his name. You want him to change it to Louis Chandler or something. SMDH
Hangman79
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:43 amStay humble Luis. There’s nothing worse than an actor with a big head.
Carinosa
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:48 amHi Luis. I wish you the best in yoru career.
ALEXIS MONSERRAT
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:49 amI DON’T GET STARZ WHERE I AM. ILL BE USRE TO GO ON UTUBE AND STARZ TO SEE IF I CAN WATCH YOU.
Rica
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:57 amYou are right Luis
We all are Latinos.
Jose Luis Mayer
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:58 amLEARN how to read. I say that he should change his name because theres too many people named Luis. I’m NOT trying to tell him to change his name to make it sound more Yanqui.
Reina
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:58 amShout out to Luis for representing the Mexicans in Hollywood.
None of Your Business
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 9:59 amHi Luis. It’s nice to hear about you. Stay sane. I’m gonna remember your little interview. I don’t want to see any DUI headlines a year from now.
Patrick R. Leon
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 10:02 amLuis you are obviously a very talented actor. I wish you had left Mexico earlier in your life so you could have gotten more opportunities. But you’re doing just great. Stay grounded.
Heidi
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 11:59 amGood for you Luis. You will have a long career in Hollywood if you continue to nurture that mentality.
sjbj
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 1:45 pmThe actor who played Joseph in The Nativity Story (Oscar ???–I’m forgetting his last name) is Guatemalan. We recently saw him in something else, too….The Life Before Her Eyes, with Uma Thurman.
Juan Carlos
Comment made on January 12, 2009 at 3:25 pmLuis, you are a living proof of hard working, talent, discipline, pride, ambition. You deserve all good things. I’m myself working hard to make it into the acting business, and reading this interview is inspirational.
All the best to you,
Juan Carlos
KCD85
Comment made on February 16, 2009 at 5:12 pmBest wishes to you Luis and ur career.
LatinaMedusa
Comment made on March 11, 2009 at 10:56 amBest of luck Luis. You’ll need it in Hollyweird. They eat up good folks up there so be on your guard.