Ténoch Huerta’s passion for cinema began in his native Ecatepec, in Mexico, when his father enrolled him in acting courses with greats from the scene of that time. That was more than 30 years ago, but the Mexican remembers that if it hadn’t been for that contact with María Elena Saldaña, Carlos Torres Torrija or Luis Felipe Tovar, he most likely would not have reached where he is now.
Huerta, 41, has become one of the Hispanic names of the new generation that is succeeding in the Hollywood movie mecca. Thanks to his participation in the Marvel movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, the actor has managed to position himself as one of the professionals with the greatest projection on the big screen, just like Ana de Armas or Diego Calva have done in recent years. months.
“A little over two years ago, I was making a movie in New Orleans when I got a Zoom call from Ryan Coogler (the director) to invite me to the movie ‘Wakanda Forever’ and he told me about the new character that was going to be a part of it. this universe, which is Namor”, Huerta explained about his character during a telematic interview with the voice of america from Los Angeles, California, where he currently resides.
Namor, a character from South American culture
Namor, the character he plays on the big screen in the Marvel universe, is the film’s antagonist, with super powers that give him the ability to mutate both on land and in water. In addition, his role gives him the opportunity to be one of the most beloved heroes of the franchise, showing characteristics that have a lot to do with South American culture.
“He is like the leader of this underwater kingdom that is inspired by Mesoamerican cultures and particularly the Mayan culture. My character is able to swim very fast, he can fly, and he can breathe underwater. He is going to be able to do whatever it takes to be able to protect his people, his kingdom and his culture,” he detailed.
Lack of diversity in Hollywood
For him, this film “is so special” precisely for this reason, because it speaks “of representation” and “of other possible worlds”, something that has been much debated in the United States film industry, often pointed out for not adequately represent the cultural diversity in the country.
In fact, the last Diversity in Hollywood report, prepared by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)reveals that this year 7.1% of leading roles and 7.7% of supporting roles were played by Latinos, despite the fact that this community represents 18.7% of the population in the United States.
Many consider that there is only the perception that there is a greater openness with Latino actors in Hollywood, because in reality very few of them get to stand out in big productions or manage to be in positions of power in the film industry in the United States.
Message to the migrant community
Given this, the actor recalls that many Hispanic actors like him have been able to arrive and succeed thanks to the effort and courage of many migrants, some even undocumented, who crossed the border in search of a better life.
“The torch has been carried by all the migrants who are in the United States, who crossed the river, who crossed the desert. That is the torch. I am only a guest, I only followed them and now that I am at Marvel it is an honor, but without them, if they had not left everything behind, we would not have been in this cinematography”, he commented “grateful” and with hope to “live up to what Latin America means to all of us.”
For this reason, Ténoch Huerta assures that one of the things he likes most about participating in a project of this type is the commitment and interest on the part of the producers and the director of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in showing greater diversity. cultural.
He learned to swim for this role
However, the Mexican actor acknowledges that he had never played a role of these characteristics, in which it is also required to maintain excellent physical shape to carry out some of the film’s action scenes. He was even forced to learn to swim in order to accept the role in the feature film.
“Physically I had to prepare myself with a lot of meditation and a lot of exercise. I also learned to swim, because I didn’t know how to do it and I also had to follow a super strict diet, ”he commented on it. “In the end, I’m 41 years old, and I have some injuries to my little body,” he said, admitting that the preparation “was hard.”
“Although I don’t particularly see it as extraordinary because it’s part of our job. It’s something an actor has to do. If the character demands it, then you do it and I think that’s part of your job, “he added.
Pools for the Oscar
The name of Ténoch Huerta is one of the most resonant also in the pools of the nominations of the United States Film Academy, with the delivery of the Oscar Awards on March 12 in the category of best actor.
That nomination could also be shared with another revelation actor, his compatriot Diego Calva who starred in “Babylon.” Among the women would be Ana de Armas, who this year has also captivated critics after embodying the role of Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde”.
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