We have an exclusive sneak peak of the December issue of The Red Bulletin, which features an interview with actor and director Diego Luna (Y Tu Mamá También). In the interview Diego talks about his acting and directing work as well as his time on the set of Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
As a director, you’ve had the chance to tell stories based on your life experiences. Was that cathartic?
You exorcise the things that haunt you. That’s one good thing about any artistic discipline. For example, postwar painting is more like a hallucination; it’s the roughest, because in any crisis there is a need for scrutiny, for people to exorcise those topics. For that reason there are many voices in Mexico, a country that lives a constant contradiction. It is more difficult to have that kind of art from a country where everything works perfectly. To me, directing movies is just that. It’s a need to question myself and set the things that disturb me on the table. As an actor you are always someone else’s tool. You can have a connection with them and you can share their point of view, but ultimately you are helping them reflect. After acting for 20 years, I wanted to tell the things I reflect on. Instead of imposing my point of view I chose to direct. In the United States, it’s different. There, stars have their own system and actors are very powerful and end up imposing their point of view. Here in Mexico the director has more freedom and I wanted to explore my stories. Abel is about the father I don’t want to be and the boy I used to be.
Are you happy with where things are headed?
What I’ve seen is that when you try to fulfill your needs, you rediscover limits and better opportunities come to you, like acting in Star Wars, for example.
What did you learn from being part of such a big- budget production like Rogue One?
When the heart of the people working on the production is in the right place, then the size doesn’t really matter. In the end, it’s about teamwork and how you can complement each other on the set. It’s a little like what the film is about: how important it is to connect with others in order to achieve something big. The director, Gareth Edwards, made the set sometimes feel like a very small independent film. I’ve worked before with so many directors who are so afraid of sharing the experience with someone else, as if it was going to be taken away from them. This film reminded me that there’s nothing like cinema because it’s about that interaction—that journey that you go through with others.
Diego Luna (Patrik Giordino/The Red Bulletin)
What unique challenges did you face as an actor?
First of all, I had to forget that I was a fan. It was hard to be there and not want to take pictures of everything around me, call my friends and say, “Damn! I just realized how the creatures move!” And second, I had to be ready physically and mentally. It wasn’t just like you come in and say your lines—we were doing everything. We were asked to do the stuff that you do in combat. I went through military training to understand how the characters would react to certain kinds of situations. All that training paid off with how I should move, grab my weapon and how we moved as a team on the ground in dangerous situations. It was intense.
Diego Luna as Captain Cassian Andor
What qualities do you admire about your character, Captain Cassian Andor?
That he’s willing to sacrifice anything for the cause— that he’s a true hero, and one of those heroes that we could all be if we decided to. Every character in the Rebellion sends the right message—that change is going to happen if everyone gets involved. We understand that we’re capable of doing big things. There’s a lovely line in the trailer that says, “This is a story about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” I think that’s a great message to send today in this world—that so much is about how we’re involved and how we act.
Did you ever imagine you’d be part of such a massive movie franchise?
No, never. The best things that have come to me in life have been a surprise. I think it’s because I have kept working, even in something else, and not because of waiting for it. I just think that when you focus your energy in the right direction things start to work out and life surprises you in a positive way. Maybe I’m being too romantic, but it’s impossible to travel somewhere looking to fall in love with someone. Instead, when you stop looking for it, it comes to you and soon you are in love. If I didn’t have a movie right now I would be very happy doing theater.
How will you handle the exposure to the limelight?
I’m glad this is happening after so many years in the business. I just hope that the people around me remind me who I am every day. In the end, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about the essence of what we do, which is telling stories. So hopefully, I’ll stay sane.
Read the full interview with Diego Luna in the December issue of The Red Bulletin,
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