Jaime Camil has been one of Mexico's most famous leading men for a while now, and it's no surprise, since he is the epitome of a Latin lover. Tall, dark and handsome are only the superficial qualities that might define him, but this man's charisma, along with an easy going and funny personality, make every woman in the world swoon the minute you feel his presence. It's a feeling almost indescribable, the one you get when you find yourself face to chest -- he stands at an impressive 6'3 -- with Jaime Camil. All those memories of being a 13-year-old crushing over any boy band who was hip at the time came right back. A million butterflies tickled my stomach when this man, probably one of the most gorgeous people I'll see in my life, said "hello" and pulled me towards him to greet me the Latino way -- which is something that should be done more often in America -- and hugged and kissed me on the cheek.
My whole week was made. But I had to regain my composure although it took me a few more seconds to remember I was there to interview him about his new upcoming movie "Pulling Strings," in which he plays Alejandro Fernández, a mariachi. Alejandro and his best friend Canicas, played by Omar Chaparro, are looking for fame and fortune in Mexico City, but all of the sudden he finds himself as a single dad, looking for a better life for his daughter. He decides that the best thing to do is to send her daughter to Arizona with her grandparents, but he was denied the American visa by Rachel (Laura Ramsey). That night, Alejandro and Canicas' mariachi band play at Rachel's farewell party and our outstanding leading man takes the opportunity to convince her one more time that he deserves the visa. That night, Rachel's computer with important information is stolen, and her, Alejandro and Canicas, embark in a new adventure that might just have the handsome mariachi and the American Embassy employee falling in love.
"Pulling Strings" comes from the same studio that produced Eugenio Derbez's hit "Instructions not Included," Pantelion Films/Lionsgate, and it is expected to charm American audiences too, attempting to repeat the success of Derbez's film. It will be available in movie theaters across the U.S. beginning tomorrow, Friday Oct. 4. But before the highly anticipated premiere, I managed to finally calm down and engage in an adult conversation with Jaime Camil without drooling too much over him. We talked about the movie, his character, and his most important role so far: being a father, which comes very in hand to why he doesn't feel very much related to his character. After the interview, the impression that Jaime Camil left me is that he is the example of a hard-working talented actor and singer, who puts his family first, doesn't take things for granted and is more than just a gorgeous (and that's an understatement) face.
1. What motivated you to accept this role?
"I read the scrip that was originally called 'The Mexican Singer' over two years ago. I went to Los Angeles, auditioned, sang to the producers and the director, that at the time was a woman, and later the project went on hold because the script needed to be rewritten. To make the long story short, over two years went by, the director was substituted by Pitipol Ybarra, with whom I already did a movie, and well, the script got several positive changes and then it became 'Pulling Strings.' It was incredible, it's a very beautiful project, a romantic comedy that follows all the classic formulas of the genre. You can go watch with your family, and it comes from the same studios as Eugenio Derbez's 'Instructions Not Included,' which is the most successful Latin movie of all times in the United States. We were lucky because in all the screenings of 'Instructions...' they played our trailer so everyone who saw that movie, got a glimpse of ours. God willing, 'Pulling Strings' will come close to the phenomenon that Eugenio Derbez was able to create, and it has similar elements to what the people liked in 'Instructions...'"
2. What did you like the most about shooting this film and about your character, Alejandro?
"I love the fact that his name is Alejandro Fernández, because there are a lot of funny moments that come from the fact that he has the same name as the renown Mexican singer. But the best thing about the whole process for me was the chemistry with the whole cast. Omar Chaparro is a great friend of mine, and our dynamics in this film went beyond the screen. Laura Ramsey was incredible, and then we get these gifts from God like Stockard Channing and Tom Arnold. I gotta say I became good friends with Stockard. She was in Mexico shooting for a couple of nights and I asked her 'Do you wanna go for dinner?' and she probably thought 'This guy is crazy' but I invited her and we went with my wife and Laura Ramsey to this restaurant in Mexico. I really wanted that the Americans that went to Mexico as part of the shooting felt comfortable, and not with the pressure of the stereotypical: 'In Mexico they will slit your throat and kill you!' I wanted them to be super chill, I mean, those things do happen, and it's an awful reality, but I wanted them to get away from that image. And I feel that all the Americans left Mexico feeling great. We had an awesome chemistry and I think that is one of the things that make this movie so great."
3. How would you define Alejandro? Do you feel Alejandro and you have similar traits?
"I don't think we are alike at all. Alejandro is very confused. He thinks that the best for his daughter is to send her over to her grandparents in Arizona. As a dad, I can tell you that I don't function properly as a human being when I'm away from my daughter. In fact, all these trips to promote the movie have been really hard because I haven't seen her in so long. I think Alejandro gets lost in the "I want the best for my daughter, the best school, the best ballet classes...' and his friend, Canicas tells him 'No, your daughter doesn't need any of that, she only needs love and having her dad as a part of her life.' So when Laura's character meets mine, they are the antidote to each other needs."
4. You mentioned earlier that you loved working with Omar Chaparro, being Omar a great comedian, how were you able to keep calm and not burst into laughter on set?
"Being Omar a comedian, many people think it's a party all the time, but he's very professional. He impressed me because he's not only funny, but he's also a great actor. And well, sometimes he would go on with a joke on set, but mostly throughout the whole shooting process he was very in control and acting according to the situation. I felt he was great because if his character went more towards a caricature, the whole movie would've been useless and the people would've lost respect to the story. It would've become a stereotype. I love Omar a lot, off screen we're great friends like I said, and I'm very pleased, very excited with his work. I think the audiences will be surprised by his acting skills."
5. What was the greatest challenge while filming this movie?
"I love making movies. People might think that I'm a telenovela actor, although I wouldn't call them 'novelas' because they're really situational comedies or sitcoms, but maybe people don't know that I've done 22 movies and only four or five TV projects. I love movies, I love being on a movie set way more than a TV set. It's so hard for me to do TV, I can't find myself, but in a movie set, I feel like home. So it's not a sacrifice for me, it's a privilege. How many people can actually say they work in something they love? Only a few. And I consider myself one of the few lucky people that -- thank God -- can say work in something I love, fulfills me and fascinates me. A challenge? Well, maybe the fact that most scenes happen at night, so we had many overnights and it messes your schedule up, and now that my wife and I are parents, as in fully committed parents, no nannies, no babysitters, I really miss my daughter, really, really miss her. But other than that it's always a pleasure shooting a movie."
6. Do you think this movie will be the crossover hit that your career deserves after many years of working in Spanish?
"I think that a crossover is a process that happens little by little. At least I started with this movie which will be released in the United States on Oct. 4 and it's 70% English. I also had a guest role in 'Devious Maids,' which happened to be the episode with the highest ratings. I have a small appearance in Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer's upcoming movie 'Elsa & Fred,' and I'm talking with several studios in the U.S. trying to develop a new show, but it's not something that will happen tomorrow. It starts with a small project and then you grow until you realize you're doing feature films in Hollywood. What I'll tell you is that I'm in the right path."
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