As part of the #McFarlandUSAEvent blog team, I got to do some pretty cool things thanks to Disney. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own!
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
I really hope that you all got to get out and go see McFarland, USA this weekend! If not, I hope you do soon. It is a wonderful family movie with so much heart. I’m proud to announce that it opened at #4 this weekend with $11.3 million and was the #1 new opener! This is such great news!
So far you have gotten to read my interview with the amazing Kevin Costner, Director Niki Caro, and the real life inspirations behind the film Coach Jim White and the Diaz Brothers. Today I am sharing the interview we got to do with the seven young actors – Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Sergio Avelar, Johnny Ortiz, Rafael Martinez, Michael Aguero, and Ramiro Rodriguez. This is a great group of young men who are going to go very far in life, I’m sure!
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Johnny Ortiz plays Jose Cardenas in McFarland, USA. You will also be able to see him in ABC’s upcoming show American Crime. You may know him from Ali (2001) and Play It To The Bone (1999) Follow Johnny @MrJohnnyOrtiz on Twitter.
We asked how hard it was training for the film:
Johnny Ortiz: There were moments where I couldn’t run. Being a runner is a hard sport. It’s really a hard sport running. You get shin splints. I was getting them all of the time. It was hurting. Cross country is a hard sport.
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Ramiro Rodriguez plays Danny Diaz in McFarland, USA. Ramiro actually went to high school in McFarland!
We wanted to know how McFarland has changed:
Ramiro Rodriguez: The town has changed itself for the better. There used to be a lot of crime back then – like gangsters and stuff – but now it’s really holding down it’s spot for the national spotlight. It’s really coming together and becoming a community, how it should be.
Photo Credit: The Wrap
Carlos Pratts plays Thomas Valles in McFarland, USA. You may know him from Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), The Bridge (TV series – 2013), and Out of the Fire (2010). You can follow Carlos @carlospratts on Twitter.
Since Carlos has done a lot of acting in the past, we were wondering how McFarland, USA was different from other acting:
Carlos Pratts: Doing a movie is different than TV shows in the sense to where it’s so fast. TV’s very fast and you have 60 pages when you shoot a pilot, so you don’t know where your character’s gonna go, but when you do a movie you have a beginning, middle, and end. So within these 120 pages, I create my arc. You have a lot of trust in the script, and then you get to explore. So I think you have a little more confidence in whatever you’re doing in the film, as opposed to TV you just have no idea.
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Michael Aguero plays Damacio Diaz in McFarland, USA.
In McFarland, USA, you see the characters visit the beach for the first time. It was actually Michael’s first time visiting the beach as well! Here he explains is experience:
Michael Aguero: It was a fun beach trip until he said “Everyone go run in the water.” [laughs] We’re sitting here in tank tops and booty shorts. So we’re like, are we going to get wet? Okay, everybody jump in the water. It’s like pins and needles all through your legs, all through your body. With every other take they usually say you’ll get more used to it. No, you don’t. [laughs]
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Sergio Avelar plays Victor Puentes in McFarland, USA.
Sergio is another actor that is from McFarland, California. Here is he explaining on what it’s like now:
Sergio Avelar: Now people are actually kind of proud saying they are from McFarland. Back then it was, ‘Where are you from?” I’m from McFarland. “Where’s that at?” Oh, you know, between Bakersfield and Visalia. “Oh, that town that smells like cows you as pass?” [laughs] But now, it’s like people are so proud. Now they say that if someone asks you where you are from and they say McFarland, they’re not going to believe you. It’s a movie. It’s so crazy. It’s truly a blessing.
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Rafael Martinez plays David Diaz in McFarland, USA. You may know Rafael from Contrapelo (2014), and Marza (2014). You can follow him @koolaidrafa on Twitter.
Rafael explains what’s next for him:
Rafael Martinez: If you guys are wondering, I want to say I know what I’m going to do next and what’s next for me – but I’ll be very honest; I don’t really know. [laughs]
Hector Duran (Right)
Photo Credit: Silvia Mtz/Mama Latina Tips
Hector Duran plays Johnny Sameniego in McFarland, USA. You can follow him @hector_duran11 on Twitter.
Hector had a pretty great lesson that he learned while filming McFarland, USA:
Hector Duran: One of the biggest things I’ve learned throughout this film is the idea of equality and not judging a book by its cover. As you see in the film, Kevin Costner comes into this small town, and kind of judges the book by its cover. But once you get deeper into what’s really happening and all the values that are there, you see that everybody’s equal. Everybody had their own opinions. The only thing that separates us is the color of our skin, so we should try to treat each other equally.
Make sure you go and see McFarland, USA in theaters now!
Follow McFarland, USA Online:
Website | Facebook | #McFarlandUSA
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Great interview. My husband is looking forward to this movie.
Wow. These sound like really stand-up young men. They were so well spoken, too. I can’t wait to see this movie.
I think it is so amazing that you got to interview these boys! Looks like a wonderful movie too!
Those boys are so sweet. I love how much respect they gave to the story and to their roles.
OMG you must have had so much fun! I love seeing all these posts!
Very cool interview!
So awesome that you got to interview them. What a cool opportunity!
What a great interview. Hubby and my FIL saw the movie last week and haven’t stopped talking about it. My FIL really enjoyed it as it reminded him a lot of his upbringing. Thanks for sharing your interview.
I am looking forward to seeing this movie with my son. I think that we will both enjoy it.
This movie looks amazing! My son and I actually already have a mother/son movie night out planned to go see this on the weekend. He runs both track and cross country, so he is really looking forward to seeing this one. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this wonderful interview!
what a treat to interview them. I am all over this movie.
What a great experience!!
What a great opportunity for you. Can’t wait to see the movie.
I have read so much about this group so far. I am really looking forward to seeing the movie.
What a great interview! This movie looks like it will be great.
That sounds like a really fun experience. Great interview!
What a great opportunity for you to sit with such a young group of talent!
My family is really looking forward to watching this movie! It is awesome that you got to be part of an interview with the actors!
What a great group of guys! It’s good to know the town has changed for the better!
That must have been an interesting sit-down, I always like hearing about actors and their thoughts on a movie.
So amazing that you got to interview them!!!
What a fun chance to talk to the younger actors. This movie looks awesome!
What a fun interview to get to do! I can’t wait to see this movie it sounds amazing!
What a fun experience! This movie is not my bucket list to see!
This would have been a fun interview to be at, glad we get to read about it!
How fun that you got to interview them. The movie looks great.
This is a really great interview. It must have been a fun day. My girlfriend and i are going to see this movie as soon as it comes out.
You definitely have me interested
Great interview! I loved being there for this! Great movie!
That is SO awesome that you got to interview them!! It looks like it turned out to be a great interview. and, ummm… Sergio Avelar is cutteeee! lol.