Several years back, Jaime Camil was offered roles in three different television pilots. Unfortunately, however, the part that most interested him, in what would wind up being the CW’s breakout darling Jane the Virgin, was relegated to only a few lines of dialogue. The character, Rogelio De La Vega, was an over-the-top telenovela star with a penchant for shellacked hair, lavender suits, and gift baskets for his many one-night stands who realizes, in a melodramatically meta twist, that he has an adult daughter he didn’t know existed. And without a clue how his character would fit into the series, the actor took a leap of faith.
“I was very lucky,” Camil reflected on a recent phone call on the eve of the show’s second season. “The script that I fell in love with and adored wasJane the Virgin . . . but every line in the pilot was essentially, ‘Why did you keep my daughter a secret all of these years?’ I didn’t know any direction my character was going—was it going to be a dramatic character, a comedic character?—I didn’t know.”
Luckily for the famous Mexican actor—who is best known for starring in his country’s version of Ugly Betty, La Fea Más Bella—Rogelio’s heart ended up proving to be as big as his ego. The scene-stealing character is so charming—as an actor who is both vain yet sincere in his desire to get to know his daughter—that VF.com named Rogelio one of the best new TV characters of 2014. In celebration of the CW’s second season, and Rogelio’s new responsibilities as a grandfather to Jane’s son and husband to Xiomara, we spoke to Camil about Jane’s love triangle, guest star Britney Spears, and what the show’s depiction of the Latino community means for Hollywood.
VF.com: Rogelio is so charmingly over-the-top in his mannerisms and his delivery. Did you base him on anyone, or any telenovela actor, in particular?
Jaime Camil: No, to be honest. I do more films than television, and in Mexico, they are more situational comedies—not the typical telenovela. In Mexico the concept of a sitcom doesn’t actually exist—even if you do a sitcom, technically speaking, because it airs from Monday to Friday, they put it in the telenovela category. But of course I am from Mexico and grew up with the telenovela culture. And I do have a lot of friends who act that way in the genre—that melodramatic style that the telenovela needs to exist. So I know that tone very well.
Did you have any idea when you signed onto the series that your character would wind up such an integral part of Jane’s family?
Of course not! I got very lucky. We [actors] are not kept in the circle of trust with the writers. So we honestly don’t know what’s going to happen in the season. So if we behave like complete assholes in interviews—saying we don’t know what’s coming up in the series—it’s because we really don’t know. We have the same reaction as the audience does when we are reading the episode. I think that [way of running a series] is brilliant as an actor because you are always surprised, and I think it is smart on their part because if we knew what was going to happen, we might cheat it a little in earlier scenes. This way, the character comes out more spontaneous and without predisposition if that makes sense.
Well you’ve filmed the next few episodes . . . What can you tell us about the plot in those?
I like the fact that Jane, on episode 6, we are introducing a character played by Adam Rodriguez. I think that is going to be super amazing because finally they are going to bring a twist to the love triangle between Jane, Michael, and Rafael. You know, right now there is hashtag Team Michael, hashtag Team Rafael . . . well we might have a new hashtag for them to compete with. I don’t know if it will pan out that way, or if he will just have a couple of episodes and then be gone. Personally, as a viewer, I would like to see a little love challenge there between his character and Michael . . .
It does feel like everyone is pretty firmly on Team Michael these days.
I am completely Team Michael but something happens in episode 205 that, for the first time, Rogelio doubts himself as to whether he would be #TeamMichael. It’s very exciting. Whatever people loved about Season 1, I am positive they are going to like it in Season 2 even more.
The show-runner has said there will be two weddings this season. Have you filmed either of those yet?
Zero weddings, and we don’t know who will be getting married. It might be Rogelio and Xo; it could be Jane. Nobody knows.
How was it working with Britney Spears, who plays your character’s nemesis?
She’s actually very good as an actress. She’s so nice, always on time, always a professional, always ready to explore what is best for the show acting-wise, super sweet, super friendly. As you know, like seven months ago, she said that she really dug the show. But she is a mega-worldwide superstar so we were all pleasantly surprised about her cooperation and how willing she was to play with us and have fun. It was a really, really pleasant surprise.
What is Rogelio’s arc like this season?
There is such a good story coming up . . . about Rogelio’s past. I want to tell you so badly. Can I tell you off-the-record? [Trust us: the story line is incredible, relates to Rogelio’s early career, and will definitely cause a stir on the Internet.]
You’re a famous actor in Mexico. What is it like being recognized in America now for your work?
It’s really cool. People dig the show and like the character a lot. I’ve been blessed enough to receive positive reviews from your site and other prestigious outlets, and I have nothing but thanks for the show.
What’s been the biggest difference between filming a series in Mexico and filming one in America?
The budget. In Mexico, for an hour production, if you were to spend $200,000 most likely you would be fired. We are doing a show that costs around $2 million for an hour of production. It’s a huge difference, but, as actors, I think regardless of which country you are working for or which language you are working in, I think as actors we are animals from the same farm. We are on the set and we understand the lingo and the camera angles and when the D.P. or first A.D. need something . . . We walk onto a set and we feel at home.
Jane the Virgin is so popular with both audiences and critics. Do you feel like it marks a turning point for Hollywood’s representation of Latino culture?
I think it’s a win that we are not painting Latinos as caricatures. The fact that we are playing Latinos does not mean that you have to be shouting “fiesta,” “taco,” or talking in the same way most Latin characters do in American television. I just love the fact that these characters are Latinos and they are normal people. And they don’t have piñatas hanging from the ceiling. They have a normal house, they don’t scream. That alone is an amazing accomplishment.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário