1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Dear, let you know USA listener. 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 2: Before we start, you should know that if you want 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 2: to listen to this episode ad free, just join Plus 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 2: and you can join for as little as seven dollars 5 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: a month. Joining also gets you behind the scenes access 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 2: and yes, some cheese me. So click the link in 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: the episode description and after you do that, then click play. 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: Let's go to the show. 9 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 2: Julo Torres is an actor, he's a director, he's a producer, 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 2: and well he's a really funny guy. 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 3: I have an Instagram and I had Twitter before the 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 3: dominant was in Twitter became I don't know unhealthy if. 13 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: Julia used to right for Saturday Night Live. He got 14 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: two Emmy nominations, and in twenty twenty three, he was 15 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 2: named as one of Time Magazine's Emergent Artists of the Year. 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: And what makes Hulio different is that he approaches his 17 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: comedic work from a very singular place. 18 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 4: The next shape is a Sphere, who you may recognize 19 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 4: for her current role as a Ferrero or Schet Chocolate. 20 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 4: Originally we had booked the different Pharaoh Shade Chocolate to 21 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 4: play this part. But then I was backstage and I 22 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 4: was like places, places, I'm like, I'm sorry, but where's 23 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 4: your little skirt? 24 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 3: I do what I do well, and I do it 25 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: because I don't know how to do anything else. So 26 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 3: I'm happy that it feels like it works. And I 27 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 3: suspect the reason is because when working with objects, they 28 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 3: become canvases onto which we are free to project a 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 3: personality and the sensibility too. 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 4: And she was like, no, I can do it. No, honey, 31 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 4: I know you can do it, but if you're not 32 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 4: in costume, I don't know what to tell you. And 33 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 4: then this one was like, I can do it. It's 34 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 4: a cruel, cruel business. 35 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: Julio has been praised for his surreal and imaginative creativity. 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: At thirty eight years old, he's had a pretty illustrious 37 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 2: career so far. In twenty twenty five, he won a 38 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: Peabody for his series Phantasmas. 39 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 5: If we were to move forward with clear Crayola, what 40 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 5: will we call it? Oh call it Fantasmas. Pantasmas, these ghosts. 41 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 5: But why plural? Why not fantasma? It's blue not blues? Oh, 42 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 5: because I like it. 43 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: Julio is from El Salvador, and you've heard me say 44 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 2: this before US immigrants. You know, we like to have 45 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 2: like twenty jobs at once. For Fantasmas, Julia was the creator, 46 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: the director, and an executive producer. 47 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 6: Okay, well, I do have an idea in case of emergency. Yes, 48 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 6: I was hoping I would never have to use script 49 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 6: titled I'll say it how I came. 50 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 7: Out to Maya buela. 51 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. He also starred in Fantasmas. He played Julio, 52 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: the main character who's on a quest to find a 53 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: missing ear ring. 54 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 8: I rang in the New Year just like with my 55 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 8: flashlight on looking on the floor of this ray, like 56 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 8: looking for the crumpled. 57 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 7: Water bottle like that. 58 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 4: No. 59 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 8: Well, that's why I made the show, because I was like, 60 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 8: I need I got my money back. 61 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: From Futuro Media. It's let you know, USA, I'm Maria 62 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: no Josa. Today, comedian Julio Dorrees invites us to look 63 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 2: at the world through a new perspective. He talks about 64 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 2: his career, his immigrant journey, and gives us some tips 65 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 2: about embracing otherness. This is an updated version of an 66 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 2: interview we did with Julio in twenty twenty two. In 67 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: the early twenty tens, Julio moved to the US from 68 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: El Salvador for college. He wanted to pursue a career 69 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: in comedy and entertainment. He did things to come to 70 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 2: the United States quote unquote in the right way, but 71 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 2: even so he found it really difficult. 72 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 3: My immigration journey, if we're being literal about it, was 73 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 3: coming here as a student and getting a student PISA, 74 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 3: and then graduating from college and having a limited amount 75 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 3: of time to find us sponsor. 76 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 7: And then I did find a sponsor to get me a. 77 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 9: Day job, and then I had my day job, and 78 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 9: then on the side I started doing comedy, and then 79 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 9: I got to a point where my day job PISA 80 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 9: I expired that I had done enough work as a 81 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 9: comedian that I was able to get an artist visa, 82 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 9: and then. 83 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 3: Putting in some years as an artist visa, I then 84 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 3: got a green card. Now that is, of course, the 85 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 3: oversimplified version of that. The everyday reality was a constant 86 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 3: ticking clock in a constant struggle, sort of like a 87 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 3: frog going from lily patch to lily pat just hoping 88 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,679 Speaker 3: that the next lily patter was strong enough to hold 89 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 3: my weight, or that there was going to be another 90 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 3: thing pad at all. 91 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: Whoio used that ticking clock as an inspiration in his 92 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three film Problemista, where he is the co 93 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: protagonist along with Till This Way, which critics have said 94 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 2: is a satirical take on the immigration system. From Lemista, 95 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 2: follows Alejandro, an immigrant from El Salvador. 96 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: Just like Julio. 97 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 2: Alejandro has dreams of becoming a toy maker in the 98 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: United States, but his ambitions are quickly threatened because his 99 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: work visa is about to expire. 100 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 7: They didn't want to sponsor me anymore. I'm actually from 101 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 7: El Salvador. 102 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: Oh El Salvador, whopooses yes, and as the nuns they 103 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 2: killed in the eighties. 104 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 7: Es right, So now I'm looking for a new job. 105 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 2: Julio also recognizes that his real life situation was a 106 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 2: lot luckier than millions of others who've come to the 107 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:45,679 Speaker 2: United States. 108 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 7: In retrospect, it's a very lucky attorney. 109 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 3: I find that being able to do things the legal 110 00:06:53,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 3: way is an immense privilege. That I was able to 111 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 3: come here on a plane and come here legally and 112 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 3: go to school here, to be the quote unquote good 113 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 3: kind of immigrant. It's not a decision. It's a lucky thing. 114 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 3: It's a privileged thing. 115 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 2: Besides his films, Wholia also works on stand up comedy. 116 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 3: It invites people to play and look at the world 117 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 3: around them differently, or to be more attentive to the 118 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 3: world around them. I'm showing you a way of thinking, 119 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 3: and that I think becomes like an exciting exercise for people. 120 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 3: I will now very abruptly do some impressions at you. Okay, 121 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 3: here's the first one. 122 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 7: Do not rush me. 123 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 4: The water will be ready when it's ready. 124 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 7: That is a greater filter. 125 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 2: This whole thing about making everyday random objects into characters, 126 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: it kind of became Julio's thing. It's really funny and 127 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: he really gets into it. 128 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 3: My editor reached out saying that she thought that the 129 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 3: stand up specials would make for a kid's book. But 130 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 3: something that we discovered was that a lot of the 131 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 3: humor the stand up special comes from subverting expectation and 132 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: the element of surprise of like, oh, you're suddenly you're 133 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 3: showing small toys to a group of adults in the 134 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: context of a stand up special. That in itself is funny, 135 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 3: But for a children's book, it felt like showing kids 136 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 3: like cute little characters was not unusual. 137 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 7: It's actually the norm. 138 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 3: So I thought of, well, what is the unexpected route 139 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 3: for a kid's book. Then I thought, well, it should 140 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 3: be boring looking household objects that are the stars of 141 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 3: this book. And then I thought of like one of 142 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 3: the most mundane objects, which is a plunger, and what 143 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 3: the internal life of a plunger would hypothetically be, Like, 144 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: a plunger is a very unfortunate tool to have to use. 145 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 3: A plunger has a physically, very unfeeling job. So I 146 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 3: felt like, who is at the bottom of the potum 147 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 3: fool of objects? And plunger was very much down there, 148 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 3: So that just felt like a very good, scrappy main character. 149 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 2: The book got published and Julia can now add children's 150 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 2: book author to his resume and being a good immigrant 151 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 2: with twenty different jobs. That makes sense, of course, because 152 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 2: he told us that so much of his work is 153 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: in fact informed by his childhood. 154 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 3: It's very plateful and experimental, which I think goes along 155 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 3: well with. 156 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 7: What kids like. 157 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 3: So I actually didn't find myself changing a whole lot, 158 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 3: going from being a comedian for adults to being one 159 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 3: that's also inclusive of children. As a kid, I member 160 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 3: that my favorite things were stories and media that didn't 161 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 3: feel like they were talking down at me, but that 162 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 3: actually challenged me to discover something different, and I think 163 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 3: that's what this does. 164 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: When we come back, we continue to hear from actor, 165 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 2: comedian and writer Julio Torres. 166 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: Stay with us notes, Hey, we're back. 167 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 2: When we left off, we heard from comedian Julio Torres 168 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 2: about his immigration journey and about how and why he 169 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: draws inspiration for his work from objects as well as 170 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 2: from his childhood. Julio's going to tell us now about 171 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 2: one of the projects that he's probably best known for, 172 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 2: the HBO show Los Espooki's. 173 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: Much Mississippi and. 174 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 3: The Universe of Spookies is very much the sum total 175 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 3: of my sensibilities and Fred armison sensibilities and our partner 176 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 3: Anna Fabregas sensibilities. And what I really enjoy about it 177 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 3: is it's not just the show about Latin American people. 178 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 3: It's a show about sort of like Latin American way 179 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 3: of storytelling, which is odd. It's very surreal, and it 180 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 3: is less troubled by the rules of everyday storytelling or 181 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 3: like it's not focal going by a conventional way of 182 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 3: seeing the world. 183 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 7: I grew up around a lot of like odd. 184 00:11:53,880 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 3: Latin American media like Watter Americalo, for instance, abor just 185 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: the fact that you would have an astrologer be a 186 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 3: part of the news, like you get your weather forecast, 187 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,719 Speaker 3: but then you also get your astrological forecast from this 188 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 3: wonderfully eccentric being who you don't really question. This person's 189 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 3: just there. And shows like Premating Bacto Pretty It's purest 190 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 3: which is like a like a very sensationalist bizarre news 191 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 3: channel where they talk about real news, but then also 192 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 3: would dedicate a lot of airtime to like the chubacavdas. 193 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: And it's not just Walter Metgado and the chupacas. He's 194 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 2: inspired by Latin American folklore and of course by the lenovelas. 195 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 3: Predominantly Mexican telenovelas, which I found, at least when I 196 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 3: was growing up, to be very obsessed with access and 197 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 3: wealth to a sort of a comedic degree. And then 198 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 3: there is Brazilian tell loves, which my mother was very 199 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 3: fond of, which are more surreal. There was one in 200 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 3: particular where I very vividly remember there was a character 201 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 3: that was in love with the moon who had to 202 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 3: chain himself to the basement so that he wouldn't flow 203 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 3: away when. 204 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 7: There was full moon. 205 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 3: I found myself very drawn to living in the world 206 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 3: where it feels like magic is part of everyday life 207 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,559 Speaker 3: and all these like glorying of the lines between science, 208 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 3: religion and superstition, and I feel like there are very 209 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 3: American attempts at conveying that. 210 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 7: So it was like when. 211 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 3: American storytelling engages with magic, their first instinct discertain it 212 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 3: and to create rules for it and to say like, well, 213 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 3: it's magic, but it works. 214 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 7: Like ABMC, I. 215 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 3: Think that Los Spookies is very unpreoccupied by rules or 216 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 3: in the. 217 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 7: Air a sum must moltique in Typoka. 218 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 3: The magic in it just sort of happens and there's 219 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 3: no explanation to it. There's no rhyme or reason to 220 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 3: its something that might happen and it will never come again, 221 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 3: in the way that like mainstream entertainment doesn't allow us 222 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 3: to be. 223 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 5: Another mastive Pneumonia, doubly mint. 224 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 7: Weterfinals. 225 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 2: Now, clearly Los Espookies wasn't out of the box project, 226 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 2: but that's what Julio does. He says that the avant 227 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 2: garde aspect in Los Espookies was intentional because he believes 228 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 2: that commercial success doesn't always come from creating something that's 229 00:14:58,040 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 2: for everyone. 230 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: Because I think as soon as you start worrying too 231 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 3: much about something being accessible, then you start making something 232 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 3: that is like everything else, and that might be the 233 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 3: easiest path to commercial success. 234 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 7: But that's just not something that very interested in. 235 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 2: We'll be right back, Yes, Hey, we're back. We're going 236 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 2: to continue with Julio Torres. Before Julio worked on projects 237 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: like Loss, Spookies, and Problemsta, his path to success and 238 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: his own style started in a pretty mainstream, established place, 239 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: Saturday Night Live. 240 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 3: It was very strange to become a part of something 241 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 3: that you have been aware of for as long as 242 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 3: you can remember. It's not just like, oh, I'm working 243 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 3: on TV. I'm working on a comedy show. It's like, oh, 244 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 3: I'm working on the comedy show. It was interesting because 245 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 3: I grew up loving a lot of the kinds of 246 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 3: sketches that I think I thought at some point I 247 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 3: would write, and that, as it turns out, I didn't. 248 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 3: There was a time where I really enjoyed stayed like 249 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 3: Maya Rudolph's Dona Televersa just sketches. 250 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: Is there all town hills on a televans such. 251 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 7: Or the weekend Up Day segments from the studio Age 252 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 7: and Rockefeller Center. 253 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 3: This is Weekend Up New and I thought like, maybe 254 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 3: I'll get to do some of those, and then I 255 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 3: got there and I was like, why no. 256 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 7: You enjoy those, but that's not your voice. 257 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 3: And something really flipped when I decided that I should 258 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 3: write for the show the kinds of things that I 259 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 3: would write regardless of the show. Very very on my 260 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 3: third week there or so, I wrote this sketch in 261 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 3: which Emily Blunt voiced the inner monologue of a very 262 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 3: Ornee backing. 263 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: Syn feel over dressed like I'm in everyone's way, and. 264 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 3: The whole sketch, this little movie was just angles around 265 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 3: this one sink and Emily Blunt's voice over. And then 266 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 3: I really thought like, oh wow, I really get to 267 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 3: do something that the show hasn't done before that is 268 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 3: very me and it's actually working. 269 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 7: People are finding it funny and people are enjoying it. 270 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 3: And I felt very excited that I was able to 271 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 3: do something so bizarre to them but so natural to me. 272 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 7: Saturday Night Live. For me, it provided immediate gratification. 273 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: It's almost like my soul in my brain didn't really 274 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 3: hold the space or the time for longer formed storytelling 275 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 3: because very much like stand up, you come up with something, 276 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:15,920 Speaker 3: then you show it to people, and then you get 277 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 3: gratified by that, and then you move on. And then 278 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 3: you have a new idea and you show it to 279 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 3: people and you get gratified by that, and then you 280 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 3: move on. And then I was really able to dedicate 281 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 3: more time and thought to longer work. I have got 282 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 3: to explore a side of me that Noah would be 283 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 3: interested in if it were for the work. I didn't 284 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 3: stand it in your live. But also I wouldn't be 285 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 3: able to do if I hadn't moved. 286 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 7: Away from it. 287 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 2: And something else Julia hasn't been afraid to do is 288 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 2: to use his art to be political, Like in twenty sixteen, 289 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 2: after the first Donald Trump victory. 290 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: I've just received a call from Secretary Clinton. 291 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 5: She congratulated us. 292 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 8: It's about us on our victory. 293 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 3: It's interesting because before Trump was elected, I really did 294 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 3: feel and I don't know if I was right or wrong, 295 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: but I did feel like my otherness was a barrier 296 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 3: I had to overcome because I didn't look or act 297 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 3: or behave, or was interested in the same things that 298 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 3: people wanted or that the industry wanted from a stand 299 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 3: up comedian. 300 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 7: I looked at the lineups for shows and I was 301 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 7: always the oddo one out. 302 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 3: And then post Trump, I feel like the industry had 303 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 3: this very reactive impulse of Okay, wait, no, we have 304 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 3: to include other voices, right, And so then they were like, well, 305 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 3: how about Wulio. But then it's like, well, as it 306 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 3: turns out, not only is Bolio or other these ways, 307 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 3: he's also on other in these other ways, in that 308 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 3: his work is unexpected and surreal and playful and all 309 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 3: these things that don't be engaged head on with identity, 310 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 3: but do it with these more abstracting ways. And then 311 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 3: I felt like a second frustration, which was they want 312 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 3: me for the things that they think I am, not 313 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 3: through the things that I actually am. And so I 314 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 3: felt like I had to take a little longer to 315 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 3: sort of prove that I am valuable not because of 316 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 3: what I look like, for what I was born as, 317 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 3: but because of the way I think, which is incidentally 318 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 3: informed from where I found from and who I am. 319 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: Worth reminding you now that this was recorded in twenty 320 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: twenty two. 321 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 3: I do believe that it is very important to have 322 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 3: different voices elevated and showcased and for kids to see 323 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 3: kids like them and stories like them. But I do 324 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 3: think that it's becoming very quickly a corporate crutch to 325 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 3: doing real work or real change, where it's almost like 326 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 3: audiences have been fooled into believing that if media and 327 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 3: commercials look like them, that that in itself is the 328 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 3: beal end all of progress. I joke with my friends 329 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 3: that it felt like at one point the industry wanted 330 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 3: for me to come up with like a show, but 331 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 3: like how it came out to my right or something 332 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 3: that really really sells my otherness, And again I was like, 333 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 3: never really interested in approaching it from that angle. 334 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 7: I'm very interested in motivating. 335 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 3: And letting people be who they are rather than in 336 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 3: telling them this is who they are, so you should buy. 337 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 3: I really am a believer that if you let an 338 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 3: artist who they are, you just need to trust the 339 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 3: identity is a part of that, and that if a 340 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 3: work of art is honest, then it doesn't matter how 341 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,120 Speaker 3: narrow or broad that point of views, it will honestly 342 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 3: attract audias. 343 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: That was comedian actor and writer Julo Torres. 344 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 2: Our episode was produced by Alejandra Salassar and Rinaldo Leanos Junior, 345 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 2: who was edited by Daisy Contreras and Penni Le Ramirez. 346 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 2: It was mixed by Andy Basnak. Fernande Echavari is our 347 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: managing editor. The Latino USA team also includes Roxa Na Guire, 348 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 2: Jodie Caruso, Rebecca Barra, Stefanie Lebau, Luis Lunac, Flori mar Marquez, 349 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 2: Julieta Martinelli, Montica Morales, Garcia, Palo mape Is, JJ Krubin, 350 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 2: Annello Reyes, Adriana Rodriguez and Nancy Trujillo. Penilee Ramirez and 351 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 2: I are executive producers and I'm your host Maria no Josa. 352 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,479 Speaker 2: Latino USA is part of Iheart's Michael Dura Podcast Network. 353 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 2: Executive producers that iHeart are Leo Goo Mis and Arlene Santana. 354 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 2: Join us again on our next episode. In the meantime, 355 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 2: I'll see you on all of our social media, catch 356 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 2: me on Instagram and dear listener, don't forget to join 357 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 2: Futuro Plus because you get to listen to every episode 358 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 2: ad free plus, you get sweet bonus content, and also 359 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 2: you'll be supporting Futuro, which we know you love. 360 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: Just to see us do it now so easy. Great 361 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: way to celebrate our work. Jiao astella proxima Not Yes. 362 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 10: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation, 363 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 10: working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, 364 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 10: the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the 365 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 10: Heising Simons Foundation, unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities. More at 366 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:08,959 Speaker 10: hsfoundation dot org.