WEBVTT - Luis Guzmán: Breaking Barriers, Taking Risks & Speaking Truths

0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:08.720
<v Speaker 1>Grassiers Come Again, a podcast by Honey German. Welcome to

0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:12.600
<v Speaker 1>another episode of Grasses Come Again today. I feel so nervous.

0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:15.560
<v Speaker 1>I'm so excited. My heart is like because we're sitting

0:00:15.600 --> 0:00:21.360
<v Speaker 1>down with the legendary, the iconic Luis Gusman. Welcome to

0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:22.239
<v Speaker 1>Grasses Come Again.

0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:24.439
<v Speaker 2>Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:25.720
<v Speaker 1>You look good.

0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:34.040
<v Speaker 2>Look all that hair, it's all my no extensions, no

0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:39.599
<v Speaker 2>nothing I could tell. And you know what, all these

0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:44.000
<v Speaker 2>little curls, they just do themselves.

0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:47.640
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Grasses Coming. This show is all about you know,

0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:51.240
<v Speaker 1>Latinos living our life in Spanglish and you know, shining

0:00:51.320 --> 0:00:53.519
<v Speaker 1>us spotlight on all of our you know, our actors,

0:00:53.520 --> 0:00:57.240
<v Speaker 1>our singers, our directors, our photographers, and we're gonna premiere

0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:00.280
<v Speaker 1>with you. I've already done tons of interviews and I

0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:02.200
<v Speaker 1>even pushed back the premiere day because I was like

0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:04.320
<v Speaker 1>what I said, I'm gonna say, we were supposed to

0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:06.679
<v Speaker 1>premiere this week and I was like, absolutely not. I

0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:10.959
<v Speaker 1>said I need two more weeks because you know what, right,

0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:15.399
<v Speaker 1>and here we are. I manifested it. Idiocito delivered.

0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:25.560
<v Speaker 2>Pantatico and.

0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:30.240
<v Speaker 1>L E S l E S.

0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:36.800
<v Speaker 2>Lower east Side. Well with my first the first time

0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:40.640
<v Speaker 2>from Puerto Rico. We live in Controla Park in the Bronx,

0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.320
<v Speaker 2>and then from there we moved to Chelsea, the West

0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:46.080
<v Speaker 2>Village and then the Lower east Side.

0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.160
<v Speaker 1>What neighborhood do you claim when they be like, where

0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:48.720
<v Speaker 1>are you from.

0:01:48.520 --> 0:01:48.960
<v Speaker 2>In New York?

0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:49.440
<v Speaker 1>What do you say?

0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:50.280
<v Speaker 2>The Lower east Side?

0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:51.640
<v Speaker 1>L e s all day, right.

0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:54.440
<v Speaker 2>All day, every day. I take a lot of pride

0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:59.280
<v Speaker 2>coming from that neighborhood. It's taught me a lot. I

0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:02.120
<v Speaker 2>wouldn't be sitting here today if it wasn't for that

0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:06.520
<v Speaker 2>neighborhood and in some of the influences and mentors that

0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:08.120
<v Speaker 2>I came across.

0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.000
<v Speaker 1>We're talking acting mentors or just mentors in general.

0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:15.440
<v Speaker 2>Mentors in general. You know, people like Chino Gotzia, people

0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:21.600
<v Speaker 2>like Bimbo Ribas, Mit Bigneto, you know, Carmen Lopez just

0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.560
<v Speaker 2>to name a few. Yeah, a lot of my people.

0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:29.120
<v Speaker 1>It's crazy how a group of people can help, you know,

0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.240
<v Speaker 1>mold you. It's not just Mommy and Poppy.

0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:35.440
<v Speaker 2>No, it's not. Because you know, like Mamy and Poppy,

0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:40.480
<v Speaker 2>They're always going to have their influence, you know, teaching

0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.960
<v Speaker 2>me what it is to be responsible, things like that.

0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:48.480
<v Speaker 2>But when you hit the streets. It's a whole different

0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:53.200
<v Speaker 2>kind of upbringing. And those people just taught me a lot,

0:02:53.240 --> 0:03:00.360
<v Speaker 2>you know, at the street theater, we're brother, Bimbo. I

0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:03.600
<v Speaker 2>was with the New York Rican Poets Cafes, the original

0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.920
<v Speaker 2>one when it opened up on Sixth Street, and that

0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:10.200
<v Speaker 2>they you know, and then people like you know Alcia

0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:16.160
<v Speaker 2>and doing community work, community development. We had our place

0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:20.160
<v Speaker 2>a school on Ninth Street, I said, Yama, we named

0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:26.799
<v Speaker 2>it at Bohill, you know, Bimboiqua. And so we used

0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:29.760
<v Speaker 2>to run like a lot of community arts projects. And

0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:31.560
<v Speaker 2>then I became a social worker.

0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:32.920
<v Speaker 1>I saw that and then.

0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:34.880
<v Speaker 2>I worked over at Henry Street Settlement.

0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.520
<v Speaker 1>How long did you actually work as a social worker

0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:39.640
<v Speaker 1>before you broke out into acting.

0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:42.440
<v Speaker 2>Man, I would have to say at least twelve years.

0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:44.920
<v Speaker 1>Oh, so you had a long run as a social way.

0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:48.240
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that they you know, for me, when I

0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:52.080
<v Speaker 2>became an actor, it was a total accident. I had

0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:53.160
<v Speaker 2>done acting.

0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.520
<v Speaker 1>Before because you were moonlighting as I mean, it was

0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.560
<v Speaker 1>a hobby. Okay, it was favous to friends of mine

0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:01.160
<v Speaker 1>and why would they like, can you do me a favor?

0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:03.800
<v Speaker 1>Were you funny? Were you colorful? What was it about you?

0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:05.200
<v Speaker 1>That they're like, can you do me a favorite acting

0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:05.520
<v Speaker 1>as well?

0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:08.000
<v Speaker 2>Oh? Because I, like I said, you know, my first

0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:10.240
<v Speaker 2>my first acting thing was in high school the high

0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:10.800
<v Speaker 2>school play.

0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:12.960
<v Speaker 1>Oh so you had you had the acting bug.

0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:17.480
<v Speaker 2>But again I'm being it wasn't something that I was pursuing.

0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.800
<v Speaker 2>It was just it just became a thing that like, oh,

0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:24.120
<v Speaker 2>somebody wrote this and that a part for you. You

0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:26.560
<v Speaker 2>want to do it? Yeah? Yeah, you know. So it

0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:30.080
<v Speaker 2>was again, it was a hobby. It was for fun.

0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:36.120
<v Speaker 2>But my main passion was helping young people to help themselves.

0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:44.200
<v Speaker 2>That's why I became a community activist, social worker, and

0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:46.760
<v Speaker 2>I took a lot of pride in that. So I

0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:49.400
<v Speaker 2>did that for a while. And so what happened was

0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:51.080
<v Speaker 2>one day a bunch of kids didn't show up to

0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.479
<v Speaker 2>my program. I went down to the street looking for them,

0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.320
<v Speaker 2>something that I didn't do, but I knew the families,

0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:01.240
<v Speaker 2>you know. Yeah, So I went out and I ran

0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:06.640
<v Speaker 2>into me get Pinedo, who have written Short Eyes, and

0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:08.840
<v Speaker 2>I hadn't seen my key in that three years, and

0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.719
<v Speaker 2>they said, yo, I'm writing for TV shows that coming

0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:15.680
<v Speaker 2>to New York. Take down this number, go audition, and

0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:18.160
<v Speaker 2>I go, Pappy, I wasn't even thinking about this. I me,

0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:22.880
<v Speaker 2>I go audition. Mi huh. Three weeks later, I get

0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:26.159
<v Speaker 2>a call from a guy that's his agent saying, Hey,

0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:28.400
<v Speaker 2>I represent Miguel. I want to represent you when I

0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:31.400
<v Speaker 2>go for what you just book the cold starring part

0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:34.000
<v Speaker 2>in the season premiere of Miami Vice.

0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:36.080
<v Speaker 1>Doesn't get any bigger than that.

0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:42.040
<v Speaker 2>I was like, oh, so, yeah, you want to know something.

0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:44.920
<v Speaker 2>All I wanted to get out of that was and

0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.720
<v Speaker 2>you will know this. I just wanted to make enough

0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:52.120
<v Speaker 2>money to buy me a uth car to drive.

0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:55.320
<v Speaker 3>To Orchard Beach and now have to take the train

0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:57.960
<v Speaker 3>and the bus.

0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:03.040
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, so I got the car. My friend totaled

0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:04.479
<v Speaker 2>it the next day.

0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.960
<v Speaker 1>You kidding me? I need details.

0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:15.800
<v Speaker 2>It was a Malleble station wagon. Yeah. Over a chick.

0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:20.840
<v Speaker 1>It's always a chick, right, he was going to see

0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:21.200
<v Speaker 1>a chick and.

0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:22.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, no, he told me we're going to the

0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:23.520
<v Speaker 2>hardware store.

0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.719
<v Speaker 1>Yeah right, what borough?

0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:28.280
<v Speaker 2>He went to Manhattan.

0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:30.599
<v Speaker 1>He crossed bridges and he.

0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:34.520
<v Speaker 2>Tried to go uptown on the Lower east Side. He

0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:39.599
<v Speaker 2>got stuck and crossed in rush hour traffic. So he

0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:42.560
<v Speaker 2>came out and he didn't see the car coming. He said,

0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:46.080
<v Speaker 2>oh yeah, I came. He paid me for the car though.

0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:48.120
<v Speaker 1>Oh that's good because most people be like, no, no, I

0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:48.560
<v Speaker 1>don't got it.

0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:50.440
<v Speaker 2>No, no, no, no, he paid me for the car.

0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.320
<v Speaker 1>You were like, yeah.

0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:56.800
<v Speaker 2>Then we went back to Pennsylvania. The next week, I

0:06:56.839 --> 0:06:57.600
<v Speaker 2>got another car.

0:06:57.839 --> 0:06:59.440
<v Speaker 1>Good for you. You still have some left of the

0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:01.840
<v Speaker 1>money for my Ami Vice or with the money he paid.

0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:03.440
<v Speaker 2>You, with the money he paid me.

0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:04.599
<v Speaker 1>Oh damn. He paid right away.

0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:05.200
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah.

0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:06.880
<v Speaker 1>You know people be like, can I get a payment plan?

0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:12.320
<v Speaker 2>No? No, anything they own gij you know, so I'm not.

0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:12.560
<v Speaker 2>I can't.

0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:19.880
<v Speaker 3>Can't tell you what then and he paid up good,

0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:24.040
<v Speaker 3>and Miami Vice set everything off for you pretty much.

0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:28.760
<v Speaker 2>You know. I didn't understand the business, so I went

0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:31.280
<v Speaker 2>back to being a social worker, because again that was

0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:34.280
<v Speaker 2>my passion. I thought that the whole Miami Vice thing

0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:34.920
<v Speaker 2>was a fluke.

0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:35.920
<v Speaker 1>It was like one off.

0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.600
<v Speaker 2>Yeah yeah. So but this guy, this agent, kept sending

0:07:39.640 --> 0:07:42.520
<v Speaker 2>me out to stuff so I would get I would

0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:46.200
<v Speaker 2>get parts. You know, I'd be like Killer ninety seven,

0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:51.360
<v Speaker 2>you know, Jesse cab driver eighty two. I was like,

0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:55.600
<v Speaker 2>I was my role with numbers. But the day that

0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:59.560
<v Speaker 2>I got a part and it said Raoul, and I.

0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:03.200
<v Speaker 3>Said, oh, no, they won't number so and.

0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:07.520
<v Speaker 1>Now what are the odds? Full circle moment.

0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:10.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so yeah, I don't know how many raouls I played,

0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:11.880
<v Speaker 2>but I think it's been a few.

0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:15.200
<v Speaker 1>And then that took off.

0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:19.840
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I took off. And you know, I ended up

0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:23.360
<v Speaker 2>doing this movie called Crocodile Dundee and that got me

0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:30.640
<v Speaker 2>the Crocodile Dundee too. I got me notoriety, right yeah, yeah,

0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:33.680
<v Speaker 2>and then I ended up doing Kalito The Way. And

0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:38.840
<v Speaker 2>who doesn't like a good Latino Gangs classic?

0:08:38.880 --> 0:08:42.440
<v Speaker 1>Okay? Yeah, Oh you're here is Pachanga everywhere you go.

0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.720
<v Speaker 2>Everywhere I go, people think I'm Pachanga forever.

0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:49.920
<v Speaker 1>I feel like, no matter how many you could be Gomez,

0:08:49.960 --> 0:08:54.960
<v Speaker 1>you could be for us Latino, especially here in New Yorkanga.

0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:57.760
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, what did you do that to Klito? And

0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:06.160
<v Speaker 2>I said, watch your bag? Okay? Without did I on without?

0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:08.600
<v Speaker 1>We didn't expect it, though, And I'm pretty sure you've

0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:11.000
<v Speaker 1>spoken about Klito's Way and a million times.

0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah yeah, but you know what I mean, we love you.

0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:17.320
<v Speaker 2>That was the rules in the hood, you know, so

0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:20.520
<v Speaker 2>the people that you think got your back. When it

0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:24.520
<v Speaker 2>comes down to it, you can't really trust anybody you know.

0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:28.160
<v Speaker 1>So unexpected. They did a Kalito's Way too.

0:09:29.320 --> 0:09:31.040
<v Speaker 2>I was in it. I was in it.

0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:32.240
<v Speaker 1>Did you bring it to life?

0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:34.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah? But I feel.

0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:35.360
<v Speaker 1>Like you're such an important part of the movie that

0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.400
<v Speaker 1>they would have brought it to you, like we're gonna

0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:38.800
<v Speaker 1>bring it back down to do it.

0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:40.920
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know, the producers wanted me in the movie.

0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:46.320
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, I played this guy that kind of resembles

0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:49.440
<v Speaker 2>a bat Chianga, but I think it was more like

0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:51.320
<v Speaker 2>Bachanga's uncle that I was playing.

0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:52.800
<v Speaker 1>Oh okay, so you were just in it, but not

0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:56.079
<v Speaker 1>as yourself. Yes, makes sense. Yeah, we didn't need a

0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:59.040
<v Speaker 1>Khalito's Way too. Carlito's Way is so epic and so

0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.400
<v Speaker 1>iconic that it's like one and done.

0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:03.120
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, no, it was listening. It was a great

0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:06.240
<v Speaker 2>movie for me. It was a dream come true because

0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:11.120
<v Speaker 2>you know, a huge fan of pacinos. You know, I

0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:15.560
<v Speaker 2>saw Legend, Dog Day Afternoon Circroco. Those were two of

0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:20.600
<v Speaker 2>my favorite movies. And and to be a sidekick man,

0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:52.360
<v Speaker 2>you know, Yeah.

0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:39.920
<v Speaker 1>How did you land that role? Like do you remember

0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.680
<v Speaker 1>did your agent get that or it was just something different?

0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:46.280
<v Speaker 2>No? Actually, so my agent sent me to an audition

0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:52.840
<v Speaker 2>and what happened was the night before the audition, two

0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:56.120
<v Speaker 2>of my boys came over to my apartment and they

0:10:56.200 --> 0:11:02.880
<v Speaker 2>found this this like old school zippered leather jacket in

0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:07.280
<v Speaker 2>the park and it was like perfect, you know. And

0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:13.080
<v Speaker 2>I tried it on, and you know, jacket, yeah, yeah,

0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:16.520
<v Speaker 2>but I have real character, and so I put it

0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:20.160
<v Speaker 2>on and I went to the audition wearing this jacket.

0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:23.960
<v Speaker 2>So I started doing my thing. Yeah, I hat ThM

0:11:23.960 --> 0:11:27.720
<v Speaker 2>Brian the Palmer who directing in and Tom Mardy Bregman

0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:34.840
<v Speaker 2>who produced it, and and Michael Bregman Bie So and

0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:38.360
<v Speaker 2>and the casting director Buddie Timmerman. So I come in

0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:41.280
<v Speaker 2>and do my thing. And then Brian the Palmer starts

0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:45.440
<v Speaker 2>cracking up while I'm doing my lines, and I'm like

0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:50.280
<v Speaker 2>saying to myself, get me a lot. I thinks I'm funny,

0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:54.240
<v Speaker 2>So I do it. I walk. The casting director winks

0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:57.680
<v Speaker 2>at me as I'm leaving. I get home. And these

0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:00.480
<v Speaker 2>were the days that we had like a little answering machine.

0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:02.760
<v Speaker 2>So with the light going on and off, you know,

0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:06.320
<v Speaker 2>you got a message. So I check it out. Sure

0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:08.160
<v Speaker 2>enough it's her, and she goes.

0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:10.640
<v Speaker 1>You got the part from the moment you left to

0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:11.400
<v Speaker 1>the moment you got Home.

0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:15.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Man, wow, I knew before my agent knew. Oh yeah,

0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.040
<v Speaker 2>so you know, and ended up doing that and it

0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:22.240
<v Speaker 2>was such a great experience, man, such a great experience.

0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:25.199
<v Speaker 1>And we love you for it. It's like an iconic role.

0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:28.320
<v Speaker 1>And it's like when people mention you, it's like immediately

0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:30.760
<v Speaker 1>Gtarlito's Way it comes up. Yeah, it's like you want

0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:32.320
<v Speaker 1>to watch the movie again. You're like, you know what,

0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:34.280
<v Speaker 1>let's revisit the It's one of those movies. It's like

0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:38.680
<v Speaker 1>it's like I feel like it's Scarface, Galito's Way, he Casino,

0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:41.440
<v Speaker 1>those that's like, those are all the movies that we

0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:42.760
<v Speaker 1>would just rewatch a million time.

0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.560
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, because you know they had a certain genre

0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:46.560
<v Speaker 2>to them.

0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:49.440
<v Speaker 1>Good Fellas too, Yeah yeah.

0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:52.520
<v Speaker 2>You know, like everybody like go to Gangster.

0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:57.520
<v Speaker 1>And everybody was an icon you we're talking Joe Peshi, Rayleiota, Scarface,

0:12:57.559 --> 0:12:59.880
<v Speaker 1>Like these people were like top of the time.

0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:01.920
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Yeah, you know.

0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:04.080
<v Speaker 1>So do you have a favorite movie?

0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:06.439
<v Speaker 2>If I had a favorite movie, yeah, my favorite movie

0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.480
<v Speaker 2>was On the Waterfront. You ever heard of that movie

0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.000
<v Speaker 2>Marlon Brando Black and White?

0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:15.240
<v Speaker 1>No, I gotta check it out.

0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:16.200
<v Speaker 2>In nineteen sixties.

0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:18.160
<v Speaker 1>That's why you.

0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.920
<v Speaker 2>Ever see that movie, one of the best movies ever

0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:26.440
<v Speaker 2>on the Waterfront, On the WATERFRONTO. You know what I

0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.240
<v Speaker 2>loved about that movie was his performance. Well he was

0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:34.480
<v Speaker 2>and he was effortless, and so I always study that

0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:38.200
<v Speaker 2>because I always wanted to be effortless. You know. I

0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:41.080
<v Speaker 2>don't like acting, and you are. You know, I like

0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:44.840
<v Speaker 2>being as real as possible and conveying that.

0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:47.080
<v Speaker 1>And I feel like that's one of the reasons why

0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:49.040
<v Speaker 1>we love you so much and we connect with you

0:13:49.080 --> 0:13:50.680
<v Speaker 1>so much, because it just feels like you're just being

0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.760
<v Speaker 1>yourself every role. That it doesn't feel like a different

0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:57.720
<v Speaker 1>person every time. It feels like you in a different character,

0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.160
<v Speaker 1>but still you, and that that connects.

0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Well, I, like I said, I pride myself on that.

0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:10.000
<v Speaker 2>You know, I don't think I ever done the same

0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:13.680
<v Speaker 2>road twice because I never make a reference to my roles.

0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:18.160
<v Speaker 2>My reference to what I do is actually my life.

0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:21.000
<v Speaker 2>And you know, I've been in so many different situations.

0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:25.000
<v Speaker 2>I've studied people stuff like that. So when I show

0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:26.320
<v Speaker 2>up to work, that's what I do.

0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:29.320
<v Speaker 1>Life. You were married.

0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:33.440
<v Speaker 2>I was married before. I have five children. I adopted

0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:38.760
<v Speaker 2>four of them. Oh beautiful, uh semi, Yeah, Maya Yoruba,

0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.800
<v Speaker 2>iy Maagarita, and Luna is my biological daughter.

0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.240
<v Speaker 1>I have the names here and I wrote them down.

0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:48.600
<v Speaker 1>I'm like, how did you pick the names?

0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:51.880
<v Speaker 2>I take a lot of pride in who we are

0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:56.720
<v Speaker 2>as Latinos, where we come from, the liture, our history,

0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:04.760
<v Speaker 2>and those names mean something to me. You know, their

0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:09.360
<v Speaker 2>very loving names. They're very spiritual names. They're powerful names.

0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:16.640
<v Speaker 2>And I wanted not so much that I wanted my

0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:20.040
<v Speaker 2>kids to be unique, but they really want them to

0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:21.240
<v Speaker 2>have their own identity.

0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:24.640
<v Speaker 1>And it's super connected, you know, to the religion, to

0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:27.800
<v Speaker 1>Puerto Rican culture, you know, to our ancestors. And I

0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:29.440
<v Speaker 1>love that you pick those names because I'm like, wow,

0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.320
<v Speaker 1>I've never met anybody named yama Yah. I know, I

0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:35.000
<v Speaker 1>know who Yamaya is. I've never met anyone name. I

0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:36.880
<v Speaker 1>was like, Wow, he's a risk taker with these names.

0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.200
<v Speaker 1>How do your kids embrase them? I've met Semi super dope.

0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:42.320
<v Speaker 1>I love what he's out here doing. They love these names,

0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:44.400
<v Speaker 1>they do or they question them, like Bob.

0:15:47.480 --> 0:15:51.160
<v Speaker 2>Asked me about that one time a couple of years ago,

0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:53.760
<v Speaker 2>matter of fact, and she go by wh why yeah,

0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:58.840
<v Speaker 2>my ya, because you know your water sign And I

0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:01.520
<v Speaker 2>love that name, and it's beautiful and it fits you

0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.520
<v Speaker 2>matter of fact, when she because she's my second adopted

0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:10.640
<v Speaker 2>and she was born in January February, we went down

0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.320
<v Speaker 2>to Puerto Rico to get out of the snow because

0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:15.680
<v Speaker 2>that was one of the years that New York was

0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:20.000
<v Speaker 2>having a terrible, terrible winter. So went down there and

0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.560
<v Speaker 2>you know, we put her in the water in the ocean.

0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:28.720
<v Speaker 2>Beautiful and we blessed her. And yeah, did.

0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:31.000
<v Speaker 1>You adopt or your children from Puerto Rico.

0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:34.160
<v Speaker 2>Or from the from New York? From the New York Yeah.

0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:36.720
<v Speaker 1>And it's all is it public, like people know you

0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:37.640
<v Speaker 1>adopted your children.

0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:38.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:40.680
<v Speaker 1>I love that. It's just it's such it's something I

0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:42.760
<v Speaker 1>want to do myself. I feel like it gives you

0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.560
<v Speaker 1>an opportunity to really change the course of someone's life.

0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:51.680
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, absolutely. Listen, I love my kids. They're incredible.

0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:55.160
<v Speaker 2>You know, they're doing the thing out in the world.

0:16:56.120 --> 0:17:00.240
<v Speaker 2>And that they they taught me a lot, me a

0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:06.040
<v Speaker 2>lot about about fatherhood and they told me about being

0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:12.359
<v Speaker 2>a better listener, you know. Yeah, and they still teach

0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:13.360
<v Speaker 2>me to this day.

0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:15.159
<v Speaker 1>I was going to ask you, do they still teach you,

0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:16.919
<v Speaker 1>like yeah, social media?

0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:20.440
<v Speaker 2>No, not not not that type of stuff. I mean,

0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.200
<v Speaker 2>they just show me. I mean they teach me about

0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:27.439
<v Speaker 2>you know, about about life. You know, I'm not you know,

0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:32.919
<v Speaker 2>the social media stuff, and I have social media, but

0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.679
<v Speaker 2>I gravitate more to the real human being in my

0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:42.359
<v Speaker 2>life and real conversations. And you know, I'm a dream maker.

0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:44.000
<v Speaker 1>You know what does that mean?

0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:48.520
<v Speaker 2>That means that, Uh my kids went to college and

0:17:48.560 --> 0:17:50.320
<v Speaker 2>I say, you know what, you're going to graduate with

0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:56.120
<v Speaker 2>a zero? They go zero. I am your scholarship, betiful,

0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:59.239
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to pay for you. I am. So when

0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:02.080
<v Speaker 2>you graduate, you graduate with a zero. Just take care

0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.320
<v Speaker 2>of what you gotta take care of. And they've done that,

0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:10.040
<v Speaker 2>you know, makes me very proud of them. That's what

0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:12.919
<v Speaker 2>I mean by I make dreams happen for my kids,

0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:16.680
<v Speaker 2>I try to make dreams happen for other people too.

0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:20.320
<v Speaker 2>I try to be the best role model. I don't

0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:24.040
<v Speaker 2>forget about my community. Anytime I get a chance, and

0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.800
<v Speaker 2>you know, make a presentation or just show up and support.

0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:32.960
<v Speaker 2>I do that. I guess the most important thing that

0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:36.320
<v Speaker 2>I tell young people is never forget where you come from,

0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:42.120
<v Speaker 2>and you can influence the next generation just by showing up.

0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.280
<v Speaker 2>And you know, always give back a.

0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:48.919
<v Speaker 1>Little something you have to you know. It's that you know,

0:18:49.520 --> 0:18:52.440
<v Speaker 1>that mentality of abundance. You know, the more you give,

0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:54.920
<v Speaker 1>the more you get back. Yeah, can't hold on to

0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:57.280
<v Speaker 1>everything you have in that you know, that includes your knowledge.

0:18:57.800 --> 0:18:59.560
<v Speaker 1>You can't just hold back and not share.

0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:04.879
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Well I always said knowledge is power, you know,

0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:07.919
<v Speaker 2>And like I had all these little sayings that I

0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:11.959
<v Speaker 2>used to tell my kids, you know, the little bueno

0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:18.040
<v Speaker 2>and I'm vocal. Okay, all right, don't spend what you

0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:25.040
<v Speaker 2>don't have, be smart, be safe, no regrets.

0:19:26.800 --> 0:19:29.600
<v Speaker 1>I'm taking all three of those. Man, those are solid.

0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:32.880
<v Speaker 2>And cause you know, when when your kids become teenagers,

0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:37.480
<v Speaker 2>you know, teenagers tend to not have all their wires

0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.560
<v Speaker 2>right in their brain. So I used to say, Okay,

0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:44.359
<v Speaker 2>you're gonna go out, be smart, be safe, no regrets,

0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:48.360
<v Speaker 2>because if you're not if you're not smart, if you're

0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:53.000
<v Speaker 2>not safe and something happens, you're gonna have regrets. So

0:19:53.400 --> 0:19:55.920
<v Speaker 2>you don't want to show up back at the house

0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:58.760
<v Speaker 2>say I'm really sorry I didn't listen. No, you didn't

0:19:58.760 --> 0:19:59.840
<v Speaker 2>listen to yourself?

0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:01.400
<v Speaker 1>Were you a tough dad?

0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:06.439
<v Speaker 2>Man? I just try to be as loving as nurturing,

0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:11.320
<v Speaker 2>you know, being a parent could be challenging at times

0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:16.879
<v Speaker 2>because you know, it's like it's it's just a different

0:20:17.040 --> 0:20:25.520
<v Speaker 2>energy and stuff. I have my own regrets of you know,

0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:31.320
<v Speaker 2>people don't understand you're very successful. You're successful as an actor,

0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:35.160
<v Speaker 2>you do great work, but you know, you end up

0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:42.639
<v Speaker 2>missing out on things birthdays, basketball games, soccer games, plays,

0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:46.000
<v Speaker 2>things like that, you know, and they tell you that,

0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:52.040
<v Speaker 2>and that breaks my heart, you know, So as an adult,

0:20:52.359 --> 0:20:54.720
<v Speaker 2>I come back to like, I got to make up

0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:57.919
<v Speaker 2>for this. Now you make me cry, no, but but

0:20:58.080 --> 0:21:03.320
<v Speaker 2>it's it's the truth because as a man, as a man,

0:21:04.119 --> 0:21:08.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, like, as a man, you're the first male

0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:13.040
<v Speaker 2>that your daughters are gonna love because you're their dad,

0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:17.439
<v Speaker 2>you know what I mean. And so they teach me

0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.720
<v Speaker 2>now I love them. We joke around. I just took

0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:25.080
<v Speaker 2>my daughters to Puerto Rico, Luna and yeah, we saw

0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:26.560
<v Speaker 2>Benito's concert.

0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:44.639
<v Speaker 1>I saw you spectacular. How proud do you feel? A

0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:47.440
<v Speaker 1>bad bunny? And you know how vocal he is and

0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:49.200
<v Speaker 1>how you know supportive he is.

0:21:49.440 --> 0:21:52.440
<v Speaker 2>You know, I think he's making a major difference for

0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:56.480
<v Speaker 2>our people, not just in Puerto Rico, but you know,

0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.800
<v Speaker 2>all the Latinos and stuff, you know, I take a

0:21:59.840 --> 0:22:03.120
<v Speaker 2>lot of pride in him. I got his back one

0:22:03.200 --> 0:22:07.480
<v Speaker 2>hundred percent, and like I said, I'm just really proud

0:22:07.520 --> 0:22:11.639
<v Speaker 2>that I'm really super proud that he is outspoken, you

0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:14.760
<v Speaker 2>know because like nowadays, like a lot of people, they

0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:17.959
<v Speaker 2>get scared of speaking up. And it's like, yo, speak us,

0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:20.200
<v Speaker 2>speak your mind, be a voice.

0:22:20.440 --> 0:22:22.600
<v Speaker 1>And I see that you do that. You know when

0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:25.679
<v Speaker 1>it comes to Puerto Rico, you're not afraid. And you're right,

0:22:25.800 --> 0:22:28.920
<v Speaker 1>A lot of celebrities, whether they be actors, singers, models,

0:22:28.960 --> 0:22:32.080
<v Speaker 1>whatever it is, everybody is so afraid of being canceled

0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:34.520
<v Speaker 1>that they're afraid to stand on anything at all, you know.

0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:37.800
<v Speaker 2>What, because it's like, let me tell you something. You know,

0:22:38.800 --> 0:22:43.240
<v Speaker 2>being canceled, man, you know when you're canceled, When being canceled,

0:22:43.359 --> 0:22:48.480
<v Speaker 2>canceling yourself, you know what I mean. You gotta be

0:22:48.600 --> 0:22:52.800
<v Speaker 2>outspoken because you can't have fear, because that's what they

0:22:52.880 --> 0:22:55.200
<v Speaker 2>want you to be. They want you to be scared,

0:22:56.040 --> 0:22:59.760
<v Speaker 2>you know. And I'm just a voice telling the truth.

0:23:00.920 --> 0:23:07.159
<v Speaker 2>Will die, yeah man, And you know so yes, and

0:23:07.320 --> 0:23:12.399
<v Speaker 2>so I always, I always will speak on those truths.

0:23:13.080 --> 0:23:15.920
<v Speaker 1>And I love you for it. Because so many people

0:23:16.000 --> 0:23:19.840
<v Speaker 1>that have microphones that are on TV that can represent

0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:23.160
<v Speaker 1>us differently and can speak out on the injustices, what's

0:23:23.240 --> 0:23:26.119
<v Speaker 1>happening in Puerto Rico, what's happening with immigration, what's happening

0:23:26.160 --> 0:23:29.359
<v Speaker 1>with Latinos here in America? And they'd rather just be

0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:31.639
<v Speaker 1>quiet about it because they're like, nah, my career depends

0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:37.240
<v Speaker 1>on it. I can't sing anymore. You're being so vocal.

0:23:37.280 --> 0:23:39.760
<v Speaker 1>I'm so proud of you, Like I'm telling you, like

0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:41.960
<v Speaker 1>I look at sometimes the things you post, and I'm like,

0:23:42.720 --> 0:23:46.600
<v Speaker 1>I love what he's doing. He's risking himself for the

0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:47.720
<v Speaker 1>better of our people.

0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:50.199
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Well, I just want you to realize one thing.

0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:53.200
<v Speaker 2>I don't feel like I'm risking, Okay. I feel like

0:23:53.320 --> 0:23:59.800
<v Speaker 2>I'm just being a human. I represent humanity. That's why

0:23:59.800 --> 0:24:03.320
<v Speaker 2>I'm coming from. You know, if it was a risk,

0:24:04.359 --> 0:24:09.320
<v Speaker 2>I would take it any day, because you know, people

0:24:09.320 --> 0:24:13.920
<v Speaker 2>are suffering. Man, we are, we're suffering, but we also

0:24:14.080 --> 0:24:20.359
<v Speaker 2>have it to make a change. You know. I had

0:24:20.440 --> 0:24:23.359
<v Speaker 2>done an interview and they asked me, why was it

0:24:23.440 --> 0:24:28.200
<v Speaker 2>that so many Latino men voted for what's his face?

0:24:28.920 --> 0:24:34.840
<v Speaker 2>And it's because they're ignorant, you know, because they did

0:24:34.960 --> 0:24:39.800
<v Speaker 2>not look at you know, maybe I could represent my

0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:43.840
<v Speaker 2>daughter and vote for a woman, you know, and it's

0:24:44.000 --> 0:24:48.800
<v Speaker 2>like that whole machismore thing still exists, you know what

0:24:48.880 --> 0:24:52.000
<v Speaker 2>I'm saying. So you know, look, I take pride in

0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:58.080
<v Speaker 2>who I am. I love our community, and I love

0:24:58.200 --> 0:25:01.639
<v Speaker 2>being out spoken when it comes to our community because

0:25:01.960 --> 0:25:05.679
<v Speaker 2>we're good people. Man, We're hard workers. We raise good kids.

0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:08.040
<v Speaker 1>You know, we're honest.

0:25:08.440 --> 0:25:13.840
<v Speaker 2>We could do better, you know. They Unfortunately there's young

0:25:13.960 --> 0:25:18.000
<v Speaker 2>people that are lost, you know, that start shooting back

0:25:18.080 --> 0:25:21.680
<v Speaker 2>and forth with each other, People get hurt, people die.

0:25:22.240 --> 0:25:27.159
<v Speaker 2>We need better role models in our community, and you know,

0:25:27.800 --> 0:25:30.760
<v Speaker 2>we need we need not only the men but women

0:25:31.280 --> 0:25:34.320
<v Speaker 2>to you know, stand up for who we are, take

0:25:34.440 --> 0:25:38.160
<v Speaker 2>pride in who we are. You see, Let's defend each other.

0:25:38.640 --> 0:25:39.960
<v Speaker 2>Let's have each other back.

0:25:41.760 --> 0:25:44.159
<v Speaker 1>I feel like sometimes, you know, we're afraid of you know,

0:25:44.359 --> 0:25:47.240
<v Speaker 1>the repercussions or the consequences, and it's like we have

0:25:47.760 --> 0:25:50.960
<v Speaker 1>the love, we have the knowledge, and we fail to

0:25:51.119 --> 0:25:53.679
<v Speaker 1>act again out of the risk of how we're going

0:25:53.760 --> 0:25:56.159
<v Speaker 1>to be perceived or how it's going to like kind

0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:57.639
<v Speaker 1>of like come back on us.

0:25:57.760 --> 0:26:01.800
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, but you know what, if telling the truth

0:26:02.160 --> 0:26:05.440
<v Speaker 2>is a risk, then that's a risk I willing to take.

0:26:06.760 --> 0:26:09.280
<v Speaker 2>Telling the truth love b DA. You know I can't

0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:14.639
<v Speaker 2>make this up, you know what I mean. I remember

0:26:14.720 --> 0:26:17.040
<v Speaker 2>when we first moved to the Lower East Side, my family,

0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:20.280
<v Speaker 2>it looked like a bomb hit that neighborhood. There were

0:26:20.359 --> 0:26:25.080
<v Speaker 2>so many abandoned buildings, the South Bronx Williamsburg. And look

0:26:25.160 --> 0:26:30.000
<v Speaker 2>what happened to those neighborhoods gentrified. You know, there's like

0:26:30.080 --> 0:26:33.680
<v Speaker 2>two three generations of family that live in an apartment

0:26:34.160 --> 0:26:37.800
<v Speaker 2>because who can afford to pay for twenty five hundred

0:26:37.840 --> 0:26:41.920
<v Speaker 2>dollars for a studio. There's four people that live in

0:26:42.000 --> 0:26:46.760
<v Speaker 2>the studio apartment in New York City, you know, And

0:26:48.320 --> 0:26:54.560
<v Speaker 2>so you know, economics have changed. You know, before you

0:26:54.680 --> 0:26:58.680
<v Speaker 2>can get a full time job anywhere and get health

0:26:58.800 --> 0:27:02.800
<v Speaker 2>and dental benefits. Now you get hired for twenty nine

0:27:02.920 --> 0:27:07.320
<v Speaker 2>hours because if you work more than thirty hours, they

0:27:07.400 --> 0:27:11.359
<v Speaker 2>got to provide that. And because they don't provide and

0:27:11.440 --> 0:27:14.640
<v Speaker 2>then you got to pay out of pocket for your

0:27:14.720 --> 0:27:16.680
<v Speaker 2>health care and stuff like that.

0:27:17.440 --> 0:27:18.800
<v Speaker 1>Listen, how can you exist?

0:27:18.960 --> 0:27:22.560
<v Speaker 2>This is the only country industrial life country. You know,

0:27:22.840 --> 0:27:25.920
<v Speaker 2>you go to Europe, you know, you go South America,

0:27:26.840 --> 0:27:31.800
<v Speaker 2>free healthcare, free college education, and their economies don't hurt.

0:27:34.000 --> 0:27:34.760
<v Speaker 2>The fact I was.

0:27:35.119 --> 0:27:39.399
<v Speaker 1>I traveled to Dubai, beautiful. I have no homelessness, no this,

0:27:39.720 --> 0:27:41.800
<v Speaker 1>no that. I'm like, what is going on with America?

0:27:42.480 --> 0:27:45.520
<v Speaker 1>Like why can't we get to a level even half

0:27:45.880 --> 0:27:46.960
<v Speaker 1>what they're doing there.

0:27:47.480 --> 0:27:51.000
<v Speaker 2>Because they don't have the priorities in order here? They

0:27:51.080 --> 0:27:51.680
<v Speaker 2>really don't.

0:27:52.640 --> 0:27:52.800
<v Speaker 1>You know.

0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:56.840
<v Speaker 2>I hate to say this, but again I speak the truth.

0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:02.720
<v Speaker 2>You know, you send bombs is over to bomb children

0:28:03.359 --> 0:28:06.520
<v Speaker 2>and stuff like that. You send all the funds to

0:28:07.560 --> 0:28:11.680
<v Speaker 2>uh a place and that people get free college, education,

0:28:12.040 --> 0:28:15.359
<v Speaker 2>free health. But hold up, you can't provide that for

0:28:15.440 --> 0:28:21.119
<v Speaker 2>your people. Here the greatest country, the greatest nation in

0:28:21.240 --> 0:28:25.600
<v Speaker 2>the world, and people have to take Listen, you graduate

0:28:25.680 --> 0:28:28.479
<v Speaker 2>from college, you still gotta live with your parents because

0:28:28.920 --> 0:28:32.040
<v Speaker 2>that loan that you gotta pay, like pay the mortgage.

0:28:33.119 --> 0:28:35.440
<v Speaker 1>You know, a lot of you know gen z that

0:28:35.600 --> 0:28:37.760
<v Speaker 1>I know, they can't afford to live on their own.

0:28:40.160 --> 0:28:46.640
<v Speaker 2>Listen, this is a great country. Unfortunately come unhinge a bit,

0:28:47.880 --> 0:28:51.000
<v Speaker 2>if not a lot. But the thing is, we still

0:28:51.040 --> 0:28:53.920
<v Speaker 2>have really good people that live here. Amazing we have

0:28:54.040 --> 0:28:58.240
<v Speaker 2>amazing people. We have people that make differences every day,

0:28:58.480 --> 0:29:02.239
<v Speaker 2>you know, and we just got to keep our head up.

0:29:02.800 --> 0:29:06.200
<v Speaker 2>He continued to believe in ourselves. We're gonna be okay.

0:29:07.040 --> 0:29:11.280
<v Speaker 2>But we got to back each other up every day,

0:29:11.880 --> 0:29:14.240
<v Speaker 2>and we got to teach our kids man to be

0:29:14.400 --> 0:29:20.720
<v Speaker 2>better people, you know, and get away from that hudlum mentality.

0:29:21.400 --> 0:29:23.240
<v Speaker 1>You know, here in New York we still have a

0:29:23.280 --> 0:29:23.960
<v Speaker 1>big problem with that.

0:29:24.160 --> 0:29:27.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, because you know what, it broke my heart a

0:29:27.560 --> 0:29:31.320
<v Speaker 2>few years ago when that young man that had the

0:29:31.400 --> 0:29:34.520
<v Speaker 2>same last name as me was mine in the Bronx

0:29:35.320 --> 0:29:39.280
<v Speaker 2>when he was attacked, when he was attacked and he

0:29:39.440 --> 0:29:44.360
<v Speaker 2>was murdered by a bunch of Hudlams, And I asked,

0:29:45.120 --> 0:29:47.840
<v Speaker 2>where are the parents to those Hudlums? What are you

0:29:47.960 --> 0:29:49.440
<v Speaker 2>teaching your kids?

0:29:50.200 --> 0:29:50.400
<v Speaker 1>You know?

0:29:50.920 --> 0:29:53.320
<v Speaker 2>And I feel that we have lost touch with that.

0:29:54.160 --> 0:29:57.240
<v Speaker 2>You know, we have got so much touch that I

0:29:57.280 --> 0:29:59.960
<v Speaker 2>will say this when I see a two year old,

0:30:00.440 --> 0:30:06.320
<v Speaker 2>a three year old manipulating a phone. When you see

0:30:06.840 --> 0:30:09.360
<v Speaker 2>families sitting down at the table and call my door

0:30:09.560 --> 0:30:12.160
<v Speaker 2>to eat, and people have to you know, we used

0:30:12.200 --> 0:30:14.480
<v Speaker 2>to conversate when I was a kid, We used to

0:30:14.600 --> 0:30:19.040
<v Speaker 2>conversate at the table. Now it's like everybody like in

0:30:19.160 --> 0:30:23.120
<v Speaker 2>my house. I used to turn the phones off when

0:30:23.160 --> 0:30:26.280
<v Speaker 2>we had dinner. I want to hear your voice. You know,

0:30:26.680 --> 0:30:30.200
<v Speaker 2>how was your day? You know, how's it going? Is

0:30:30.240 --> 0:30:32.640
<v Speaker 2>there anything I could do for you? You know, you

0:30:32.760 --> 0:30:36.480
<v Speaker 2>got any good jokes? You know, things like that. We

0:30:36.680 --> 0:30:41.440
<v Speaker 2>lost so much of that essence because everything is a text,

0:30:42.560 --> 0:30:48.880
<v Speaker 2>you know, everything is a TikTok, you know, and we

0:30:49.160 --> 0:30:54.680
<v Speaker 2>lost the essence of human communication of me and you

0:30:54.840 --> 0:30:59.120
<v Speaker 2>right here, it's beautiful, you know, we're having a real conversation.

0:31:00.440 --> 0:31:03.640
<v Speaker 1>And it has affected a lot of gen Z their

0:31:03.720 --> 0:31:07.320
<v Speaker 1>interpersonal skills, not all, but many. They're like, I don't

0:31:07.400 --> 0:31:09.640
<v Speaker 1>like to talk on the phone. My phone is always

0:31:09.680 --> 0:31:11.480
<v Speaker 1>on silent because I don't want to speak to people.

0:31:11.880 --> 0:31:14.040
<v Speaker 1>I'm like why, and they're like, no, just text me.

0:31:14.920 --> 0:31:17.000
<v Speaker 1>Like you don't want to hear someone's voice. You don't

0:31:17.000 --> 0:31:18.840
<v Speaker 1>want to connect. You don't want to hear you know,

0:31:19.280 --> 0:31:20.680
<v Speaker 1>like the infliction and the voice.

0:31:20.760 --> 0:31:24.840
<v Speaker 2>They're like, kids don't even know how to write in cursive.

0:31:25.200 --> 0:31:26.240
<v Speaker 1>Oh that's another word.

0:31:26.800 --> 0:31:30.120
<v Speaker 2>Okay. Kids don't even know how to write incursive. Kids

0:31:30.160 --> 0:31:33.680
<v Speaker 2>don't even know their own history. You know, where the

0:31:33.840 --> 0:31:38.640
<v Speaker 2>parents came from, you know, the core of their of

0:31:38.760 --> 0:31:42.480
<v Speaker 2>their abolos and stuff. Yeah, man, you know so.

0:31:43.440 --> 0:31:45.520
<v Speaker 1>But it's like we can't blame the kids. I guess

0:31:45.640 --> 0:31:49.200
<v Speaker 1>it's parents, you know, the younger parents. Maybe they're not

0:31:49.320 --> 0:31:51.000
<v Speaker 1>going all the way when it comes to you know,

0:31:51.440 --> 0:31:54.000
<v Speaker 1>teaching them. You know, put the phone down, blah blah blah.

0:31:54.200 --> 0:31:57.640
<v Speaker 1>I feel like, let me tell you about the island,

0:31:57.840 --> 0:31:58.920
<v Speaker 1>let me teach you how to make.

0:32:02.680 --> 0:32:02.800
<v Speaker 2>You know.

0:32:02.920 --> 0:32:05.400
<v Speaker 1>It's up to us, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, it's.

0:32:05.320 --> 0:32:08.240
<v Speaker 2>Up to us. And again it's something that is so

0:32:08.560 --> 0:32:11.920
<v Speaker 2>super important because we're losing that essence.

0:32:12.360 --> 0:32:14.720
<v Speaker 1>But you know what, if you're listening to this episode

0:32:14.840 --> 0:32:18.560
<v Speaker 1>and you have children, get on it, talk to them,

0:32:18.640 --> 0:32:20.400
<v Speaker 1>put the phone away. You know what I'm saying, Start

0:32:20.440 --> 0:32:21.800
<v Speaker 1>teaching them some of your culture.

0:32:22.680 --> 0:32:26.000
<v Speaker 2>And you know what, as an adult, I'm being as

0:32:26.200 --> 0:32:29.680
<v Speaker 2>you adults out there, you guys got to take the lead.

0:32:29.800 --> 0:32:32.920
<v Speaker 2>You guys got to be the example. You guys got

0:32:33.040 --> 0:32:36.040
<v Speaker 2>to be the first ones to put that phone away.

0:32:36.480 --> 0:32:38.720
<v Speaker 1>That's a fact. You know. When I go out to eat,

0:32:38.760 --> 0:32:40.160
<v Speaker 1>I put my phone away. I'll be like and then

0:32:40.160 --> 0:32:41.920
<v Speaker 1>I look at people and the table, I'm like, hey, everyone,

0:32:42.000 --> 0:32:43.840
<v Speaker 1>I have my phone away. Can everyone please do the

0:32:43.880 --> 0:32:49.200
<v Speaker 1>same thing. Let's talk noah ma Salil, but no, they

0:32:49.200 --> 0:32:51.880
<v Speaker 1>can meet on know TikTok's absolutely not. Let's not do

0:32:52.040 --> 0:32:57.160
<v Speaker 1>that now Wednesday, let's talk Gos. I love you in

0:32:57.240 --> 0:33:01.440
<v Speaker 1>that character. Yeah, you're perfect as you know, as Gomes Adams.

0:33:01.480 --> 0:33:04.040
<v Speaker 1>It's just it was so unexpected, but it was just

0:33:04.120 --> 0:33:06.680
<v Speaker 1>so perfect when I saw who they cast up, Like, wow,

0:33:06.880 --> 0:33:12.160
<v Speaker 1>I would have never expected Lewis Guzman. As were you

0:33:12.240 --> 0:33:14.120
<v Speaker 1>surprised when you when you casted that role?

0:33:15.560 --> 0:33:20.880
<v Speaker 2>I was, man, I was humbled beyond belief. I was like,

0:33:21.760 --> 0:33:24.000
<v Speaker 2>I grew up watching The Adams Family when it was

0:33:24.080 --> 0:33:27.520
<v Speaker 2>in black and white. I grew up watching the movie

0:33:27.680 --> 0:33:30.520
<v Speaker 2>Withrol and Julia, you know.

0:33:30.880 --> 0:33:33.080
<v Speaker 1>And icon legendary.

0:33:33.240 --> 0:33:36.200
<v Speaker 2>And so when I got the call and I spoke

0:33:36.240 --> 0:33:39.520
<v Speaker 2>with Tim Burton and Alan Miles, who write the show,

0:33:40.520 --> 0:33:43.280
<v Speaker 2>and they they just offered it to me right there

0:33:43.320 --> 0:33:43.880
<v Speaker 2>on the spot.

0:33:44.480 --> 0:33:46.240
<v Speaker 1>You didn't have to audition or you auditioned.

0:33:46.440 --> 0:33:47.280
<v Speaker 2>No, I didn't audition.

0:33:47.520 --> 0:33:49.200
<v Speaker 1>Oh my, so this was for you.

0:33:49.520 --> 0:33:51.960
<v Speaker 2>I haven't auditioned in like cover twenty five years.

0:33:52.160 --> 0:33:55.040
<v Speaker 1>Oh wow. Yeah, that's a real g talk right there.

0:33:55.160 --> 0:34:00.000
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, you know, but I just felt so honest

0:34:00.400 --> 0:34:01.240
<v Speaker 2>to step into that.

0:34:01.960 --> 0:34:03.400
<v Speaker 1>And now we're getting season two.

0:34:04.040 --> 0:34:07.600
<v Speaker 2>Season two, and like, let me tell you, the first season,

0:34:07.800 --> 0:34:13.600
<v Speaker 2>yeah was incredible. I was like, asking these guys how

0:34:13.600 --> 0:34:16.960
<v Speaker 2>are you going to the top season season one? They

0:34:17.080 --> 0:34:19.839
<v Speaker 2>blue season two out of the water.

0:34:20.440 --> 0:34:23.400
<v Speaker 1>We're getting something bigger and better than season one, Bigger and.

0:34:23.640 --> 0:34:30.920
<v Speaker 2>Better, deeper, more mysterious, more dark, more fun, more revealing.

0:34:32.400 --> 0:34:35.440
<v Speaker 1>I'm happy it's back, and I'm happy you're back with it.

0:34:35.600 --> 0:34:37.839
<v Speaker 1>And you know, it's just a dope show and it's

0:34:37.920 --> 0:34:39.800
<v Speaker 1>for Latinos. It's just like this is ours.

0:34:39.880 --> 0:34:40.200
<v Speaker 2>I love it.

0:34:40.280 --> 0:34:42.240
<v Speaker 1>I'm like, wow that Adams standily and now one hundred

0:34:42.239 --> 0:34:44.400
<v Speaker 1>percent for us Latinos. And you know, if you're listening

0:34:44.440 --> 0:34:47.080
<v Speaker 1>to this episode and you haven't watched season one, watch

0:34:47.120 --> 0:34:50.000
<v Speaker 1>season one, and by this time season two is already out,

0:34:50.040 --> 0:34:52.480
<v Speaker 1>I want you to binge the whole entire show, and

0:34:52.560 --> 0:34:55.319
<v Speaker 1>I want you to follow Leuiz Guzman to social media.

0:34:55.600 --> 0:34:58.600
<v Speaker 1>He's super vocal, and he's he's super pro Latino and

0:34:58.760 --> 0:35:01.719
<v Speaker 1>just he's really what we should all be aiming to

0:35:01.840 --> 0:35:05.000
<v Speaker 1>be out here, you know, using our voice, using our platforms,

0:35:05.160 --> 0:35:07.960
<v Speaker 1>using our influence, and just you know, going for it.

0:35:08.200 --> 0:35:10.279
<v Speaker 1>Don't be afraid, man, say what you want to say,

0:35:10.400 --> 0:35:12.840
<v Speaker 1>like he said, if it's the truth, you can't be

0:35:12.920 --> 0:35:14.080
<v Speaker 1>canceled for saying the truth.

0:35:17.239 --> 0:35:20.680
<v Speaker 2>And you know, always take pride in who you are.

0:35:20.960 --> 0:35:25.200
<v Speaker 2>Never forget where you come from. You know, respect your elders,

0:35:25.400 --> 0:35:29.120
<v Speaker 2>our elders, help them out, you know, help each other out,

0:35:29.480 --> 0:35:33.520
<v Speaker 2>and you know what you know, let's let's uh, let's

0:35:33.640 --> 0:35:37.719
<v Speaker 2>understand that. You know, it's just important that we have

0:35:37.840 --> 0:35:40.680
<v Speaker 2>a community to do better for each other and that

0:35:40.840 --> 0:35:43.800
<v Speaker 2>we don't have to read about each other in the

0:35:43.920 --> 0:35:48.960
<v Speaker 2>newspaper doing terrible, tragic things to each other, because we're

0:35:49.040 --> 0:35:53.640
<v Speaker 2>better than that, you know. And please continue to love

0:35:53.680 --> 0:36:01.480
<v Speaker 2>your children, nurture your kids, and make wing usapaw Okay, yeah, yeah.

0:36:03.520 --> 0:36:05.960
<v Speaker 1>What else can I say after that? Absolutely nothing but

0:36:06.239 --> 0:36:07.800
<v Speaker 1>Grassiers Come Again, Luis.

0:36:07.680 --> 0:36:09.200
<v Speaker 2>Chris, I appreciate you.

0:36:09.360 --> 0:36:12.480
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate you. Grassiers Come Again is a production of

0:36:12.560 --> 0:36:16.600
<v Speaker 1>Honey German Productions in partnership with Iheart'smkuntura podcast network.