Diego Luna: Keeps His Feet Firmly On The Ground story in the July 2010 Issue of Explore TACA

Diego Luna: Keeps His Feet Firmly On The Ground

By Celeste Rodas de Juárez

After co-starring with his friend Gael García Bernal in the successful film Y tu mamá también (And your Mother Too), Diego Luna has had so many movie offers that hasn’t even had time for a girlfriend. A-list movies have a way of keeping you busy, and among the projects that have affected Diego’s social life are Open Range with Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall and Annette Bening, as wells as Terminal with Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Of course, he wasn’t the star of any of these, but without a doubt the 24-year-old is doing well in a tough industry. Not many young actors can claim to have worked with the stars he’s shared screen time with, or to have been directed by Steven Spielberg. But Diego—with his little boy grin—doesn’t brag about all this, not even when mentioning Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a film in which he did snag the starring role.

“There’s something very interesting about the field I’m in: A lot of people really believe that they’re famous! As a result, they begin to get inflated egos. I prefer just pleasing the public and for them to greet me the way they do in Mexico, simply as Diego. I know that there are people who prefer to have things more ostentatious, with all the accompanying glamour and titles. In my case, though, I believe that my success is the result of my great passion for acting.”

This is the passion that led you to move to Puerto Rico for four months to film Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. What was that like?
I really enjoyed the island, and the people there know how to live life to the fullest. In Puerto Rico there are very happy people who know how to have a good time. When you visit a dance club at night, you notice that even heavy people look beautiful while dancing because they enjoy it so much. It’s very important for them to have a good time and get rid of all the stress. That’s what impressed me: the dancing and way of life in a place surrounded by water is a beautiful sensation. I loved awakening every morning and seeing the horizon of sky and sea, such an incredible landscape surrounding a congested cityscape.

Did you know how to dance before making the movie?
I had two left feet before that movie! I basically had to learn everything, which was very difficult but a lot of fun. I studied for a little over two months: from eight in the morning to six in the evening, everyday. I took salsa classes, did stretching exercises and had classes of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. It was loads of fun to learn to move my body in such a way.

You began your acting career at a very young age. Do you think that you missed out on your childhood as a result?
Well, it’s true that you miss out on a lot, but I always tried to look at it from the bright side: not from the price I paid but rather what I’ve gained since I’ve always enjoyed my work so much. Knowing what you want to do at such a young age gives you a distinct advantage. I’m only 24, but I have more than 20 films to my credit, over 20 plays and I’ve also made a lot of friends. But above all, I’m very proud of all the things I’ve been able to accomplish and of being able to work with so many people that I respect and admire.

Y tu mamá también also had an impact on your career. Exactly how much did it affect it?
Everything’s happened so quickly! I was able to work in that movie with one of my best friends, Gael García, and got the chance to work with Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón. This opened the door for us to present our work outside of Mexico at important film festivals. It even helped me get an agent in the United States! But the truth is, many people don’t realize that the movie was so much fun to make. It helped me gain a lot of confidence as an actor.

Has your life changed significantly?
Definitely. To begin with, I had to rent out my house in Mexico because I’m never there anymore. That’s the weird thing about being an actor: you struggle to make a name for yourself, then suddenly realize that doing this requires traveling all over and giving up all of our roots.

What happened to your restaurant, Cafeína?
I still have it. It’s in Mexico, but it doesn’t just belong to me—it’s a business that I started with several friends. I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad, but I end up sinking all my profits back into it because all [when I’m in Mexico] I eat there with my friends all the time.

You said once that traveling is one of your great passions. Why do you like it so much?
Because I believe that it’s a very fascinating part of my journey through life, and I’m also at the ideal age for exploring new places. Above all, I like traveling when I’m filming on location because I end up really getting to know the place. Traveling as a tourist can be really deceptive. To truly get to know a place, you have to see the good and the bad, the rich and the poor: what people do, how they live, their customs and so forth…

What are some of the things that concern someone like you, who—at 24 years old—is already famous, has a steady income and several awards to his credit?
A lot of things concern me, especially overpopulation and wars. It’s very sad to see how there are more and more people and more wars. It’s pathetic and it saddens me that we keep on killing for power. It’s said that humans are the only animals with the power of reason, and that’s precisely what we seem to forget! How is it possible that we have stupid wars and people killing each other for interests that ave nothing to do with them? I’m also worried about the increasingly growing population, and that the rulers and their countries don’t give their constituents a reason to exist. As the population explodes, so does the number of people living in poverty. The rich grow richer but not in numbers, because there are more and more poor and less people with riches…and I’m not just referring to material wealth, but to all that’s important: like health, education and the opportunity for people to learn to read and be informed…all advantages that fewer and fewer people are gaining. It saddens me that in my own country, for example, the government doesn’t seem to care whether people have access to education and other resources. Although I’m citing Mexico as an example, all of us know that it’s a problem that affects the whole world, and we should be concerned about it.

What have you personally done to help mitigate these kinds of problems?
In Mexico, we’ve done several things with colleagues and participated in different activities because it’s imperative that we begin at home first with the people in our backyard. Every chance I get, I try to speak about these topics in order to use my role as an artist to create social awareness.

What’s been the best lesson of life that you’ve learned so far in your short career?
Although I do not consider it to be a “life lesson”, I’ve learned the most through death: We need to enjoy our loved ones and not hurt them because we never know how much time we’ll have them with us. We come into this world to love and be loved, and we need to accomplish this to the best of our ability. Once we have hurt feelings, it’s always difficult to forgive and forget. And we never really know how long we’ll have to do so.

Who is the person who’s had the most influence on your life?
My father, Alejandro Luna. He’s the best set designer in all of Latin America. He often took me with him to work when I was little. My mother died when I was just two, and he had to take care of me ever since. Watching him work and knowing that he cared for me have been what’s anchored my life the most, not just in terms of my career, but in every other aspect as well.

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