Transcripts For MSNBCW Leguizamo 20240703

And a place that many of us wanna reach. But what if i told you that a latino was behind one of the most prolific tv empires in the world . Well, its a fact. In the 1950s, cuban actor and producer desi arnaz and his wife lucille ball were not only the stars of i love lucy, but they also produced it, along with many other shows. And they even helped create the multicam sitcom genre. So even though were still in the struggle, hollywood isnt New Territory for us latinos. Nuhuh, cause weve been here. You hear me . So today, an la icon is taking me to his Old Stomping Grounds in east la to get this conversation about hollywouldnt going. And i bet at some point, im gonna get some tacos al pastor. cause you know me, i dont play, i need to eat. [upbeat horndriven music] [trills] when you think of la, i bet your version of it has to do with rodeo drive, beverly hills, and celebrities. But the reality is that los angeles is a city of latinos. You can see that latin influence everywhere, right down to the street names. And if you think it has something to do with colonization, well, youre right. The indigenous tongva and Chumash People lived in the la basin for centuries before it was claimed by Spanish Conquistador Juan Rodriguez cabrillo in 1542. In 1821, this land became part of mexico until the end of the mexicanamerican war in 1848 when mexico ceded 55 of its territory, including california, to the u. S. But trust me, los angeles still oozes all things mexican, and i couldnt think of a better person to welcome me to the real la than this iconic Mexican American, native angeleno, george lopez. And guess what . Hes taking me to east la, and were eating at his favorite spot. [car horn playing tequila] [laughing] yes, sir. [john imitates horn] i love that. I love a funky horn. Dont slam that door i didnt, i didnt, i didnt. Im mad careful. [george laughs] [speaking spanish] here we go, man. All right. Lets eat this is the truck, huh . So why this truck, bro . These are the best tacos. Theres great tacos all my friends tell me, who are foodies, say this is the spot. Thats right. This is the spot. So i think we try a little of everything. Sure, sure, lets do it. Im down with that. I think we get you a little pata. All right. [laughs] were doing fear factor here. No, no, no i didnt know it was gonna be a fear factor situation. Lets try something. [upbeat music] even the white foodies tell me this is the spot to come. This is the spot. [speaking spanish] yeah, yeah. Like, white people . They do . Yeah, yeah, they do. And what do they eat . Mostly quesadillas with any meat in it, or que . Some of em. Most of them . See, this is what im talkin about. Ah, come on. Nah, some of em want they cant handle it. The Villegas Family has been slinging tacos from their iconic Los Originales tacos arabes, the original arab taco truck, for over ten years, bringing the flavors of puebla, mexico to the streets of los angeles. What is the lebanese taco you guys have . Oh, thats a taco arabe. Taco arabe, the arab taco. Yeah, yeah. Theres some debate about when and how exactly tacos arabes were born, but one thing is for sure, it all started with shawarma. Yeah, thats why i really like this taco, cause its not only a taco, its, like, history in, like, a taco. Right. And when you look it up, youre like, oh, okay, so there was a big migration from the middle east to mexico and of course they needed money, so they started selling their own food, shawarma. And us mexicans, we saw that. Were like, thats a taco. That aint shawarma, thats a taco. Straight up taco. Traditionally, the lebanese used lamb in their tacos, but the mexicans werent a fan, so they switched it out for pork and added some spices, and of course, hot sauce. So what are we eating . What do give us a little bit of the specialties, all right . Its a taco arabe. Oh, a taco arabe. We got it. Oh, awesome. And this one, this isnt supposed to be hot. This is more, like, mild so everyone can enjoy it, but ive seen people drink this. What do you mean everyone . What do you mean . White people . Pour me some, man. Dont leave me out. Even some white people. [indistinct] is it too strong for white people . This isoh, wow, man. Sometimes. But this is a recipe its a little spicy . Mmhmm. Oh, there you go. Only a little bit. No, no its spicy for him. [laughs] darme otra. [strained voice] im okay. Not too much [laughing] oh, yeah. [coughs] its okay. [laughing] its okay. His whiteness is showing. [john laughs] [laughing] ah, damn. Toospicyforjohn hot sauce . Uh, im Gonna Get My Latinx card revoked for that one. [speaking spanish] so this is a pigs head. This is a pig head. Wow. Theres another one of our specialties. Whoa these are molotes. This is very gourmet. One for you and one for you. Oh, i know what this is. These are quesadillas. Mmm wow, thats amazing. So how did you get started in comedy, man . As a young man, how did that happen for you . I think, you know, im an only child and, you know, i wasnt raised with my mother and i never knew my father, my grandmother had six kids. A Very Dysfunct very disconnected. Its a disconnected family. My grandfather that raised me was not my biological grandfather. Oh, wow. Look at that. So televisioni needed it. Yeah, yeah. Theres no way i couldve survived without it. It was a standin for family, for parents, for everybody. A standin foryeah. And then you gravitate towards the things that you like, you know. What did you like . The tonight show. Yeah, yeah, johnny carson. I liked, you know, Chico And The Man. Oh, yeah, Freddie Prinze. Sanford and son. Yeah. I mean, obviously, Freddie Prinze, he is an important icon for any latin performer, any latin comedian. Freddie prinze was their first, and he let you know that you can possibly do this. For young performers like george and myself, it was so inspiring to see Freddie Prinze on Chico And The Man as a star of one of the very few shows that put latino stories on Television Back in the 70s. [speaking spanish] i wanna know what hes saying. Youll find out as soon as i leave. [studio audience laughter] he made us believe that maybe one day, we too could crack that code. So in the summer of, like, 75, 76, one of my friends started to drive and almost every day we would go to hollywood boulevard, and wed stop and wed get out, and wed walk up and down the hollywood walk of fame, then youd go to the graumans chinese. Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, i would see george burns star, and i would be like i would imagine my name, you know, george lopez and george burns. Right, so close. Can we just cross out a few letters . Wed look at it, and, you know imagining yourself in the future, like what you could be. So my friend ernie, who my first friend ever. Yeah. He showed me comedy. Showed me Richard Pryor on hbo. Yeah. And there was a guy, and he comes over to my house one day and he says, hey, man. So we spent, like, maybe four months writing some stuff. Yeah, yeah. And then on june 4th on 1979, i went to westwood and i went on stage for the first time, and and how old are you now . How old are you . Petrified. I was 18. 18. Damn, man. Thats a young kid. Thats a long time ago. Thats a young kid. A kid. And that latin kid in an allwhite game. Afraid of his own shadow. Yeah, i bet, i bet. I mean, i didnt know what i was doing. So im telling my jokes, talking fast, and theyre laughing, and im looking, and theyre laughing. And i mean, i just probably maybe four minutes, but four minutes of an emotion that in the 18 years of my life, i never felt that, never felt that acceptance or looking at people look up at you and then see them laughing, and dude, i think thats the aha moment, you know . Right. And then more than that, because the chemistry in your body changes a little bit, you know. Mmhmm. I had a similar moment, but mine was in acting when i was 17 around that time. I did a scene in my acting class about this kid who hated his dad, was in therapy, was in gang problems, kinda like my life. Mmhmm. And i did the scene and i killed it. And i felt like this was what ia calling. Right. This is what i was meant to do. Almost like something turns on, huh . Yes, yes. Like, it turns on. George kept grinding in local clubs, eventually becoming one of the biggest names in comedy. But after years of traveling and performing around the country, the road took its toll. About 95, 99, drank a lot, toured a lot. Just hammered all the time, kinda dark yeah, touring is rough. People dont understand how rough touring is and being alone in hotels. Different city every night. And i wasoh, man. And i was in austin, and they got a call from the club. And, you know, id been drinking and shit. I said, man, i dont want her to see me, man. I get on my knees in the green room, and im like, please dont let her show up, like, please. I mean, were in bad i was in bad shape, man. And then he opens the door, the guy i saw, he said, hey, shes not coming. I was like, oh, my god. And then cut to two years later, she comes and sees me, we go to the green room, and shes like, i have an idea for a show, and i think we should meet, and lets look at if theres something in your family. Mm. So i go, we sit there for like three hours, we talk about everything. And on the way out, i looked at her in the doorway and i said, hey, what were gonna try to do, what youre gonna try to do has not been done successfully. And justif we never see each other again, or whatever, just let me say thank you, i appreciate it. And then she said, you know, why dont you just worry about being funny, and you let me worry about all that. But nobody ever told me that, john. Like, i never had anybody on my side. Yeah, yeah. With sandra bullocks star power and support as Executive Producer, in 2002, the George Lopez Show had its nationwide premiere and in doing so, showed millions of people what a Mexican American household really looked like. Happy birthday. The show was a hit and before long, george got that Hollywood Star hed dreamt about. He now has another show, lopez vs lopez, where he stars alongside his daughter. That was all you needed. You just needed somebody who wouldnt take no for an answer regarding you. Yeah, thats massive. I think the thing that she said to me was, you know, people always ask me, like, were you responsible for Finding George . i said, yeah, you know, i found george, and i brought him to people that needed to see him, but also, the thing im proudest about george is that i didnt create a monster. right, right. But i think i was aiming toward being a monster in my early life. But i think every day that you get to look around, i mean, i can see city hall, downtown, from my house and all the things that meant so much about being from los angeles is just, you know, im bless i mean, people say it, im blessed, but this place is like it made me what i am. Yes, yeah. And it made me a fighter when i didnt wanna be a fighter, and it made me not quit when i wanted to quit. And, i mean, thats im glad that you asked me to come out to the park. Yeah, im glad, man. Glad you made it. Cheers. Yeah. Salud. Yeah, salud. This town and the industry of hollywood is one i have a very complicated relationship with. On the one hand, i am part of it, and like george, have had success in it. On the other, we are just two of the very few latinos whove broken through. But we are the exception, not the rule. Thats why sometimes, rules have got to be broken. Limu emu doug what do we always say, son . Liberty mutual customizes your car insurance. So you only pay for what you need. Thats my boy. Now you get out there, and you make us proud, huh . Bye, uncle limu. Stay off the freeways only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Sleep more deeply and wake up rejuvenated. Purple mattresses exclusive Gel Flex Grid draws away heat relieves pressure and instantly adapts. Sleep better. Live purple. Right now save up to 900 off mattress sets during purples labor day sale. Visit purple. Com or a store near you. fan 1 there ya go thats what im talkin about off mattress sets during purples labor day sale. josh allen is this your plan to watch the game today . hero fan uh, yea. I have to watch my neighbors Nfl Sunday Ticket. josh allen its not your best plan. But you know what is . Myplan from verizon. Switch now and theyll give you Nfl Sunday Ticket from youtubetv, on them. hero fan this plan is amazing josh allen another amazing plan, backing away from here very slowly. fan 1 that was josh allen. fan 2 mmhm. vo Football Season is here. Get Nfl Sunday Ticket from youtubetv on us. A 449 value. Plus, get a free Samsung Galaxy z flip5. Only on verizon. Every business thats why Comcast Business De is launching theal. Mobile made free event. With our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. Its our best internet. Powered by The Next Generation 10g network and with 99. 9 reliability. Plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. Its the mobile made free eventhappening now. Get started for just 49. 99 a month. Plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. Comcast business, powering possibilities. [upbeat music] comcast business, powering possibilities. Yo, so, check it im about to meet up with another hollywood legend. Ever since making his industry debut with el mariachi, this Visionary Director has been one of the industrys great assets. Thats right. Its the one, the only, robert rodriguez. Whats up, buddy boy . Hey. How you doin, john . Good to see you. Caffeination for the nation. Thank you. Robert has directed huge hits such as desperado, from dusk till dawn, and spy kids. And since coming on the scene, hes helped reenvision what working in the Film Industry can be. So i wanna understand how you started, man, because youre really, truly, one of the pioneers who brought independent films to everyone, and allowed everyone to believe that they could possibly make an independent film. You were one of those guys. Its just something i always loved to do. I love being creative. I wasnt very good in school. Id be sitting in the back of the class making flip cartoon movies in the spanishenglish dictionaries. [john chuckles] and people would laugh. Id go, god, i can entertain them with my drawings and my art and my little movies, but what job could i ever get . No one had ever come out of texas as a filmmaker, really, so it wasnt like that was a dream that seemed possible. I didnt know anybody in la, but i kept making these things as a hobby. And i love drawing, i love photography, i love music. Movies kinda let me put all my hobbies under one umbrella. Right, right. Like, if i did a movie project, i could draw the storyboards, i could edit it, i could photograph it. I just kinda did em and they started Winning Local contests. But even then, i didnt think it was a way in. But i just did the work. Right, right. And when i decided to go make el mariachi, not to break it into the u. S. I was just gonna go make it in spanish, and sell it to the spanish home video market. Right, that was the plan. To see if i could make money. Id be the king if i could just make money doing what i love. Right, right, right. I just wanna do what i love. Its just so pure. I just wanted to be selfsufficient. I dont need to live off my im from a family of ten kids. We know how to survive on nothing. Right, right. Let me just go make stuff for a living. Went to go sell it to the spanish home video market, sent it to an agent out of the blue. And he sent it around town and it got bought by columbia pictures, and were doing a sequel with Antonio Banderas. Before i knew it, i was 23. I mean, it happened so fast. First of all, you only did it for 7,000, which is a miracle, i mean well, i mean, you said only. Its like, who had 7,000 hanging out of their pocket back then . That was a lot of money. When people would say, it only cost seven seven . You got 7,000 right now i can borrow . Thats a lot of money to a kid in college. Right, right. I had to go do a medical Research Study to make money in one month to go do that. You became a guinea pig for cash. I was a guinea pig for cash. Yeah. I wrote it over that month that i was in that hospital. I was writing leisurely, you know. Its like, hey, im getting paid to write, i kept telling myself. [john laughs] and my producer and star of that film, carlos gallardo, who is the mariachi, he sold some land for the other half, so i only had to come up with half of it. And we went in and did it together, thinking we could sell it for hopefully 10,000 or 15,000. Right, right. Thats incredible, man. 15,000 . Get this el mariachi made over 2 million in the box office, and holds the Guinness World record as the lowestbudgeted film to gross a million in theaters. And what blew people away was the story of how it was made, that somebody with no money, no contacts, no crew there was no crew, it was just me. I was doing everything with the camera. And how long did it take you to shoot that . Two weeks. Two weeks. So i tell people you can change your whole life in two weeks if you apply yourself. You can look at your lack of situation as a negative. Oh, i dont have any money. Im selling my body to science. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Im never gonna get anywhere. There arent any other latins in the business. No ones even come out of texas. Right, right. What chance do i have . You dont see it that way. You look at it the other way. Like, im gonna go make this. Maybe i can sell it and double my money. Maybe if i cant, at least i know i tried. All in all, robert has brought this town more than 1. 5 billion from his films. And thats not even counting the tv shows hes produced. People will sometimes go to hollywood and find that its not for them. Especially, you know, latinos. Right, right. I never even bothered to go, i figured i didnt fit in there, but because i made mariachi out of my apartment, and when they bought it, i thought, maybe i can stay home, where my inspiration and my family and everything is. In 2000, robert opened up troublemaker studios, a Production Company in his hometown of austin, texas. Well, i found that was a big gift, was to be outside in the element, you just found you had ideas no one else was coming up with, telling stories no one else is bothering to tell. And youre original. And so it feels fresh and its original and its ours cause no ones told these latin stories yet, so its been cool to create so many franchises. The mariachi series, the spy kids series, the machete series, you know. Filmmakers dont usually create their own series of films that way, but because youre able to and youre away from the industry, i didnt need permission. No, no. You didnt need permission. Thats the thing. When you dont have to go hat in hand and ask somebody before you can make your dream happen. Thats empowerment. Thats what happened to me. It was like i was trying to pitch stories to hollywood, latin movies, latin stories, and nothing was getting done, so i went to theater. And that was powerful, though, man. Where there was the least point of resistance in my neighborhood with my friends, my brother, where i would do all my oneman shows to and then perform them in these tiny spaces where i had to ask nobody for permission or i had to pass through a committee. I just wrote my stories, and boom, there they were. Even for me, seeing that, itd be like, mambo mouth he just went and made his own show. I mean, both you and i started not in the system, but outside the system. You were creating your own system. Yeah, right. cause it didnt exist. cause there was no entryway into that system. Theres a real power and joy to that. Yeah. With the economic independence that came from his success, robert began to unapologetically staff and cast his projects with latinx powerhouses, advancing the careers of actors like salma hayek, danny trejo, and many more. He hasnt cast me in anything yet, but i forgive him. So i had to create my own star system. Because you watch desperado now, and youre likeit feels like its from another planet. [laughs] everyones latin. Yeah. Everyones awesome. Wow, i never saw anything before that or since. Right, right. And i remember being really proud of sin city cause i had jessica alba, benicio del toro, alexis bledel, rosario dawson. Yes and none of them were playing latin characters, cause that book was written with nonlatin characters. Right, right. Thats what ive been asking hollywood forever, is just, like, take all those white roles and just cast latin people and cross out, you know, mr. Leighton and put mr. Lopez. You can do that. It aint that hard. I also was just so inspired by the reaction i got from people. Yes. Who were just stunned. Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, like, a dad told me, you changed my kids future when they saw spy kids and they saw your name at the end. Written And Directed By robert rodriguez. hes got a name like ours. That blew his mind and it made him laugh with joy. [laughing] yeah, yeah. And that he now can do that. Well, thank you, robert. That was the bomb, man. Thank you so much, thank you for sharing so deeply. Oh, absolutely. Much love, man. Wayfair has nice prices, so you can have nice things. Um kelly . We have champagne taste. On a hard seltzer budget. Wayfairs got just what you need what. Yall this is nice. Salad plates . Kelly clarkson . Im fancy now i have always wanted statement lighting. 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Com clink so ive been talking a lot about the film and Television Industry but believe it or not, this town has a lot of fine arts and music as well, and latinos are making their mark there, too, including lina gonzalezgranados, the la operas new and first latina Resident Conductor ever. How dope is that . [operatic singing] so here we are, in one of the most prestigious jobs in america, one of the few latin women in a position of fine arts. Yes. Here in the la opera. How does that feel . It feels fantastic. Its been a long time coming. Im the Resident Conductor, and i am in charge of my own productions and my own agency, which is fantastic for. Thats unbelievable. You know, for a woman of color, for a woman in general, and most, like, latina, here in la, its just fantastic. Its incredible. Yeah, because they dont believe in america that latin people can hold this space. For as long as Classical Music has existed, its been recognized as a western art form. We all know what that means european and white. But in recent years, latinos have made their way in. And though we still make up only a small percentage of conductors in the United States, people like lina are changing the game. The same is true for venezuelan gustavo dudamel, who has been the music and Artistic Director of the prestigious La Philharmonic since 2009. You came from colombia, came to jackson heights, where i grew up in queens. Yes. How was that journey . Im an only child. I was coming from middle class home in colombia with a lot of privilege. When i was 18, i moved to bogota. Thats where i studied. And then i came here on january 5th, 2010. So what were the big first moves in your life that happened . When i was living in new york, i remember that there was this huge latina conductor that wanted volunteers in her orchestra. Her name is alondra de la parra. And i became her assistant conductor. That was like one of the, like my Dreams Come True to meet her because she was like my real role model. [orchestral music] she taught me a lot about the love for latin american music. And fast forward, i moved to boston. Lina continued her education while in massachusetts, earning multiple graduate degrees in conducting, but the lessons she learned while in new york city stayed with her in boston. Then i start to, like, looking, you know, my surroundings, and there was nothing latin americacentric in a city that has so many latinos. I said, im just gonna make my own orchestra. When you say youre putting latincentric music in your orchestra, is it salsa, is it cumbia, or is it classical latin music . Well, its a little bit of all music that integrates our folkloric roots. As the Artistic Director of her orchestra, the unitas ensemble, lina showcased the music of latino composers and brought our special flair to massachusetts. In 2017, a couple of very big institutions took interest in me at the same time. That was the chicago symphony, where i won a competition, and then Seattle Symphony and philadelphia. So when people started seeing the contributions that i have made as a latina, repertoirewise, i caught the eye of this fantastic house, which is la opera. The la opera took a very high chance on me and said, you know, in a year and a half, we want to see you doing this production. Are you in . And i said, yes and now youre conducting at the hollywood bowl, youre conducting here, youre conducting all over america. I mean, its incredible. So how do we create access for the latin youth to get into the fine arts like this place . You know, that is a very loaded question. I think it has to be an effort in every single education system, because we are cutting arts more and more in the public schools. And the people who are responsible for education legislation to start thinking that this is something that belongs to us. Its always been, you know, something, a cultural heritage. Its not only for the people in vienna. You have to give someone that opportunity, and i hope some more people fall in love and can have the access, and if not, well have to create them, for sure. Right, right. If you have Heart Disease and are on a statin, lowering cholesterol can be hard. Diets and exercise add to the struggle. Today, its possible to go from struggle to Cholesterol Success with leqvio. With a statin, leqvio is proven to lower bad cholesterol by over 50 and keep it low with two doses a year. Common side effects were injection site reaction, joint pain, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, chest cold, pain in legs or arms, and shortness of breath. Ask your doctor about twiceyearly leqvio. Lower. Longer. Leqvio. Lower. Longer. Leqvio. As mad as i get about the lack of representation in front of the camera, the truth is theres still a lot of work to do to get proper representation behind the camera, something were trying to change with this show. Im talking about the writers, producers, directors, and the executives, the people making the decisions about what and who we see, but theres one latina whos broken the mold. [upbeat music] gloria . Oh, i got the right trailer. [gloria laughs] definitely got the right trailer. How you doing . Hello. Good, good, good. So good to see you. Awesome. Oh, you look sharp. The daughter of cuban immigrants, Gloria Calderon kellett spent years writing for and producing shows like Rules Of Engagement and how i met your mother. So here we are, on your set. You are our shonda rhimes. [gloria laughs] the biggest latin talent out there in the streaming world, in the writing world, in the showrunning world. After years of fighting for her vision, gloria became Executive Producer of the acclaimed Series Reboot of One Day At A Time, and is now executive producing and starring on amazon prime series with love. So ima sit here, you take a seat right there. Thank you, thank you. Yeah, such a greatlooking set. Im so happy for you. I wanna hear about your struggle as a woman, as a latin woman wait, well, first, let me go way back. Im gonna go way back, okay . Yeah. Please do. My parents came here. I love origin stories. In 1962, 15 years old, both of them, with. Have you heard of it . Yes, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most people dont know the history of pedro pan. So during 1960 to 1962, 14,000plus cuban children came to miami. Right, right. And they were gonna be held until America Got Castro out of power. Yeah. That didnt work out. Now its too many people in miami. Got you, got you, got you. So we ended up in portland, oregon. And then you get to hollywouldnt. And what happens . Well, first, i went to england and i went to graduate school, and i studied playwriting and performance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So i came back like, lets do this, hollywood. But they were really not buying what i was selling at all. And they want you to be what . Maid. Maybe a prostitute. How do you get out of that . How do you have the strength and the wherewithal to get out of that trap . cause i dont have a choice. Theres no choice. I will succeed. But theyre not giving you that chance. So then its hustle. The hustle is so real. They say women arent funny. Okay, im gonna do standup. I did standup for a year and a half, went up in all the rooms, i was the only woman. Forget latina, i was the only woman. Theres all these white guys and me, that was it. Thats gonna be your biography. Thats the name of my [laughs] both all these white guys and me. The gloria story. Thats really true. And then i was doing monologues, i was writing for women of color. cause were nowhere, right . Right. Ill do that, and ill put up a show in hollywood, and ill book a theater. Boom. La weekly. They will review your show if you have a sixweek run. I get tuesdays for six weeks. Ooh pay 150 bucks, get my actors, write the stuff, workshop it, put it up. And i would invite all of the assistants that i knew. Wow. Assistants, come, come. And then if the assistants like it, they tell their boss. Right, right. Both and then the boss comes. Creating your own opportunities, creating your own workshop. Couldnt wait. Then i become an assistant. I was Cameron Crowes second assistant. Wow. That was my first big break. And he was lovely, lovely, lovely to me. And i was like, i gotta infiltrate in television. Yeah, yeah. So i met with showrunners. I was like, i just wanna ask them a million questions. And i would write down everything that they said. And all of them were like, youre gonna be okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like, youre gonna be okay. And so one of those showrunners was kind enough to give me my first job. That was quintuplets. That was my first wga job. And on that show, i met carter bays and craig thomas, who created how i met your mother. After years of hustling and writing for nonlatin shows, the job of showrunner, or the boss, still eluded her. Thats because latino writers are barely considered for these jobs. In fact, as of 2022, only 1. 5 of Television Showrunners were latinx. Now, if were nearly 20 of the population and the largest Minority Ethnic Group in america, how can these numbers be a thing . Things changed in 2016 when norman lear wanted to meet with me. Yeah, yeah. I went to the meeting cause i just wanted to meet norman lear. I had no intention who doesnt wanna meet this legend . Legendary producer norman lear created the original One Day At A Time in 1975, and in 2017, he asked gloria to reboot the sitcom but now, with a latin twist. He said, well, were thinking about doing a latino version. I was like, i dont know, norman. I dont know if you should. And he was like, well, why not . I said, cause people try to do it, and we as an audience, were a hard audience. Yeah, yeah. Because theres been such a starvation for representation that when one thing exists, were like, it better represent all of us. No, yeah. Because all we have is one show one hes like, so what do you think would change it . And i said, ill tell you what i think would change it. For me, its im gonna tell one story about one cuban American Woman that lives in los angeles thats super, super, super specific to me and my experience. Yes, yes. Hes like, lets do that. So i was like, okay. So i walked out of there, and im like, i guess im making a show with norman lear. Wow. And so with that, i finally really had a position of power. One day at a time ran for three seasons on netflix and then a fourth on pop tv. Gloria is now on the Second Season of her show, with love, a story about a latinx family that shows the diversity and joy within our community. This show, you know, came out of the pandemic. This show came out of my instagram being a barrage of, like, oh, black hate, oh, latino hate, oh, asian hate, oh, queer [mumbles] its already rough, so it was like how do i make something where we get to see joy, where we get to see love, where we get to see acceptance, where we get to see food and dancing and sexy and all of the things that i just need. Oh, yeah, absolutely. That, for me, was what this was. And so it really healed me. All three, two, one its not new years unless someone chokes on the uva salud, everybody all salud so what is the ultimate goal for you . Where do you see yourself ten years from now . I wanna truly be shonda. Im so grateful for the shondas of the world, who have laid a track of, like, thats what that looks like, cause i didnt have it before shonda. You know . So thats what that looks like to have many shows, to create many spaces. Yeah, yeah. Im not afraid anymore. No, yeah. This is the first time im really not afraid anymore. Im like. Yeah, yeah. Thats where we have real power, is that we can say stuff when other people cant say stuff. Right. Because theyre trying to keep the job, theyre trying to stay under the radar so they can keep moving up, so we owe it to them. Yeah. To be so loud and proud. Well, im your ally forever. Thank you, thank you. Yeah. Shall we . Glorias success is a combination of hard work with the celebration of her culture. She truly represents what latinos are capable of if were given the chance. Mwah. An example of excellence for The Next Generation to follow. [lau hter] shelves. Shelves that know what taste buds want. Shelves smart enough to see, sense, react, restock. So Caramel Swirl is always there for the taking. Trelegy for copd. Birds flyin high, you know how i feel. Breeze driftin on by. You know how i feel. 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Yeah, we were all starving, especially for Latin Representation. Absolutely. Known for starring in suits, pearson, firefly, alias, and 911 lone star, gina has been shattering glass ceilings throughout her career, while staying true to herself and properly representing the afrolatino community. But i wanna know about you now. I mean, you born east coast. Bronx. Bx, yeah. Absolutely was, you know, raised in the bronx primarily until i was, like, ten, 11 years old. And then we moved downtown to washington heights. There was somebody from every corner of the planet. [gina laughs] love that, love that. And then being, like, first generation cuban american, feeling like there was an extension of myself beyond the bronx, beyond washington heights, because my family came from somewhere else. Beautiful, beautiful. Then you wanna be an actress. Right. Where did that come from . Uh, loving movies. [laughs] yeah, yeah. Loving movies, being, you know, a mimic, wanting to be a part of that world, wanting to make people feel, you know, whether it was making them laugh or making them cry or just i just wanted in. Yeah, yeah. And that was so incredibly seductive. Yeah, the promise of that is the promise, right . Yeah. The promise of that is so beautiful, that we can be anything we wanna be. Exactly. And so i started primarily in theater, which was beautiful. I mean, it was shakespeare in the park, always, like, a completely integrated cast. And the theater was giving you the freedom. Yes. To be whoever you wanted to be. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Tv, not so much. Right. Tv was trickier. Yeah, it was. Much trickier. And then i show up and because i look the way i look, theyre like, what are you . [laughs] right. Im like, well, im cuban. Yeah. So are you mixed . Because its all about what you look like. Mmhmm. And they did not know what the hell to do with me because i had this spanish, latin last name, right . I presented black. As latinos, its hard to find your place in this world, let alone the industry. In my case, there were lots of times i wasnt white enough. But in ginas case, she wasnt latina enough or black enough. And in the latin world, they werent seeing me, either. At all. At all. It was like, oh, we love gina. Ginas great, but shes not really right for theyre going another way, or theyre you know, and the other way was always, like, that european standard of. Latin person. Basically, a whitepassing latino, yeah. Yeah, preferably with an accent so that we theres no confusion. Right, right. Coming into the industry and facing, like, what felt like complete erasure. Right, right. Wow. Many latin american countries have large black communities, and in the u. S. Alone, there are about 6 million adults that identify as afrolatino. But hollywood isnt writing afrolatino roles or casting afrolatino actors. I mean, get this in a recent analysis of the 1,300 topgrossing films from 2007 to 2019, only six lead roles were held by afrolatinos. And the numbers for our indigenous brothers and sisters, well, those numbers are just abysmal. And so you feel accepted in the black community. Do they accept you as equally even though youre latina . That was also very tricky because it was at the beginning, when they, you know, are like, oh, yeah, absolutely, you know, youre one of us, and this is great, and then, you know, you have conversations and you go deeper, and of course, theyre fascinated. And youre not ostracized. Right, right, right. But it was like feeling like i have to give this up to be that . Oh, you felt like you were asked to give up your latinaness because you had to present more black. I had to present more black, and then im straddling both worlds until such time that i could talk j. J. Abrams into making my character on alias a russocuban assassin. Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he was like, wait, whats happening . [laughter] but you did it. You got his ear. Yeah, exactly. And that was the beginning of my being able to say, by the way, this is what this is, and we need more. cause we need to see ourselves. Yeah, yeah. In film. Thats the importance of film and photography and anything thats a picture. If we can see ourselves, then we feel like we have value. And it brings people together, and it gives them a commonality. Right. I think the more we can support each other, and pull each other up. Absolutely. Yep. And create situations where were mentoring, when were having honest discourse about what can happen and were not were not our own worst enemy. Well, thank you. Oh, my god. [laughs] thank you for sharing. Yeah, beautiful. My pleasure. Thank you for bringing all of yourself. What else am i gonna bring . [laughter] its easy to get lost in investment research. Introducing j. P. Morgan personal advisors. Hey david. 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Capping the cost of drugs like insulin. Cracking down on Surprise Medical Bills and all those crazy junk fees. Theres more work to do. Tell the president to keep Lowering Costs for middle class families. Tell the president to keep Lowering Costs [upbeat music] for middle class families. So check it out over the past few days, ive spent a lot of time meeting with gamechangers in my industry. Our conversations have been eyeopening and left me with the need to go even deeper into the issues we latinos face in hollywood. But if you know me and this show, you know that when we talk, we eat. [both greeting in spanish] welcome to my place. Tonight, my friends and i are eating here at coniseafood, a michelinrecognized nayaritstyle familyrun Mexican Restaurant that has been in the middle of inglewood since 1987. I know my homies and i are in for a real treat. Hey, thank you for coming, everybody. All right. This is so exciting, bro. You dont even know how thrilled i am to see all of you here, for real. Theres a popular word in latin america, sobremesa, that describes that moment when we gather at the dinner table to share whats on our minds. And for this sobremesa, i brought together the future of latinos in the Film Industry. Charise castro smith is an amazing writer, producer, and the first latina to ever codirect a disney animated film. She did that with encanto. Victor rasuk is one of the industrys top young latinx actors, with shows like the baker and the beauty and how to make it in america. Carolina garcia is the director of original series at netflix, and one of the few latinx executives who can make decisions that will affect representation. And clayton davis, this guy right here, is a senior Awards Editor at variety, and he covers all things hollywood. I love that hes always keeping everyone checked with all the stats that uncover the inequity in this industry. I invited you all because i wanna deal with one topic here, and thats Latin Representation in hollywood. I know you all come from different aspects of it, which is so great. So lets talk about representation. How has it been, being a latin woman, writer, director, in the biz . It was funny. When i was a little kid, i used to watch tv and movies and everything, and i thought, maybe they just dont know we exist. Right. Right . Like, maybe they just havent heard of us. And then i realized that it wasnt necessarily they didnt know about us, it just maybe they didnt know how to tell our stories, right . And so, thats what i have spent my career trying to do, is tell those stories and get them out there. Youre an exec. Yes. So i wanna know what your Point Of View is. Why you think we latin people arent put on networks, streamers, television why were missing. To your point, like, there are so many different experiences of being latino. And the people who have been Making Decisions historically, havent necessarily come from an Immigrant Experience or a latino experience. Right, right. Youve been put in a box, right, because thats what people are comfortable knowing as latino. And then when i was growing up, we were only drug dealers. Thats right. Or help, or the help. Yeah. On a good day. Yes. Like, we never saw a latino as a doctor, as a lawyer, or even as a princess, right . Like, we didnt have those hero roles, or even those everyday roles. I feel that playing devils advocate. Yeah. If i sat back here and i said, hey, you know, things are the same how they were when john was young, id be lying, because i know you specifically have opened the doors for me. Thats right. And, like, i love that we collectively want more because we know what we are as a people. We know what we can bring. Right. Now, do we wanna see more and bigger . Thats why were all sitting here. And i totally see that, but my question to you is have you seen the changes from when you first started to now . Definitely improvements, but it was miniscule, bro. And until black lives matter and covid hit, the studio system realized from all of us speaking out, all of us, and giving stats, why are we missing . cause its not for lack of trying or talent. Its lack of access. Yeah. Because were not in the pipeline. White shows, white movies, white plays are in a pipeline. Mm, yeah. Hundreds of stories being developed, half of them dont make it, threequarters of them will get canceled, but theyre allowed to fail. Its only, like, oneoffs like myself, linmanuel, cherise, creating our own stuff and forcing it through. But unfortunately what happens is we put all our hopes and dreams on the shoulders of a john leguizamo, a linmanuel miranda. Everyone that gets a shot at it, were like, please, like, represent for all of us. We cant get 500 Million People represented in one piece of content. Right. We hold each other to this impossible standard. And, like, thats not fair to anybody. cause white people get to fail big time all over the place, and fail upwards. We dont get that. Right. I Wanna Have Big Fuckin failures on camera and still keep going. Thats right. Plantain oh, man. Thats beautiful, man. Thats my signature dish. Its a robalo that comes from mazatlan sinaloa. Perfect. And we have langostinos here, the baby lobster, and borracho drunken shrimp over there. Fantastic. Wow. Enjoy. Gracias, gracias. I think im gonna have to take a little bite, though. Okay, so since were grubbing, right, i wanna tell you the 17yearold victor who approaches John Throwing out his garbage. Lets talk about that later. Oh, man well talk about that, cause i wanna know if he even remembers. I remember. I totally remember you, man. You do remember . And when i saw this kid, i was, like, so happy because you were a brother with brown skin, and i was so glad that you had those dreams and that you felt like you could do it. Yeah. Because you know this Colorism Thing is so real. I mean, they cast white spaniards who are not latin as latin people. Yeah. And we all know we let it go because we were so hungry to see any kind of representation, even if it wasnt us. Yeah. Now i want only latin people playing latin roles and latin roles being told by us, and i want latin people who look more like victor. Yeah. More like you. I remember one of my first articles i wrote at variety was i was like, let me start from a basic standpoint. I celebrate Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas and javier bardem. Oh, of course. Like, i love them. Yeah. When im talking about representation, thats not what im talking about. No. And its been infuriating to continuously have the same discussion about when a person that is nonlatino get a latino role. I know where youre going at, the elephant in the room. Most notably, james franco cast as fidel castro. Unacceptable. Unacceptable in todays times. For so many years, theyve been taking our stories. I mean, i love brando, but Playing Zapata with brownface and wide nostrils you know, its justenough. Enough of that nonsense. And i dont care if youre portuguese from portugal or spaniard, youre not latin. Your parents have to be born in latin america, or you have, and were mostly all mixed race. Thats right. How does this white guy feel like he can speak for the latin community, for latinidad . I just dont get it. When we have real equality. Yes, exactly. Then everyone can play whoever they want. Beautifully said, beautifully said. Hey, everybody, it was so great to have you here. Im so glad to have you as allies, as colleagues, as activists in this battle. I mean, im a lucky man, i feel. All cheers. Well, john, thank you for heading the ship too, man, so we gotta thank you, as well. Thank you, victor. Thank you. The road here has not been an easy one, let alone a fair one, but if theres something all these stories have in common, its the Willpower Latinos have. So for all the doors that continue to be slammed in our faces, or the ceilings that keep being raised, theres true power in continuing the fight until the day that hollywouldnt becomes hollywould. [upbeat music] yo, yo, check me out. Im in washington, d. C. , the capital of the country, the most American City there is. But when you think of d. C. , you mostly think of dead white guys, am i right . Like washington, jefferson, lincoln. Well, guess what. Latinos have been here every step of the way. [upbeat latintinged music] in fact, Latinx Heroes Have fought in every war for the United States for centuries. This goes all the way back to the revolutionary war. American forces got major financial contributions from cuba, and they also got help from the spanish forces led by A Young Venezuelan commander named francisco de miranda. And then during the civil war,