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Exploring the relationship between a father and his son has been created countless times in the history of cinema. Yet, when that son is both Latino and gay, it’s an experience that hasn’t been told as a feature film until now. La Mission stars Benjamin Bratt as the father and Jeremy Ray Valdez as his teenage son. When Bratt’s character realizes his son is gay the reverberations hit hard for both of them and their community of family and friends in San Francisco’s diverse Mission district. With poignant and realistic direction by Peter Bratt, who also wrote the screenplay, La Mission is a groundbreaking journey of family and a culture that quite frankly for the most part, is not accepting of homosexuality. Jeremy Ray Valdez spoke with The Rage Monthly about the impact of making the film, working and becoming great friends with both Peter and Benjamin Bratt and his approach to portraying his character of Jess Rivera.
by bill biss
The Rage Monthly: From a cultural aspect as a Latino, why do you think it was important to do this film?
Jeremy Ray Valdez: This kind of film has never been approached from the Latin
point of view or Hispanic point of view. But, you know…I don’t view this film as a purely Latino film. It kind of resonates with white people, brown people, black people etc. I think it kind of goes beyond that…it’s not a classic coming out story but the angle has never been done from a Latino side.
Rage: The guts of the film are the relationship between your character and his father. The heritage is where I was coming from and that it’s not okay to be gay in many Latino families.
JRV: I think the way I view the Latin community and I think a lot of people view
it is there’s a very hyper-macho sensibility about it. For somebody to come out in the Latino community is a pretty big deal because of the hyper-macho feelings within the community, not only Latino cultures but in a lot of other cultures. Our way to put another male down is to feminize him, to call him a “bitch” or anything that would take away his masculinity. In the Latino culture, it’s very much that way.
Rage: It was nice that in the film you had the option to stay with your uncle when your father (Benjamin Bratt) turned you away. That showed a more progressive way of thinking within the community as well.
JRV: Absolutely. That character played by Jesse Borrego, he makes mention of building a low rider but putting in a bio-diesel engine in the car. He’s got a much more progressive way of thinking than Benjamin Bratt’s character.
Rage: Right. How did you discover a passion for acting?
JRV: I’ve always wanted to do it since I was really young. I was one of those guys
who picked up everything I owned…which was not very much and moved out to Hollywood with a dream.
Rage: You’ve been quite successful since you were 21, landing roles in numerous television series and such.
JRV: I’ve been really fortunate. There are very few actors who get to make their
living acting and I’m one of them. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face knowing that I’m living my dream.
Rage: Belated congratulations on becoming a newlywed.
JRV: Oh. Thank you very much. I have my one-year anniversary coming up on
April 18. I better remember that one.
Rage: I would think because of the well-written script and the people who you were working with that you wouldn’t have any concerns about playing a young gay man.
JRV: No, not at all. I knew that the minute I went in. I mean, there were 150
people who auditioned for my part, whether in Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York. They read a lot of people for it. When the script hit Hollywood, every actor wanted to do this movie. Not just Latino actors but every actor wanted to be a
APRIL 2010 | RAGE monthly 41
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