"Mama's" boy

Diego Luna -- who seems to be everywhere since his simmering role in "Y Tu Mama Tambien" -- talks about fame, a city full of the GOP, and why a film star can't make a living in Mexico.

By Corrie Pikul

Sept. 8, 2004 | "Y Tu Mamá También" has become such shorthand for pure cinematic turn-on -- surf the Nerve personals and you'll find it referenced more than any other film when respondents of all persuasions name their "favorite on-screen sex scene" -- that it could prove either a great blessing or a terrible curse for the film's two male stars, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, who were both in their early 20s when the 2001 film launched them into international stardom.

Since then, Bernal seems to have decided to hover close to home, appearing in mostly Spanish-language films like the upcoming "Motorcycle Diaries" and Pedro Almodóvar's "Bad Education." Luna, on the other hand, has been sampling every cinematic morsel he can get his hands on. In the past three years, Luna not only appeared in a number of Mexican films (including the dark and smoky "Nicotina") but also dressed up (and stripped down) with Salma Hayek in the costume drama "Frida"; galloped across the Old West in Kevin Costner's "Open Range"; and gyrated his way into the American canon (of sequels, at least) with "Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights." Earlier this summer, Luna landed in multiplexes as part of the ensemble cast in Tom Hanks' Hollywood blockbuster, "The Terminal."

And now Luna, 24, is starring in "Criminal," a little film with big dreams that provides clues to Luna's future as an actor. "Criminal" is an adaptation of the Argentinian caper flick "Nueve Reinas." As he did in "Y Tu Mamá También," Luna will be sharing almost every frame of the film with a talented male costar (this time John C. Reilly). And as "Dirty Dancing 2" and "The Terminal" did, this film will expose Luna to Americans who are still just beginning to recognize him on the street. But unlike anything else he has done, "Criminal," which is backed by industry heavyweights George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, could give Diego Luna what he seems to want most: more leading roles in American films. It could be the vehicle that carries him out of Mexico (where he's already a superstar) and into the American mainstream. However, he tells Salon, he's not planning on moving to Hollywood anytime soon.

When Salon met Luna in New York for coffee, he was dressed in a long-sleeve black T-shirt, broken-in jeans, blue suede sneakers and a very sleepy-eyed expression at the early hour.

So, are you familiar with Salon.com?

Umm ... [Squirms.]

It's OK. I just wanted to explain, it's an online magazine.

No. Unfortunately, I don't think we have it in Mexico.

Yes, you do, if you have Internet access. You can go online and read it.

Oh yes! I've heard of it. I've seen the ads.

You've seen the ads?

Yeah! I think so. Sing me the song.

Huh?

Sing the song. The Salon song ... [Looks encouragingly at me.] I kind of remember it...

Hmm, there is no song. [Awkward pause.] So, what do you think of New York?

I love it! -- I just hate it while this [the Republican National Convention] is happening. It's not a nice time to be here.

The city has a weird vibe right now.

It has a very, very weird vibe.

Have you seen any protests while you've been here?

Yes! Well, just on the TV ... Oh, and I've seen all the guys running. The ones with the T-shirts, that say "Run Against Bush."

I know that group! You probably saw my boyfriend.

Really? That's so cool! Yesterday we were stepping into the hotel with all our stickers that said "Run Against Bush" and ... it was packed with people here, police guards and everyone. They were looking at us like, what are you doing? And they followed us to the room ... it was weird. Bad.

So are you comfortable talking about politics, as an actor?

I just hope that young people in America will start to be more critical and more politicized. If we really want things to change one day, it has to be the young people. And young people should be more aware of what's going on in the world. They need to know how much American politics affect the rest of the world. They have to be responsible and critical.

Next page: "There's not too much opportunities in Mexico for anyone"