September 22, 2022 • 46 mins
If you were to name your favorite movies we’re betting Luis Guzman would be in at least half of them. But as busy as he is in the acting world there’s so much more to the man that has become the pride of Puerto Rico.
Did you know he was a social worker and only took up acting as a hobby? Ros and Eric fan out over Luis as they bond over things like career and parenting fears.
Plus, details on his role as Gomez Addams in the new series ‘Wednesday’ and find out what role he gets complimented the most for… that wasn’t even actually him!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is he said Avio with Eric Winter and Rosalind Fantev. Hello,
so excited you got that? Dad? I thought you're gonna mess.
(00:27):
We have today man star one of the stars of
the new show Wednesday on Netflix. It's coming out soon,
Plane Gomez, I mean legendary Louise Guzman has played every
every movie that you love, shameless, your name, business code, everything, everything,
(00:51):
everything can't wait. Let's bring him in. Hello, good morning.
Where are you Louise? Um, I'm gonna undisclosed ocation okay,
but because the I R S keeps looking for me,
it's not me. No. I remember which is where? Which
is where? We just learned, um that you live right you? You?
(01:14):
How long have you been living in ver mind? Oh? Man,
I've been living in the mind. I moved up here
permanently in nineteen. I have four children that I adopted,
I have one of my own, and I didn't want
to raise them in an apartment, so I bought a farm.
So when they had a tantrum, I just opened the
(01:35):
door and said, you got acres to walk to walk
it off, come back when you're done. Wow. Let me.
I had no idea that out of your five kids,
four were adopted. What what was the reasoning? Like you
always wanted to adopt kids? So well, you know, um,
first of all, I was a social worker before I
(01:58):
got into acting, so I was working with teenagers. Um,
and uh quite sadly. I lost my first son at childbirth,
and you know, and that we had already been in
the process of adopting. So uh you know, said me
came and then yeah, my yah came, and then we
(02:19):
had Luna and then we ended up adopting or so Margarita,
and so you know, it was an opportunity to have
a family. And do you got them all as babies
or different ages? No, I got the moment they were
two weeks. Oh yeah that that this um thing called
the surrender unit in New York And what the what
(02:43):
the surrender unit is? A woman gives birth to a
child and she turned the child over to the water
of the state. And are are all of them or
any of them different nationalities? Or is everyone in Puerto Rican?
Is everyone not like where the national is? The background
said he is to me, my oldest is Mexican and
(03:04):
side by lao, yeah, my ya is um uh she
that for American and Jewish and my twins are a
for American and my biological daughter Luna to Puerto Rican. Love. Awesome,
credible family right there. I love it. I love it.
I want to see them. We almost went down the
(03:25):
road of adoption at one point. We talked about adoption.
I would do it in a hearbeat. Struggled, struggled through
pregnancy many many times many in Vitro's failed lost one,
and uh yeah, we almost went down that path as well. Yeah, big,
big family. We'd be moving to Vermont with you. We
would need that space. Yeah, I want, I need more
(03:45):
body equals up here. Please listen, do you orders not
how excited I am, Um, Louise to have you on
the show. I know, but it's a different thing from me.
You are people gonna give you a minut in a second, Okay,
I want anyways source. You know, I'm Puerto Regan like
(04:12):
you like to us and especially people in the business
like me. You know that I grew up with this
dream too to move to the States, and I make it.
Louis Guzman is the work hard and and and you're incredible.
So I'm so proud to be running from front of
you and interview you. This is amazing for me. I
(04:35):
have my adever. We've been in the same a few times,
but we just never met you. I just I just
I just you know. But it's okay. We've still got
we've still got a lot to go here in this life.
So please I want to work with you. Oh I'm ready. Ready.
You just worked with a good friend of ours. You
just worked at them out in Alasko. Yeah, that's my
(04:59):
that's my Ay. He hopes to become my Domino partner,
but he gotta be a good trash talk couple. You know.
I love it. So did your career? How many you
started acting out? What age? Louise Man? I think? I well,
(05:19):
you know, I used to do street theater on the
Low East Side of New York City, And for me,
it was just a hobby because I had, you know, um,
I knew people like people from New Yorkitan Poet Cafe,
so um I swung in there and they would put
me in the play and stuff. But it was a hobby.
(05:41):
It wasn't a dream of mine, you know. And then
after that, like one of my friends wrote something that
can you play these eight roles for me? Okay? You know,
so it was like street theater and stuff and um,
and did a couple of independent films, you know, but
again they were just favors. It was a hot And
then I started working as a social worker, and so
(06:05):
I hadn't done anything for like, I don't know, wow,
over ten years maybe, And one day I went out
looking for a couple of kids that didn't show up
to my program and I ran into me at Pineto
and I hadn't seen me. And in a few years
he told me he was writing for a TV show
that We're gonna come to New York. They were gonna
be looking for people. I went in audition. I had
(06:28):
no clue what I was doing. Three weeks later, I
get a phone call from a guy named Richard say, hey,
I would like to represent you represent me again, and
you just booked co starring Road in the season premier
of Miami Vikes me. How I had no clue what
(06:48):
I was doing. Well, I wanted to me, this is true.
All I wanted to get out of it was to
make enough money so I could buy me a youth
car so I can drive to the beach on the
weekends and not have to take the train or the bus.
I got the car we can totaled it the next day,
(07:11):
Oh my god, Oh my god, but you can working
no problems. So you got yourself many cars after that.
So it is what it is. Yeah, yeah, man. But
that day, you know, I mean, I still went back
to being a social worker because that was my passion
of helping, of helping young people to help themselves. So
(07:32):
I won't get all these little bit parts and stuff
like that. But the way I was looking at it,
I was still looking at it at the hobby, you know,
and as a way to subsidize my salary as a
social worker, because I didn't under I didn't understand the
entertainment industry. I didn't you know some you know, when
I started working where my when my buddies goes, you know,
(07:55):
less than one percent of actors make a living. Yes, thought, no, no,
I gotta hang out to my night to five. But
you know, I was very fortunate man, because I I
I started doing all these movies, and unknown to me
was that they were really good quality movies, you know,
(08:17):
And I was working with really good actors and meeting
great directors and stuff like that. And I ended up
doing a movie called Family Business and Sydney La Matte
was directing that and I love Sydney the man. He's
like an actor's director. And I just had one scene
in that movie. And and the scene was with Dustin
(08:41):
Hoffman and then they you know, I was like, I
was like pinching myself. I said, I can't believe doing this,
you know. And it worked out and said he came
to me and he said, listen, givey uh you know,
gonna be doing another movie in the spring, and I
like you in it. So I said, oh great. I
(09:02):
go from working one day to maybe working three days,
you know. And then I think, you know, because that's
how it was, you know, and um, but you know,
initially I was playing I was playing a killer, a
gypsy cab driver, you know, bad Guy number ninety two.
(09:25):
You know Dog number seventy two, you know Dog thirty two, Uh,
the guy uh seventeen. So you know, it was it
was like it was like, Okay, we're getting someplace, you know.
And like I said, then I started just getting these roles.
Then I think a movie called Crocodile Dundee too, you know.
(09:47):
And now they took me to Australia. Was damn home
sick for three months again. What was I doing right?
But it was it was a great experience and and
like I said, I ended up soon after that doing
a movie called Calito's Way. Is that the one that
you think that changed everything? I mean everything that you did.
You were so blessed since a very very beginning, like
(10:08):
you're saying, you were working with quality actors, quality directors
and writers, so you were placed at the right you know,
at the right thing. But my question is is there
one for me? You know, I've been doing this for
almost thirty years and people tell me, which is the
project that you think change everything for you? And I
did many things before Roach Hour too, but I always say,
you know what, I think Roach Our two was the
(10:28):
ex factor for me. Like do you have one that
you go like, you know what that was before and after?
I think I think I think it would definitely okay.
But everybody loved the gangster, you know, and and that
they playing that part of Pachanga. You know, to this
day people think that's my real name. You know, I
(10:51):
gotta correct them, you know, but they but in a
funny way, in a funny way, a movie that brought
me so much notoriety that I was not in okay,
was a movie called Goats. They confused me with rick
(11:11):
A Villence as the guy that killed Patrick Swayze. Okay,
I want to I want to tell you I got
just last week. I'm in I'm in like a garment
store with my daughter and she's looking for fabric, so
you know, we have to check out. And this lady goes,
oh my god, I think I watched you. I watched
(11:32):
your movie four times last week. And I go, thank you.
I said, but why did you do that to Patrick Swayze? Like,
oh man? And that's been going on for years since
the movie came out. Everybodything, bro if I got a
nickle for every person that has said that I will
own Disneyland? Do you ever correct? Do you ever correct
(11:56):
them at all? Do you ever say, you know, actually
know my apologies is not me? You just thank you?
Keeping no funny? She said, I was in Detroit changing
planes one time, and um there was like this ninety
year old lady and she came up to me and
she goes, oh my god, I can't believe you're here,
like ninety years old. She must have been a movie
(12:17):
buf buff. And she goes, oh my god, I love
you and ghosts and I felt I felt so I
felt so bad, you know, I I said, I said, man,
I'm sorry, I was not that guy. That was a
guy named Mica Villas. So you know, I took the
time to explain it to her. And then she goes,
so what else I have might might have? M I
(12:39):
have seen you in And I go, um, you ever
seen the Count of Monte Cristo and shes, oh my god,
that's my favorite movie all time. I said, well, I
was check a pole and she looked at me and said,
you were not Check. So to the one person in
the world that I tried to explain. Then after that
(13:01):
it was like, so now I just say thank you
very much. Of course, what was it working like with whoopee? Great?
Think you know? And then and then for for a
long time, I was like, you're that actor guy, right,
what's oh my god, what's your name? To say something
(13:22):
like Marl and Brandon and they will go that's right.
When people say, oh my god, I know you from
what have you done? It's like, oh, man, I feel
like I know you may sometimes yeah, I get I'm
(13:44):
gonna know you. I don't know, man, did you used
to go to that club. Yeah, maybe we then yeah,
at a moment together, don't you know what happened? I
think I maybe I have have said this story before the podcast.
I'm a huge boxing fan. I was in Vegas this
(14:04):
big event, and I remember leaving the stadium to go
to my hotel room for a second at the MGM,
and I'm walking Whenever said you're gonna do you wanna
go to yourself? Yeah, I'm fine, Fin's gonna go real
fast and come back. And I'm walking and I get
this like maybe twenty something girls and they see them
and they're like, but I'm talking screaming, going, oh my god,
we love your music, we love your song. And I
(14:25):
had an album years back. And I'm looking at them
going I don't know if they're talking about me, but
I'm going, oh, that's so sweet, thank you so much.
Can we have a picture. It's gonna have a picture.
But I'm talking about like like fans, right, So I'm
taking pictures of them. They're a little tipsy, you know,
a little annoying, but lovely. And then they go, we
just love it. And then they start singing this song
from Nicole the posta Nicole Nicole Shorts singer you know
(14:52):
that a lot of people think that we look similar.
They start singing this song and expecting for me to
start singing with them, and that's when I realized, oh
my god, it's it's not me. They're confusing me. I
was so embarrassed. Do you know something like I said,
I went up paying this, he looked it up. I
did what I said, Oh my god, you're so cute.
Thank you. If we call the end, I was like,
(15:12):
I'm out of here. Oh my god. To this day,
I'm embarrassed because they're gonna look at the picture going
so because one of them is gonna be like, girls,
this is freaking this is not Nicole. Oh my god. Anyway,
I've had people George Lopez right, well, you know I stopped.
I stopped explaining. It's like, call me gumby for me, whoever.
(15:37):
I'm okay, I'm okay. Care I have a beautiful day.
That's amazing. You know, I'm looking at you. You've worked
with a ton of powerhouse filmmakers. Um, what would be
(15:59):
like your top a pay camping one, but like maybe
top two or three that just you learned so much
from You were kind of star struck yourself working with them.
I know you're doing Wednesday right now, and Tim Burton's
involved in mean you know how big people is there
one or two that jump out of You're like, oh
my god, you couldn't believe you're working with him. Well
Sydney Lament for one, one mat one you know, um,
(16:24):
you know before before he became a a no name,
and Anny would definitely Paul Thomas Anderson, you know at
they Steve Soderberg, Soderberg, you know at the UM. I
gotta and I gotta say just recently working with h
(16:44):
with Tim Burton man, you know, like oh wow and that,
um and that. But but you know, I also got
to give credit to a guy named uh Callito Ruiz
who I did a moving in Puerto Rico Morres, one
of the finest movies to come out of Puerto Rico,
(17:06):
and also just showed so much about culture, you know,
in a Cotumbres. But um, you know, I mean Brian Listen,
I can't tell you to or five, you know, Bran,
Brian the Palmer, you know, just so many you know,
Like like I said, I've been I've been really really
(17:31):
blast with the quality of of films and TV that
I have done. You know, because that you know, I
end up with that really good material and stuff like that,
and I just take it, you know. Like I said,
I tell people me that I show up with a
(17:52):
black campus and I'm gonna put my show on it
and then I leave, you know. Um you know, but
oh I they I'm just really thankful because, like I said,
I never expected for like this moment, you know, right,
you know, I just I was just a kid from
the Lower East Side being a social worker, you know,
(18:14):
raising raising a family, and this fell into my lap,
and it's been a blessing. I mean, you know, it's
it's like there's always an upside, but there's always a
downside you know to being successful. Um, if I may
talk about it, you know, and they you know, because
(18:34):
like you know, Louis goos mind and now people know
my name, which is which is pretty awesome. And sometimes
it's like a man, I wish they didn't, right but anyway, Um,
the downside for me was sometimes just being an absentee
father because I love my kids. You know, I would
(18:55):
travel with five kids by myself and take come with
me to work and they knew the drill and everything.
You know. Sometimes my mom or or somebody in the
family would travel with me. But there were moments that man,
they couldn't travel, so you know, when you missed a
birthday or play a soccer game, a basketball game, you know.
(19:20):
And he got to the point when they were young
adults that I asked them that I sat down with
each of them and say, tell me, tell me vent
to me because as a man of the father, you know,
sometimes you missed out, but you want to hear what
what they you know. So yeah, you know, my daughter
(19:41):
will say, you know, I hated it when you missed
my birthday and when I did this play and stuff
like that. And I needed to hear that because I
came to the realization that I wanted to make up
for it. You know, time had passed, you know, but
time's not over. So I pick up from here and
(20:02):
I go from here, you know. Um, because like I said,
there's nothing wrong with being successful. But again we I
got I realized for myself anyway, that it does have
it's up and down. And you know, you gotta be
willing to learn, and your kids will teach you. You know,
you gotta look into the hy gotta looking through into
(20:24):
the soul. You know because like I said, my god,
I could walk anywhere and everybody knows me and stuff
like that. But you know, and I'm proud of that.
Don't get me wrong. You know, I've earned that. I've
earned that, you know, by the way they you know,
like I said, I didn't miss out uh being a
(20:44):
dad from time to time. But I'm in a good
place with it right now with all of them, and
I'm making up for it. You know. I hear you,
and I understand we we understand you like crazy. We're
both actors. And it's interesting. I got this. I'm sure
you're know. I'm doing this show Fantasy Island, which is
such an incredible blessing and I love every second of it.
And and he shoots in Puerto Rico with even bigger
(21:07):
for me because I'm back home and I have my
parents over there and my brothers I have. It's home
for me Mi casa perot leJOS for my kids, you know,
because they're at school, so I could leave for four
months out of the year to be in Puerto Rico.
This last second, this second season that we just did.
I saw my kids two weeks in four months, and
their ten and four and Yeah, as much as I
(21:28):
love it and I am celebrating life, I thank you
so much for this opportunity at number one on a
call sheet. This is my show, you know, I'm so
proud of it. Um. But I just go men, you know,
because there's a lot of stuff that that I'm missing
and I it's something that I think about every single day.
And I have conversations with her, and she's tough. She's tough,
(21:49):
and a lot of her toughness and a lot of
her behavior towards me A lot of times. A lot
of times I wonder if if it is if it's
coming from that place of where you know here, you know,
so it's it's really it's times a big part of
it because most of the time for our kids upbringing,
I've been the one that's been fortunate to work in
l A. You know, I've been on a show for
five seasons now in Los Angeles, which is an anomaly.
(22:11):
And the fact that I can be here. She takes
the brunt of it from the kids because they do
like it. It. Like you said, you gotta have to
sit down what you're trying to do. But you talk
to them, you learn from them. But yeah, you realize
it affects them and they express it in very different ways.
You know. It's just one of the one of the
sacrifices for sure of this business. Yeah, so we we
hear and you know why. And I appreciate having this
(22:35):
conversation like this because a lot of people just just
see us for who we are, but you know, here
we are providing an insight as parents. You know, and listen,
even navigating, like you said, you go out, people know you.
It's interesting because with my daughter there's times that if
we're out and we get recognize and people as for
(22:57):
a picture, she acts like it doesn't bother her and
he's okay. Sometimes she loves about it and she tries
to be silly, but sometimes it's severely annoying to her.
Just why every time we go ask somebody has asked
for a picture, and you're like, oh my god, I
don't want this girl to grow up thinking am I enough?
You know what I mean? Like I'm not my mom,
Like I don't even know what she's thinking. So we're
(23:18):
constantly trying to do damage control and teaching her you
know what it is. It's okay, mom, it is what
it is. This is what I do for a living.
You're so privileged the moment that I can do this,
because you know what I mean, Like we try to
constantly let her know this is a good thing. This
is a good thing, and I so much appreciate that
people are so kind to us a restaurant, you know,
it's a good thing. So you know, like better way,
(23:39):
it's it's a it's a whole negotiation song and dance
every single day. No, let me tell you. I've had
moment that somebody asked me for a picture and I
say yes, and they all start walking away from me
my kids, and it's like, okay, I can't do that.
Got to go yeah, you know, but I have to
respect that they want me, they want to spend time
(24:01):
with battening, you know, and so I have to be
very polite, very gorgeous to say, hey, it's my family
time right now. So but I appreciate the acknowledgement and
I got a move, you know. So, I mean, like
I said, because it's just important. It's really really important
(24:21):
to to have that because one day, when they're old enough,
you're gonna have that conversation, you know. So But anyway,
let's go back and back on track. I wanted to
ask you, so, I'm sorry and TV. You've done a
(24:42):
lot of TV, but have you have you been a
part of like a like a five year season type
of thing, or you're always doing movies and you do
you haven't had time to actually commit to being a
serious regular on a show. No, I've done a few shows. Um.
I did a show called How to Make It in
America for HBO. We ran two seasons. I did another
(25:05):
show called Cold Blacks for CBS. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
forgot that. That ran for three seasons. You know, Um,
and do you like it? Do you like doing TV
like network TV and committing to the possibility of all
these seasons? Do you do you think it's it's I mean,
financially fantastic. What do you like it? Well? You know what?
(25:28):
And lo I mean with me, it's always about the material.
It's about the quality of what I want to do.
You know, when when I did How to Make It
in America, Mark Warburg called me up saying, hey, what
you do this? So it's like yeah to me, let
me read it. And it was just like one scene
and was like three lines. Mark, you know this is
(25:51):
not significant? Do I do here. Yeah, but he but
he said, the way, but we're gonna be right. You
do it, We're gonna be right. So they sure enough
that we wrote it. You know. We did a few
more scenes and then he said I probably want to
take kre you and you know what, he stood to
his word, you know. And I love doing the show,
you know, because it was about it was about New York.
(26:13):
It was all about the hustle, you know. It was
about the relationships, you know, it was about the failures.
That was about getting up, you know. And then I
did Then I did Um Cold Black, and it was
so funny because I just finished shooting a movie and
I was on my way to the airport in l A.
(26:34):
And my managing, my agent, they called me up, Yo,
you can't leave l A. Man. You know that this
pilot they wan't you by ba And so they explained
it to me and said, bo, I haven't even read
the scrip. And my mom went to the airport and
then I asked him where did the shoot? They go
l A And then I go l A. Now, bro,
I'm gonna hold on the phone. They called me back.
(26:58):
They said, low, look, please just stop stop stop, you know,
pull over. We just send you the script, opened it
up on your laptop. Read it. So I started reading
and I said, oh, whoa, this is really super cool,
you know. Um and Cole Black. I got to play
this character named Jesse, who was the senior traumaters who
(27:21):
went by the name of Mommy, you know. And I
read it. I fell in love with it. I go,
I'll do it. You know. But that part took me
back to my days of being a social worker, because
you know, as a senior traumaturs, not only you caring
(27:41):
about patients, but you're also caring about your staff. You know,
you're a leader, you know. And so and I learned
so much. Let me tell you. I spent days at UH,
at the big hospital, at County Hospital, in the trauma center.
Know and man, listen, I saw I saw people get
(28:04):
their life saved. I saw people expire in front of me.
I saw them bring back you know. I saw the whole.
But more than anything, I saw how well those nurses
and those doctors worked together at the team and that
and and like I was, I was bested. I was
(28:26):
in And so I spent three years on that show,
and I would have spent another three years on that
show piece because I can't so much, you know, um Man,
I cried on that show. No at the you know,
I had my battles on that show, but it was
something that I looked forward to everything. And you know what,
(28:48):
the hardest part was not even the acting. It was
about being on your feet for twelve hours a day,
on your feet, you know, because you're working on you know,
those nurses that adopted that worked the real trauma said
that they were on their feet all day. So like
(29:09):
wearing proper shoes became a big thing, you know, and
that but I learned a lot, you know, I learned
so much, and I was so really proud of that show,
you know what I mean. You know, sometimes like now,
I'll do maybe a guest spot on the show, but
it really has to be good, you know, and it
has to be really super cool and stuff. Um I
(29:32):
do a lot of movies, you know. I mean we're
in September and I think I already done like eleven
projects this year. This year. You know, Oh my god,
(29:53):
they lured you in to uh Wednesday on Netflix. You're
all in. That's an eight episod So it's series, right, Yeah,
it's eight episodes series. Um. So I was in in Cardiff,
Wales last year in August when I got a phone
(30:13):
call and it was like Tim Burke Mus talked to
you who and Tim Burton and I go, oh, oh okay,
so uh we did uh we did a zoom meeting
and uh you guys said okay with me still okay.
(30:33):
Um we did a zoom meeting and he said, yeah,
I'm working at this show and it's called Wednesday. That's
about Wednesday Adam the Other Family. And I'm like, oh, okay, yeah.
So and what he goes, would you be my go
mess and I go go mass And you gotta understand, man,
(30:56):
It's like I've been doing this for a long time,
you know. And for me, I was absolutely blown away.
I was. I grew up watching The Adams Family. It
was like one of my favorite shows to watch when
I was a kid, when I was you know, and
then to see when I saw the movie in around Julia,
(31:20):
you know, and I was like wow, you know, because
I loved you know, he was one of the most
beautiful people I have ever known in my entire life.
He was such a warm you know, he was he
was like he was like if I were to ever
have a brother or a dad like that, I would
have been you know, um, I gotta be careful with
(31:42):
my brother and my father. But I say, but anyway,
I I said, yeah, absolutely, you know. And and and
so when I started telling telling my friends and people
started finding out, you know, I get the biggest thing.
Oh you got big shoes to feel? How how can
(32:05):
you you know? Are you going up to be God man?
And and stuff like that, and and and it's like, listen,
you know what. I could never duplicate what those guys did.
I would never try to duplicate what the what they did,
you know, because like I said, I'm showing up with
a blank canvas. I understand what the role is. You know,
(32:26):
if if people have me, what can you tell me
about gold mess? God is all about love. Godman is
all about the passion. You know. These are things that
I know that I feel. You know, he loves his wife,
he loves his daughter and his son, you know, and
he showed it, you know it kind of it kind
(32:46):
of just comes out of him. It's not something I
have to make up. I know, love and no passion,
you know, but then you put on the suit, you
put out the wig it's the carot, you know know
what I mean? And that they it was. It was
an honor for me, and more so because I don't
(33:07):
know if you know this or something, but I got
the first Raoul Julia Ward in Puerto Rico. I was
like the first I was, you know, and like it's
like painting homage. I could almost cry right now because
because you know, you did, you do come full circle,
(33:33):
you know, and even you know, and and again you know,
I got I got to work with this young girl Jen.
I say, god, woman, I respect every you know, I
I say kids, I could say kids, but I respect
that woman so much because man, as a young woman,
(33:55):
she wouldn't settle for last. You know, she I gotta
do another one. I don't know. That didn't feel right, no,
you know, and and and and and she honor it,
do work, you know. And then working with Katherine Zeta Jones.
You know, we did a movie together called Traffic. But
I haven't seen Katherine since then, but you know, just
(34:19):
being able to work with her in that capacity of
like she's my marttian and I'm her goal man, and
and and it was a beautiful chemistry. But man, she
taught me a lot, you know, she took, you know,
because I'm always open to that. I'm always open to learning.
I'm not the guy that shows up and says I
(34:42):
know it all. Nobody has to tell me. No, no, listen,
I'm I still got a lot of room left with
this bunch to take a knowledge, to learn things, you know,
because that's how I flow, That's how I want to be.
So um and then you know, what can I say? Man?
Working with Tim Burton, he was the coolest dude, man,
(35:04):
so down to earth. But I didn't know what to expect.
You know, you see all that I've seen all his movies,
you know, so I said, this guy then I get get,
you know, but he was he was so so down
to earth, such a cool dude. Man. We would have
(35:27):
four hour dinner just him and that, you know, and
and just talking. You know, I'm just talking, having conversations
about the world. Yeah, we were talking a little bit
about the movies and stuff like that. But you know,
you know, to have the opportunity to be in the
same space with that cat, I would observe. I would
(35:47):
watch him and said, you know, because I don't know
if you've seen the trailer to it, oh my God
looks magical, like you know, so yeah, I mean you
don't end out and listen, man, I'm proud, I'm honest
to play that role to represent my people, you know,
(36:09):
to represent dreamers. You know. Um, it's it's just a
beautiful thing. And uh, like I said, I'm i uh,
I pinched myself every day we can't. Yeah, we're so
proud of you and evenka, what does it mean to
you when you go to Puerto Rico? Um, because I
(36:30):
know you love there. How many times like you try
to go, like at least once a year? How often
are you on pure um? Normally I will go twice
a year, but you know, like this whole pandemic stuff
really screwed it up, you know, Maria screwed it up.
You know, I did go this past spring. Finally, you know,
(36:53):
I'm not I'll be anske with you. You know, because
my family, I have family in Puerto Rico. They look
out for me. And every time I want to to
go Novena, you know, Premo Primo, Primo got COVID, novengaud
don't come because your brother and sister in law, you know,
so you know, and then finally, finally, it was like, yeah, boy,
(37:19):
that's it, and I went and I had a time. Man,
I missed my Highland. Man, you know what I missed.
You're not seeing jo. My mom used to send me
to Puerto Rico every summer. That was nothing but fights
for two weeks because you know, quote unquote you're the
(37:42):
New York but you're not see I yet, you know.
So I had to fight my way for two weeks
and then okay, that that cool. You know. My first
job in Puerto Rico as a kid, I work at
like there, you know, so we will get the loser.
(38:04):
So we'd get a machete, you know, chop off the
guy your head, and that's what going. Will run around
for like two minutes of and then when guys will
get it, we plug it, clean it out, give it
to the owner. Get that in libry, man, because this
guy your died. Well first this guy your loss. Then
(38:27):
he died. Now he's taking him home. I don't know
how you can do it. I don't know how you
can do that, but but man, you know, listen, I
love going to Puerto Rico, love representing our island, our people.
You know. At the I am outspoken, you know. Um
(38:49):
about some of the issues that go on there, you know,
because because I always want to see goodness and good
things for people and for h island, and you know,
I just get tired of hearing of all this corruption
and stuff. Listen, we set the plane when Maria he
we said, we set the plane for the supplies, and
(39:12):
the landed and some won and nobody ever to this day,
nobody knows what happened to that. And so then and
so then we flipped it because I have people in Aguadija,
and I have people that work at the airport in Aguadija,
and I had a relationship with man we send in
(39:34):
the plane. They had the tail number, the pilots had
the phone numbers to the people on the ground, and
so okay, this is this is this plane coming in.
Where do you want My people on the ground said, okay,
boom boom, we're going through this hangar. That plane went there.
Everything I aloaded. We know where everything went. I had
(39:58):
a lot of my friends and how they was donate stuff.
You know. One of my friends donated like a dozen
uh walkie talkies that that worked with the satellites, you know,
and we contributed them. You know, we went to women's
shelters first, the children's shelters to senior shelters, you know,
(40:21):
and then we took care of everybody else, you know,
but we took care of the people in need the most.
It wasn't a lot, but it was something, and we
stood away, you know. And then and then there was
people that were trying to come in to say no, no, no,
we gotta check that stuff out. And my people that
don't have any check what we got we got, you know.
(40:46):
And and and that's that's one thing about Porto Rico
that that for me, it's a big turn off because
if you're not from this partino, that partino, you're not
gonna get you know what It's like, Yo, guys, you're
serving humanity at least that's what you should be doing,
you know. So if they listen, man I I when
(41:08):
Padisha was governor, I was invited to the Governor's manship. Yeah,
and so you know, we go and my guy, you know,
you're gonna see him for ten minutes. He's just a
ten minutes. Girl. We were there like three hours drinking
(41:33):
and then and then it like prep tactor Terry said, dude,
this never happens, you know, I said, you know, listen,
I'm down to her. It's not about It's not about me,
you know, Because he asked me what I wanted to drink.
I said, we were drinking media. I met the family.
(41:55):
It was it was wonderful. We had great times and stuff. Yeah,
the other governor we had before, you know, an he
was governor many many years back. So I'm sure you
(42:18):
know anyone Chicken governor re Puerto Rico. I don't know.
I can go with to you. I promise you know.
It was the number, but I promise you, you you know,
I probably do. Well. Yeah, I don't have to tell you.
We meet so many people, I know, I know, we
meet so many people, and it's like, oh my god,
(42:40):
you know, and it's like I can't say how many
do And I'm like, you're a guy from Ghosts. I'm
going to tell you the funniest story that had ever happened. Okay,
I'm at the shout through my mom in in l
(43:04):
A right, and uh it was. It was the weekend
of the Grammys. So my friends said, Yo, let's go
have a drink at the garden. So that's all these
rockers there, you know, and there's like seven of us
sitting at out there, oh, just cheering, you know, via
And she starts walking across and she stops and she
(43:28):
to the top of her long Oh my god, I
cannot believe it. And we're like looking around, and then
she goes, it's Louise Schools mind. And I go, oh
my god, Oh my god. And so she starts walking
through to the table and I'm like, when you man,
she looked familiar, Like my brain is like, who's this
with it? So she gets through our tables and oh
my god, I can't believe with you. I always wanted
(43:50):
to meet you. I want to be in boogie Nights
with you, you know, and all this and all that.
You know. She stops and he goes, you don't know
who I am, do you? And so one of my
buddies distracted for like a melli second, and I go,
that is that. That's Corney love. And I go, Corny Corney,
(44:11):
what are you doing? What are you doing? Come on?
How I mean, it's just it's just like it's just
like my brain just couldn't put it. But like they
were telling you, like the staff, you gotta pipe, you know,
bring it down. Rex's relaxed. That's what okay, one of
(44:35):
the funniest things that ever happened to me. That's so
awesome that yeah, man, anyways, a pout, but listen to me.
I am so happy to talk to you, missie, that
we just need to look. Next time you're in pr
I'm gonna please let me know. Let's just have dinner
and they just have a laugh on this time. When
are you daring me? I'm waiting to you for a
(44:58):
third season for the show. I think probably um right
after Easter April May, June July of next year. It's
a planet, you know what, you know what? Okay, You'll
be one very much January February March crash in Guadisia.
(45:24):
It's happening for me of course that I really want
to see you there will be so so awesome to
spend telling the other perfect. Thank you both of course,
this conversation, you know, and I can't wait to give
(45:45):
you both for hug. Yeah, thank you for hanging with us.
Is great, Yes, any time, yes, alright, thank you so much? Alright, brother, awesome,
Oh my god, do you understand that we were talking
to an institution, to a live in legend legend Louise
(46:07):
who's Mantello and a phenomenal actor, And isn't he like lovely?
You just want to hug him and be his best friend.
Everybody tells me that's a Louis Gusman. He's like your
best friend. He is the most the nicest individual ever.
So what an incredible honor. Thank you, journey, Yes, thank
you Louise, and I have to work with him. We
(46:30):
got I want to work with him to anyways, Bye
you thanks for listening. Don't forget to write us a
review and tell us what you think. If you want
to follow us on Instagram, check goes out at he
said was an email Eric and Ross at I Heart
radio dot com. He said is part of I Heard
Radio's Michael podcast Network. See you next time.
This is he said Avio with Eric Winter and Rosalind Fantev. Hello,
so excited you got that? Dad? I thought you're gonna mess.
(00:27):
We have today man star one of the stars of
the new show Wednesday on Netflix. It's coming out soon,
Plane Gomez, I mean legendary Louise Guzman has played every
every movie that you love, shameless, your name, business code, everything, everything,
(00:51):
everything can't wait. Let's bring him in. Hello, good morning.
Where are you Louise? Um, I'm gonna undisclosed ocation okay,
but because the I R S keeps looking for me,
it's not me. No. I remember which is where? Which
is where? We just learned, um that you live right you? You?
(01:14):
How long have you been living in ver mind? Oh? Man,
I've been living in the mind. I moved up here
permanently in nineteen. I have four children that I adopted,
I have one of my own, and I didn't want
to raise them in an apartment, so I bought a farm.
So when they had a tantrum, I just opened the
(01:35):
door and said, you got acres to walk to walk
it off, come back when you're done. Wow. Let me.
I had no idea that out of your five kids,
four were adopted. What what was the reasoning? Like you
always wanted to adopt kids? So well, you know, um,
first of all, I was a social worker before I
(01:58):
got into acting, so I was working with teenagers. Um,
and uh quite sadly. I lost my first son at childbirth,
and you know, and that we had already been in
the process of adopting. So uh you know, said me
came and then yeah, my yah came, and then we
(02:19):
had Luna and then we ended up adopting or so Margarita,
and so you know, it was an opportunity to have
a family. And do you got them all as babies
or different ages? No, I got the moment they were
two weeks. Oh yeah that that this um thing called
the surrender unit in New York And what the what
(02:43):
the surrender unit is? A woman gives birth to a
child and she turned the child over to the water
of the state. And are are all of them or
any of them different nationalities? Or is everyone in Puerto Rican?
Is everyone not like where the national is? The background
said he is to me, my oldest is Mexican and
(03:04):
side by lao, yeah, my ya is um uh she
that for American and Jewish and my twins are a
for American and my biological daughter Luna to Puerto Rican. Love. Awesome,
credible family right there. I love it. I love it.
I want to see them. We almost went down the
(03:25):
road of adoption at one point. We talked about adoption.
I would do it in a hearbeat. Struggled, struggled through
pregnancy many many times many in Vitro's failed lost one,
and uh yeah, we almost went down that path as well. Yeah, big,
big family. We'd be moving to Vermont with you. We
would need that space. Yeah, I want, I need more
(03:45):
body equals up here. Please listen, do you orders not
how excited I am, Um, Louise to have you on
the show. I know, but it's a different thing from me.
You are people gonna give you a minut in a second, Okay,
I want anyways source. You know, I'm Puerto Regan like
(04:12):
you like to us and especially people in the business
like me. You know that I grew up with this
dream too to move to the States, and I make it.
Louis Guzman is the work hard and and and you're incredible.
So I'm so proud to be running from front of
you and interview you. This is amazing for me. I
(04:35):
have my adever. We've been in the same a few times,
but we just never met you. I just I just
I just you know. But it's okay. We've still got
we've still got a lot to go here in this life.
So please I want to work with you. Oh I'm ready. Ready.
You just worked with a good friend of ours. You
just worked at them out in Alasko. Yeah, that's my
(04:59):
that's my Ay. He hopes to become my Domino partner,
but he gotta be a good trash talk couple. You know.
I love it. So did your career? How many you
started acting out? What age? Louise Man? I think? I well,
(05:19):
you know, I used to do street theater on the
Low East Side of New York City, And for me,
it was just a hobby because I had, you know, um,
I knew people like people from New Yorkitan Poet Cafe,
so um I swung in there and they would put
me in the play and stuff. But it was a hobby.
(05:41):
It wasn't a dream of mine, you know. And then
after that, like one of my friends wrote something that
can you play these eight roles for me? Okay? You know,
so it was like street theater and stuff and um,
and did a couple of independent films, you know, but
again they were just favors. It was a hot And
then I started working as a social worker, and so
(06:05):
I hadn't done anything for like, I don't know, wow,
over ten years maybe, And one day I went out
looking for a couple of kids that didn't show up
to my program and I ran into me at Pineto
and I hadn't seen me. And in a few years
he told me he was writing for a TV show
that We're gonna come to New York. They were gonna
be looking for people. I went in audition. I had
(06:28):
no clue what I was doing. Three weeks later, I
get a phone call from a guy named Richard say, hey,
I would like to represent you represent me again, and
you just booked co starring Road in the season premier
of Miami Vikes me. How I had no clue what
(06:48):
I was doing. Well, I wanted to me, this is true.
All I wanted to get out of it was to
make enough money so I could buy me a youth
car so I can drive to the beach on the
weekends and not have to take the train or the bus.
I got the car we can totaled it the next day,
(07:11):
Oh my god, Oh my god, but you can working
no problems. So you got yourself many cars after that.
So it is what it is. Yeah, yeah, man. But
that day, you know, I mean, I still went back
to being a social worker because that was my passion
of helping, of helping young people to help themselves. So
(07:32):
I won't get all these little bit parts and stuff
like that. But the way I was looking at it,
I was still looking at it at the hobby, you know,
and as a way to subsidize my salary as a
social worker, because I didn't under I didn't understand the
entertainment industry. I didn't you know some you know, when
I started working where my when my buddies goes, you know,
(07:55):
less than one percent of actors make a living. Yes, thought, no, no,
I gotta hang out to my night to five. But
you know, I was very fortunate man, because I I
I started doing all these movies, and unknown to me
was that they were really good quality movies, you know,
(08:17):
And I was working with really good actors and meeting
great directors and stuff like that. And I ended up
doing a movie called Family Business and Sydney La Matte
was directing that and I love Sydney the man. He's
like an actor's director. And I just had one scene
in that movie. And and the scene was with Dustin
(08:41):
Hoffman and then they you know, I was like, I
was like pinching myself. I said, I can't believe doing this,
you know. And it worked out and said he came
to me and he said, listen, givey uh you know,
gonna be doing another movie in the spring, and I
like you in it. So I said, oh great. I
(09:02):
go from working one day to maybe working three days,
you know. And then I think, you know, because that's
how it was, you know, and um, but you know,
initially I was playing I was playing a killer, a
gypsy cab driver, you know, bad Guy number ninety two.
(09:25):
You know Dog number seventy two, you know Dog thirty two, Uh,
the guy uh seventeen. So you know, it was it
was like it was like, Okay, we're getting someplace, you know.
And like I said, then I started just getting these roles.
Then I think a movie called Crocodile Dundee too, you know.
(09:47):
And now they took me to Australia. Was damn home
sick for three months again. What was I doing right?
But it was it was a great experience and and
like I said, I ended up soon after that doing
a movie called Calito's Way. Is that the one that
you think that changed everything? I mean everything that you did.
You were so blessed since a very very beginning, like
(10:08):
you're saying, you were working with quality actors, quality directors
and writers, so you were placed at the right you know,
at the right thing. But my question is is there
one for me? You know, I've been doing this for
almost thirty years and people tell me, which is the
project that you think change everything for you? And I
did many things before Roach Hour too, but I always say,
you know what, I think Roach Our two was the
(10:28):
ex factor for me. Like do you have one that
you go like, you know what that was before and after?
I think I think I think it would definitely okay.
But everybody loved the gangster, you know, and and that
they playing that part of Pachanga. You know, to this
day people think that's my real name. You know, I
(10:51):
gotta correct them, you know, but they but in a
funny way, in a funny way, a movie that brought
me so much notoriety that I was not in okay,
was a movie called Goats. They confused me with rick
(11:11):
A Villence as the guy that killed Patrick Swayze. Okay,
I want to I want to tell you I got
just last week. I'm in I'm in like a garment
store with my daughter and she's looking for fabric, so
you know, we have to check out. And this lady goes,
oh my god, I think I watched you. I watched
(11:32):
your movie four times last week. And I go, thank you.
I said, but why did you do that to Patrick Swayze? Like,
oh man? And that's been going on for years since
the movie came out. Everybodything, bro if I got a
nickle for every person that has said that I will
own Disneyland? Do you ever correct? Do you ever correct
(11:56):
them at all? Do you ever say, you know, actually
know my apologies is not me? You just thank you?
Keeping no funny? She said, I was in Detroit changing
planes one time, and um there was like this ninety
year old lady and she came up to me and
she goes, oh my god, I can't believe you're here,
like ninety years old. She must have been a movie
(12:17):
buf buff. And she goes, oh my god, I love
you and ghosts and I felt I felt so I
felt so bad, you know, I I said, I said, man,
I'm sorry, I was not that guy. That was a
guy named Mica Villas. So you know, I took the
time to explain it to her. And then she goes,
so what else I have might might have? M I
(12:39):
have seen you in And I go, um, you ever
seen the Count of Monte Cristo and shes, oh my god,
that's my favorite movie all time. I said, well, I
was check a pole and she looked at me and said,
you were not Check. So to the one person in
the world that I tried to explain. Then after that
(13:01):
it was like, so now I just say thank you
very much. Of course, what was it working like with whoopee? Great?
Think you know? And then and then for for a
long time, I was like, you're that actor guy, right,
what's oh my god, what's your name? To say something
(13:22):
like Marl and Brandon and they will go that's right.
When people say, oh my god, I know you from
what have you done? It's like, oh, man, I feel
like I know you may sometimes yeah, I get I'm
(13:44):
gonna know you. I don't know, man, did you used
to go to that club. Yeah, maybe we then yeah,
at a moment together, don't you know what happened? I
think I maybe I have have said this story before the podcast.
I'm a huge boxing fan. I was in Vegas this
(14:04):
big event, and I remember leaving the stadium to go
to my hotel room for a second at the MGM,
and I'm walking Whenever said you're gonna do you wanna
go to yourself? Yeah, I'm fine, Fin's gonna go real
fast and come back. And I'm walking and I get
this like maybe twenty something girls and they see them
and they're like, but I'm talking screaming, going, oh my god,
we love your music, we love your song. And I
(14:25):
had an album years back. And I'm looking at them
going I don't know if they're talking about me, but
I'm going, oh, that's so sweet, thank you so much.
Can we have a picture. It's gonna have a picture.
But I'm talking about like like fans, right, So I'm
taking pictures of them. They're a little tipsy, you know,
a little annoying, but lovely. And then they go, we
just love it. And then they start singing this song
from Nicole the posta Nicole Nicole Shorts singer you know
(14:52):
that a lot of people think that we look similar.
They start singing this song and expecting for me to
start singing with them, and that's when I realized, oh
my god, it's it's not me. They're confusing me. I
was so embarrassed. Do you know something like I said,
I went up paying this, he looked it up. I
did what I said, Oh my god, you're so cute.
Thank you. If we call the end, I was like,
(15:12):
I'm out of here. Oh my god. To this day,
I'm embarrassed because they're gonna look at the picture going
so because one of them is gonna be like, girls,
this is freaking this is not Nicole. Oh my god. Anyway,
I've had people George Lopez right, well, you know I stopped.
I stopped explaining. It's like, call me gumby for me, whoever.
(15:37):
I'm okay, I'm okay. Care I have a beautiful day.
That's amazing. You know, I'm looking at you. You've worked
with a ton of powerhouse filmmakers. Um, what would be
(15:59):
like your top a pay camping one, but like maybe
top two or three that just you learned so much
from You were kind of star struck yourself working with them.
I know you're doing Wednesday right now, and Tim Burton's
involved in mean you know how big people is there
one or two that jump out of You're like, oh
my god, you couldn't believe you're working with him. Well
Sydney Lament for one, one mat one you know, um,
(16:24):
you know before before he became a a no name,
and Anny would definitely Paul Thomas Anderson, you know at
they Steve Soderberg, Soderberg, you know at the UM. I
gotta and I gotta say just recently working with h
(16:44):
with Tim Burton man, you know, like oh wow and that,
um and that. But but you know, I also got
to give credit to a guy named uh Callito Ruiz
who I did a moving in Puerto Rico Morres, one
of the finest movies to come out of Puerto Rico,
(17:06):
and also just showed so much about culture, you know,
in a Cotumbres. But um, you know, I mean Brian Listen,
I can't tell you to or five, you know, Bran,
Brian the Palmer, you know, just so many you know,
Like like I said, I've been I've been really really
(17:31):
blast with the quality of of films and TV that
I have done. You know, because that you know, I
end up with that really good material and stuff like that,
and I just take it, you know. Like I said,
I tell people me that I show up with a
(17:52):
black campus and I'm gonna put my show on it
and then I leave, you know. Um you know, but
oh I they I'm just really thankful because, like I said,
I never expected for like this moment, you know, right,
you know, I just I was just a kid from
the Lower East Side being a social worker, you know,
(18:14):
raising raising a family, and this fell into my lap,
and it's been a blessing. I mean, you know, it's
it's like there's always an upside, but there's always a
downside you know to being successful. Um, if I may
talk about it, you know, and they you know, because
(18:34):
like you know, Louis goos mind and now people know
my name, which is which is pretty awesome. And sometimes
it's like a man, I wish they didn't, right but anyway, Um,
the downside for me was sometimes just being an absentee
father because I love my kids. You know, I would
(18:55):
travel with five kids by myself and take come with
me to work and they knew the drill and everything.
You know. Sometimes my mom or or somebody in the
family would travel with me. But there were moments that man,
they couldn't travel, so you know, when you missed a
birthday or play a soccer game, a basketball game, you know.
(19:20):
And he got to the point when they were young
adults that I asked them that I sat down with
each of them and say, tell me, tell me vent
to me because as a man of the father, you know,
sometimes you missed out, but you want to hear what
what they you know. So yeah, you know, my daughter
(19:41):
will say, you know, I hated it when you missed
my birthday and when I did this play and stuff
like that. And I needed to hear that because I
came to the realization that I wanted to make up
for it. You know, time had passed, you know, but
time's not over. So I pick up from here and
(20:02):
I go from here, you know. Um, because like I said,
there's nothing wrong with being successful. But again we I
got I realized for myself anyway, that it does have
it's up and down. And you know, you gotta be
willing to learn, and your kids will teach you. You know,
you gotta look into the hy gotta looking through into
(20:24):
the soul. You know because like I said, my god,
I could walk anywhere and everybody knows me and stuff
like that. But you know, and I'm proud of that.
Don't get me wrong. You know, I've earned that. I've
earned that, you know, by the way they you know,
like I said, I didn't miss out uh being a
(20:44):
dad from time to time. But I'm in a good
place with it right now with all of them, and
I'm making up for it. You know. I hear you,
and I understand we we understand you like crazy. We're
both actors. And it's interesting. I got this. I'm sure
you're know. I'm doing this show Fantasy Island, which is
such an incredible blessing and I love every second of it.
And and he shoots in Puerto Rico with even bigger
(21:07):
for me because I'm back home and I have my
parents over there and my brothers I have. It's home
for me Mi casa perot leJOS for my kids, you know,
because they're at school, so I could leave for four
months out of the year to be in Puerto Rico.
This last second, this second season that we just did.
I saw my kids two weeks in four months, and
their ten and four and Yeah, as much as I
(21:28):
love it and I am celebrating life, I thank you
so much for this opportunity at number one on a
call sheet. This is my show, you know, I'm so
proud of it. Um. But I just go men, you know,
because there's a lot of stuff that that I'm missing
and I it's something that I think about every single day.
And I have conversations with her, and she's tough. She's tough,
(21:49):
and a lot of her toughness and a lot of
her behavior towards me A lot of times. A lot
of times I wonder if if it is if it's
coming from that place of where you know here, you know,
so it's it's really it's times a big part of
it because most of the time for our kids upbringing,
I've been the one that's been fortunate to work in
l A. You know, I've been on a show for
five seasons now in Los Angeles, which is an anomaly.
(22:11):
And the fact that I can be here. She takes
the brunt of it from the kids because they do
like it. It. Like you said, you gotta have to
sit down what you're trying to do. But you talk
to them, you learn from them. But yeah, you realize
it affects them and they express it in very different ways.
You know. It's just one of the one of the
sacrifices for sure of this business. Yeah, so we we
hear and you know why. And I appreciate having this
(22:35):
conversation like this because a lot of people just just
see us for who we are, but you know, here
we are providing an insight as parents. You know, and listen,
even navigating, like you said, you go out, people know you.
It's interesting because with my daughter there's times that if
we're out and we get recognize and people as for
(22:57):
a picture, she acts like it doesn't bother her and
he's okay. Sometimes she loves about it and she tries
to be silly, but sometimes it's severely annoying to her.
Just why every time we go ask somebody has asked
for a picture, and you're like, oh my god, I
don't want this girl to grow up thinking am I enough?
You know what I mean? Like I'm not my mom,
Like I don't even know what she's thinking. So we're
(23:18):
constantly trying to do damage control and teaching her you
know what it is. It's okay, mom, it is what
it is. This is what I do for a living.
You're so privileged the moment that I can do this,
because you know what I mean, Like we try to
constantly let her know this is a good thing. This
is a good thing, and I so much appreciate that
people are so kind to us a restaurant, you know,
it's a good thing. So you know, like better way,
(23:39):
it's it's a it's a whole negotiation song and dance
every single day. No, let me tell you. I've had
moment that somebody asked me for a picture and I
say yes, and they all start walking away from me
my kids, and it's like, okay, I can't do that.
Got to go yeah, you know, but I have to
respect that they want me, they want to spend time
(24:01):
with battening, you know, and so I have to be
very polite, very gorgeous to say, hey, it's my family
time right now. So but I appreciate the acknowledgement and
I got a move, you know. So, I mean, like
I said, because it's just important. It's really really important
(24:21):
to to have that because one day, when they're old enough,
you're gonna have that conversation, you know. So But anyway,
let's go back and back on track. I wanted to
ask you, so, I'm sorry and TV. You've done a
(24:42):
lot of TV, but have you have you been a
part of like a like a five year season type
of thing, or you're always doing movies and you do
you haven't had time to actually commit to being a
serious regular on a show. No, I've done a few shows. Um.
I did a show called How to Make It in
America for HBO. We ran two seasons. I did another
(25:05):
show called Cold Blacks for CBS. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
forgot that. That ran for three seasons. You know, Um,
and do you like it? Do you like doing TV
like network TV and committing to the possibility of all
these seasons? Do you do you think it's it's I mean,
financially fantastic. What do you like it? Well? You know what?
(25:28):
And lo I mean with me, it's always about the material.
It's about the quality of what I want to do.
You know, when when I did How to Make It
in America, Mark Warburg called me up saying, hey, what
you do this? So it's like yeah to me, let
me read it. And it was just like one scene
and was like three lines. Mark, you know this is
(25:51):
not significant? Do I do here. Yeah, but he but
he said, the way, but we're gonna be right. You
do it, We're gonna be right. So they sure enough
that we wrote it. You know. We did a few
more scenes and then he said I probably want to
take kre you and you know what, he stood to
his word, you know. And I love doing the show,
you know, because it was about it was about New York.
(26:13):
It was all about the hustle, you know. It was
about the relationships, you know, it was about the failures.
That was about getting up, you know. And then I
did Then I did Um Cold Black, and it was
so funny because I just finished shooting a movie and
I was on my way to the airport in l A.
(26:34):
And my managing, my agent, they called me up, Yo,
you can't leave l A. Man. You know that this
pilot they wan't you by ba And so they explained
it to me and said, bo, I haven't even read
the scrip. And my mom went to the airport and
then I asked him where did the shoot? They go
l A And then I go l A. Now, bro,
I'm gonna hold on the phone. They called me back.
(26:58):
They said, low, look, please just stop stop stop, you know,
pull over. We just send you the script, opened it
up on your laptop. Read it. So I started reading
and I said, oh, whoa, this is really super cool,
you know. Um and Cole Black. I got to play
this character named Jesse, who was the senior traumaters who
(27:21):
went by the name of Mommy, you know. And I
read it. I fell in love with it. I go,
I'll do it. You know. But that part took me
back to my days of being a social worker, because
you know, as a senior traumaturs, not only you caring
(27:41):
about patients, but you're also caring about your staff. You know,
you're a leader, you know. And so and I learned
so much. Let me tell you. I spent days at UH,
at the big hospital, at County Hospital, in the trauma center.
Know and man, listen, I saw I saw people get
(28:04):
their life saved. I saw people expire in front of me.
I saw them bring back you know. I saw the whole.
But more than anything, I saw how well those nurses
and those doctors worked together at the team and that
and and like I was, I was bested. I was
(28:26):
in And so I spent three years on that show,
and I would have spent another three years on that
show piece because I can't so much, you know, um Man,
I cried on that show. No at the you know,
I had my battles on that show, but it was
something that I looked forward to everything. And you know what,
(28:48):
the hardest part was not even the acting. It was
about being on your feet for twelve hours a day,
on your feet, you know, because you're working on you know,
those nurses that adopted that worked the real trauma said
that they were on their feet all day. So like
(29:09):
wearing proper shoes became a big thing, you know, and
that but I learned a lot, you know, I learned
so much, and I was so really proud of that show,
you know what I mean. You know, sometimes like now,
I'll do maybe a guest spot on the show, but
it really has to be good, you know, and it
has to be really super cool and stuff. Um I
(29:32):
do a lot of movies, you know. I mean we're
in September and I think I already done like eleven
projects this year. This year. You know, Oh my god,
(29:53):
they lured you in to uh Wednesday on Netflix. You're
all in. That's an eight episod So it's series, right, Yeah,
it's eight episodes series. Um. So I was in in Cardiff,
Wales last year in August when I got a phone
(30:13):
call and it was like Tim Burke Mus talked to
you who and Tim Burton and I go, oh, oh okay,
so uh we did uh we did a zoom meeting
and uh you guys said okay with me still okay.
(30:33):
Um we did a zoom meeting and he said, yeah,
I'm working at this show and it's called Wednesday. That's
about Wednesday Adam the Other Family. And I'm like, oh, okay, yeah.
So and what he goes, would you be my go
mess and I go go mass And you gotta understand, man,
(30:56):
It's like I've been doing this for a long time,
you know. And for me, I was absolutely blown away.
I was. I grew up watching The Adams Family. It
was like one of my favorite shows to watch when
I was a kid, when I was you know, and
then to see when I saw the movie in around Julia,
(31:20):
you know, and I was like wow, you know, because
I loved you know, he was one of the most
beautiful people I have ever known in my entire life.
He was such a warm you know, he was he
was like he was like if I were to ever
have a brother or a dad like that, I would
have been you know, um, I gotta be careful with
(31:42):
my brother and my father. But I say, but anyway,
I I said, yeah, absolutely, you know. And and and
so when I started telling telling my friends and people
started finding out, you know, I get the biggest thing.
Oh you got big shoes to feel? How how can
(32:05):
you you know? Are you going up to be God man?
And and stuff like that, and and and it's like, listen,
you know what. I could never duplicate what those guys did.
I would never try to duplicate what the what they did,
you know, because like I said, I'm showing up with
a blank canvas. I understand what the role is. You know,
(32:26):
if if people have me, what can you tell me
about gold mess? God is all about love. Godman is
all about the passion. You know. These are things that
I know that I feel. You know, he loves his wife,
he loves his daughter and his son, you know, and
he showed it, you know it kind of it kind
(32:46):
of just comes out of him. It's not something I
have to make up. I know, love and no passion,
you know, but then you put on the suit, you
put out the wig it's the carot, you know know
what I mean? And that they it was. It was
an honor for me, and more so because I don't
(33:07):
know if you know this or something, but I got
the first Raoul Julia Ward in Puerto Rico. I was
like the first I was, you know, and like it's
like painting homage. I could almost cry right now because
because you know, you did, you do come full circle,
(33:33):
you know, and even you know, and and again you know,
I got I got to work with this young girl Jen.
I say, god, woman, I respect every you know, I
I say kids, I could say kids, but I respect
that woman so much because man, as a young woman,
(33:55):
she wouldn't settle for last. You know, she I gotta
do another one. I don't know. That didn't feel right, no,
you know, and and and and and she honor it,
do work, you know. And then working with Katherine Zeta Jones.
You know, we did a movie together called Traffic. But
I haven't seen Katherine since then, but you know, just
(34:19):
being able to work with her in that capacity of
like she's my marttian and I'm her goal man, and
and and it was a beautiful chemistry. But man, she
taught me a lot, you know, she took, you know,
because I'm always open to that. I'm always open to learning.
I'm not the guy that shows up and says I
(34:42):
know it all. Nobody has to tell me. No, no, listen,
I'm I still got a lot of room left with
this bunch to take a knowledge, to learn things, you know,
because that's how I flow, That's how I want to be.
So um and then you know, what can I say? Man?
Working with Tim Burton, he was the coolest dude, man,
(35:04):
so down to earth. But I didn't know what to expect.
You know, you see all that I've seen all his movies,
you know, so I said, this guy then I get get,
you know, but he was he was so so down
to earth, such a cool dude. Man. We would have
(35:27):
four hour dinner just him and that, you know, and
and just talking. You know, I'm just talking, having conversations
about the world. Yeah, we were talking a little bit
about the movies and stuff like that. But you know,
you know, to have the opportunity to be in the
same space with that cat, I would observe. I would
(35:47):
watch him and said, you know, because I don't know
if you've seen the trailer to it, oh my God
looks magical, like you know, so yeah, I mean you
don't end out and listen, man, I'm proud, I'm honest
to play that role to represent my people, you know,
(36:09):
to represent dreamers. You know. Um, it's it's just a
beautiful thing. And uh, like I said, I'm i uh,
I pinched myself every day we can't. Yeah, we're so
proud of you and evenka, what does it mean to
you when you go to Puerto Rico? Um, because I
(36:30):
know you love there. How many times like you try
to go, like at least once a year? How often
are you on pure um? Normally I will go twice
a year, but you know, like this whole pandemic stuff
really screwed it up, you know, Maria screwed it up.
You know, I did go this past spring. Finally, you know,
(36:53):
I'm not I'll be anske with you. You know, because
my family, I have family in Puerto Rico. They look
out for me. And every time I want to to
go Novena, you know, Premo Primo, Primo got COVID, novengaud
don't come because your brother and sister in law, you know,
so you know, and then finally, finally, it was like, yeah, boy,
(37:19):
that's it, and I went and I had a time. Man,
I missed my Highland. Man, you know what I missed.
You're not seeing jo. My mom used to send me
to Puerto Rico every summer. That was nothing but fights
for two weeks because you know, quote unquote you're the
(37:42):
New York but you're not see I yet, you know.
So I had to fight my way for two weeks
and then okay, that that cool. You know. My first
job in Puerto Rico as a kid, I work at
like there, you know, so we will get the loser.
(38:04):
So we'd get a machete, you know, chop off the
guy your head, and that's what going. Will run around
for like two minutes of and then when guys will
get it, we plug it, clean it out, give it
to the owner. Get that in libry, man, because this
guy your died. Well first this guy your loss. Then
(38:27):
he died. Now he's taking him home. I don't know
how you can do it. I don't know how you
can do that, but but man, you know, listen, I
love going to Puerto Rico, love representing our island, our people.
You know. At the I am outspoken, you know. Um
(38:49):
about some of the issues that go on there, you know,
because because I always want to see goodness and good
things for people and for h island, and you know,
I just get tired of hearing of all this corruption
and stuff. Listen, we set the plane when Maria he
we said, we set the plane for the supplies, and
(39:12):
the landed and some won and nobody ever to this day,
nobody knows what happened to that. And so then and
so then we flipped it because I have people in Aguadija,
and I have people that work at the airport in Aguadija,
and I had a relationship with man we send in
(39:34):
the plane. They had the tail number, the pilots had
the phone numbers to the people on the ground, and
so okay, this is this is this plane coming in.
Where do you want My people on the ground said, okay,
boom boom, we're going through this hangar. That plane went there.
Everything I aloaded. We know where everything went. I had
(39:58):
a lot of my friends and how they was donate stuff.
You know. One of my friends donated like a dozen
uh walkie talkies that that worked with the satellites, you know,
and we contributed them. You know, we went to women's
shelters first, the children's shelters to senior shelters, you know,
(40:21):
and then we took care of everybody else, you know,
but we took care of the people in need the most.
It wasn't a lot, but it was something, and we
stood away, you know. And then and then there was
people that were trying to come in to say no, no, no,
we gotta check that stuff out. And my people that
don't have any check what we got we got, you know.
(40:46):
And and and that's that's one thing about Porto Rico
that that for me, it's a big turn off because
if you're not from this partino, that partino, you're not
gonna get you know what It's like, Yo, guys, you're
serving humanity at least that's what you should be doing,
you know. So if they listen, man I I when
(41:08):
Padisha was governor, I was invited to the Governor's manship. Yeah,
and so you know, we go and my guy, you know,
you're gonna see him for ten minutes. He's just a
ten minutes. Girl. We were there like three hours drinking
(41:33):
and then and then it like prep tactor Terry said, dude,
this never happens, you know, I said, you know, listen,
I'm down to her. It's not about It's not about me,
you know, Because he asked me what I wanted to drink.
I said, we were drinking media. I met the family.
(41:55):
It was it was wonderful. We had great times and stuff. Yeah,
the other governor we had before, you know, an he
was governor many many years back. So I'm sure you
(42:18):
know anyone Chicken governor re Puerto Rico. I don't know.
I can go with to you. I promise you know.
It was the number, but I promise you, you you know,
I probably do. Well. Yeah, I don't have to tell you.
We meet so many people, I know, I know, we
meet so many people, and it's like, oh my god,
(42:40):
you know, and it's like I can't say how many
do And I'm like, you're a guy from Ghosts. I'm
going to tell you the funniest story that had ever happened. Okay,
I'm at the shout through my mom in in l
(43:04):
A right, and uh it was. It was the weekend
of the Grammys. So my friends said, Yo, let's go
have a drink at the garden. So that's all these
rockers there, you know, and there's like seven of us
sitting at out there, oh, just cheering, you know, via
And she starts walking across and she stops and she
(43:28):
to the top of her long Oh my god, I
cannot believe it. And we're like looking around, and then
she goes, it's Louise Schools mind. And I go, oh
my god, Oh my god. And so she starts walking
through to the table and I'm like, when you man,
she looked familiar, Like my brain is like, who's this
with it? So she gets through our tables and oh
my god, I can't believe with you. I always wanted
(43:50):
to meet you. I want to be in boogie Nights
with you, you know, and all this and all that.
You know. She stops and he goes, you don't know
who I am, do you? And so one of my
buddies distracted for like a melli second, and I go,
that is that. That's Corney love. And I go, Corny Corney,
(44:11):
what are you doing? What are you doing? Come on?
How I mean, it's just it's just like it's just
like my brain just couldn't put it. But like they
were telling you, like the staff, you gotta pipe, you know,
bring it down. Rex's relaxed. That's what okay, one of
(44:35):
the funniest things that ever happened to me. That's so
awesome that yeah, man, anyways, a pout, but listen to me.
I am so happy to talk to you, missie, that
we just need to look. Next time you're in pr
I'm gonna please let me know. Let's just have dinner
and they just have a laugh on this time. When
are you daring me? I'm waiting to you for a
(44:58):
third season for the show. I think probably um right
after Easter April May, June July of next year. It's
a planet, you know what, you know what? Okay, You'll
be one very much January February March crash in Guadisia.
(45:24):
It's happening for me of course that I really want
to see you there will be so so awesome to
spend telling the other perfect. Thank you both of course,
this conversation, you know, and I can't wait to give
(45:45):
you both for hug. Yeah, thank you for hanging with us.
Is great, Yes, any time, yes, alright, thank you so much? Alright, brother, awesome,
Oh my god, do you understand that we were talking
to an institution, to a live in legend legend Louise
(46:07):
who's Mantello and a phenomenal actor, And isn't he like lovely?
You just want to hug him and be his best friend.
Everybody tells me that's a Louis Gusman. He's like your
best friend. He is the most the nicest individual ever.
So what an incredible honor. Thank you, journey, Yes, thank
you Louise, and I have to work with him. We
(46:30):
got I want to work with him to anyways, Bye
you thanks for listening. Don't forget to write us a
review and tell us what you think. If you want
to follow us on Instagram, check goes out at he
said was an email Eric and Ross at I Heart
radio dot com. He said is part of I Heard
Radio's Michael podcast Network. See you next time.
Host
Roselyn Sanchez
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