June 11, 2025 • 8 mins
In this Reel Insights episode, Sean Tajipour, the Mayor of Nerdtropolis, chats with Ballerina and Umbrella Academy star David Castañeda to talk about joining the John Wick universe.
David opens up about the surprise of landing the role of Javier, Eve’s father, and how his character helps set the entire story of Ballerina in motion. He shares what it was like training with the best stunt team in the world, working alongside Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves, and how director Len Wiseman’s unique style influenced his performance. David also reflects on the insane stunt choreography, reveals whether or not he suffered any real injuries during filming, and talks about his love for the expanding John Wick mythology.
Plus, David reflects on his fan-favorite role as Diego in The Umbrella Academy, how surprised he was by the audience reaction, and imagines what a mash-up between Diego and Javier might look like!
Ballerina is now playing in theaters.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Well, hello, David. It's such a pleasure to meet.
You. Hey Sean, how you doing?
I'm doing great. I have to admit, seeing you pop
up a ballerina was actually a total surprise for me.
I had that full Leonardo DiCaprio moment, just pointing
at the screen like whoa. I did not get that memo.
That's good. Hello.
(00:21):
Yeah, no, it was a pleasant surprise.
And that's how much I try to distance myself from films of
what's online and everything like that, and like to go in as
blind as I can, but it's very hard these days.
Oh, cool man. Yeah, me too.
I, I try to sometimes if I'm really looking forward to a
film, I try not to even see the trailer.
I, I, I want to make sure that Icome in as the least information
(00:43):
as possible. The better.
Yeah, and, and Ballerina is sucha fantastic entry in this world
of John Wick. You play Eve's father.
And I have to ask, what's your first reaction to joining a film
set in the John Wick universe? And how familiar were you with
this world before stepping onto the set?
I mean, I knew about it since the first entry.
I, I was a big fan of it. I mean, I, I obviously I've been
(01:06):
a fan of Keanu since point breakand obviously Matrix kind of
reshaped my entire, you know, cinematic experience as a, as a,
not even a, you know, prepubescent, you know, human.
And, and so when I, when I got the opportunity to, to * or to,
you know, play alongside none ofthe atoms and Keanu Reeves in
(01:27):
this, you know, new entry, it was just like, it's kind of mind
blowing. Honestly.
I was, I was so shocked to that I was going to play Eve's father
and sort of have a little bit ofa catalyst or play part of the
catalyst in the in the main character's origin story.
Yeah, honestly, this story doesn't happen without your
character Javier. He's he sets the entire plot in
(01:50):
motion, honestly. So how did you approach
preparing for such a pivotal role?
Well, I know the, the, the stuntteam was so pivotal for my sort
of immersion into this film. They were, you know, the best in
the world. Just the ability to go to
Budapest and train for four weeks before, you know, camera
(02:10):
started rolling to sort of embody who Javier was, how he
fought his style, sort of established A dynamic with
Victoria, who plays young. Eve was essential to hopefully
be able to do my part and, you know, kind of set up, take care
about, you know, Eve's motives. Yeah, Victoria is super great in
(02:33):
this as well. I I love the beginning scenes
with the both of you. Director LED Wiseman is known
for high octane style. Did his visual flair, you know,
change how you tackle the scenes, especially in those
early emotion moments and all those, you know, action-packed
scenes as well? Yeah, I mean, Len was great.
He was sort of very collaborative in in in asking
(02:53):
about how I felt about certain things.
But in the end, it was very muchabout how does Javier fight and
how does that enhance his description as a father and what
he wants for his daughter? So there was a massive thing
about him not killing. And if you notice some of these
moves, it's more about disarmingand being able to do as much as
(03:15):
you can to get away from things rather than actually being
because he could kill. But the way he was trained was a
way of protecting rather than killing.
Yeah, I love rewatching this film as well.
I got to see it a couple times and like I said, the beginning
is so pivotal to the whole film and some of my favorite parts of
it. And this franchise, it's known
for its killer visuals, rich mythology.
(03:38):
What stood out most to you whilefilming?
I mean, honestly, the stunts and, and then and in its own
way, like the choreography of itall, the sort of the safety net
of knowing that we're not movingon until we get the shot.
And there was moments where I would fear that, you know, oh
(03:58):
man, like that, that punch didn't really land or this move
feels a little awkward. So they come and they
immediately be like, OK, we're going to switch it.
They wouldn't, They were. It was like an improv dance,
like constantly trying to make sure that the character and
yourself are cohesive enough to look good and to be believable.
And until we got the shot right,we'd move on.
And then obviously when I got tosee the stunt training between
(04:20):
Anna, the Adamas and the stunt crew and watching their dances
and their moves and being blown away when I got to see it on the
screen and how like, especially the the fight in the ice rink
and the club with everything is ice.
That whole entire sequence I gotto see in the stunt rehearsal
room and getting to see it in light, you know, now on the
(04:40):
screen with just was so sweet. I know how serious these films
go about when it comes to safetyand stunts, but just like that
documentary just came out, Wick is pain.
So were there any, you know, accidental falls or, you know,
some hits maybe that landed a little bit too hard?
You know, nothing that I'm willing to admit if I'm honest
(05:01):
with you, you know, because whenyou're, when you're, when
you're, you know, playing with the best you, you kind of want
to hold your own. So there was these moments where
I'd pass by limping and, you know, and then when I passed by
like the director's chair and like, you know, and chats, the
Helski was there and be like, are you hurt?
And I'm like, no. And he would just kind of say
liar. And I just keep walking.
You know, it was this kind of I,I really wanted to just impress
(05:23):
the, the, the stunt people. And if if I'm being honest.
Yeah, I mean, they're fantastic.It is amazing what they have
done for this industry as they continue to elevate all these
amazing stunts and make films look much cooler than they used
to be, you know, back in the days.
And, you know, your character Javier clearly has a pass worth
exploring. Would you be open to a prequel
or spin off that dives into the earlier life in this world?
(05:46):
Look, anything involving John Wick, I'm game.
Honestly, like the people involved, the mythology of it
all is so exciting to me that I'm I would always, always
entertain the idea of being ableto play with all of them again.
Yeah, I mean, I would love to see that.
I love this world expanding in the different ways it's about
(06:07):
to, and anything we can get in this world, I'm up for.
I gotta mention, you've been with the Umbrella Academy since
day one. What a fantastic show that was.
Looking back at Season 1, what surprised you most about the fan
response to Diego and the seriesas a whole?
I mean, I never really knew thatit was going to be such a hit.
(06:27):
And I always felt that Diego wasvery mean.
You know, there was something really dry about him, very
cutthroat, and I didn't realize how much people would connect
with him. And also the writers of
Umbrella, they really knew how to take out some of the comedic,
and it's kind of enhance it. And so by the time Season 2
kicked off, that's when I started hearing how funny he
(06:50):
was. And and that's where it sort of
made sense of like someone who was so mean but yet through that
in its own self. Like I guess we can all relate
to certain jokes we would say between family members that
eventually would made everyone laugh.
Yeah, I mean that that's a show I already missed.
It came out at such a great time, I feel like as well, and
entertained so many of us just for fun.
(07:11):
If Diego and Javier crossed paths in this, you know,
multiverse mash up, what would that look like?
And would they be allies or end up just throwing hands?
I don't know, I mean, I think I think they could be allies
because I'm selfish like that and I and I like peace within
all of them. I think they could probably take
out an entire hotel room, you know, an entire hotel staff and
of assassins. They would have a lot of fun
(07:33):
doing it. And but mostly I feel because of
their father like qualities or or or lack of with Diego I think
they would make a nice mash up. Yeah, you always pick some
really cool characters play, I must say that.
But lastly, you know you've tackled so many cool roles
already like I mentioned, but isthere a genre or type of
character you're dying to explore next?
(07:56):
You know, I, I think anything that anything that delves into
extreme anxiety and and nerve wracking preparation, that's
what I always lean towards. And so I don't know what that
might look like, but that's usually my compass.
Like if I'm like extremely anxious about and it needs, it
needs an extreme amount of preparation, that is usually my
(08:19):
wheelhouse. That's what I love.
I love your dedication for that already.
I love that, David. It was an extreme pleasure to
talk to you. It was great to see you in this
film and I'm definitely looking forward to what you deliver
next. Thanks, man.
I really appreciate it, Sean.
Well, hello, David. It's such a pleasure to meet.
You. Hey Sean, how you doing?
I'm doing great. I have to admit, seeing you pop
up a ballerina was actually a total surprise for me.
I had that full Leonardo DiCaprio moment, just pointing
at the screen like whoa. I did not get that memo.
That's good. Hello.
(00:21):
Yeah, no, it was a pleasant surprise.
And that's how much I try to distance myself from films of
what's online and everything like that, and like to go in as
blind as I can, but it's very hard these days.
Oh, cool man. Yeah, me too.
I, I try to sometimes if I'm really looking forward to a
film, I try not to even see the trailer.
I, I, I want to make sure that Icome in as the least information
(00:43):
as possible. The better.
Yeah, and, and Ballerina is sucha fantastic entry in this world
of John Wick. You play Eve's father.
And I have to ask, what's your first reaction to joining a film
set in the John Wick universe? And how familiar were you with
this world before stepping onto the set?
I mean, I knew about it since the first entry.
I, I was a big fan of it. I mean, I, I obviously I've been
(01:06):
a fan of Keanu since point breakand obviously Matrix kind of
reshaped my entire, you know, cinematic experience as a, as a,
not even a, you know, prepubescent, you know, human.
And, and so when I, when I got the opportunity to, to * or to,
you know, play alongside none ofthe atoms and Keanu Reeves in
(01:27):
this, you know, new entry, it was just like, it's kind of mind
blowing. Honestly.
I was, I was so shocked to that I was going to play Eve's father
and sort of have a little bit ofa catalyst or play part of the
catalyst in the in the main character's origin story.
Yeah, honestly, this story doesn't happen without your
character Javier. He's he sets the entire plot in
(01:50):
motion, honestly. So how did you approach
preparing for such a pivotal role?
Well, I know the, the, the stuntteam was so pivotal for my sort
of immersion into this film. They were, you know, the best in
the world. Just the ability to go to
Budapest and train for four weeks before, you know, camera
(02:10):
started rolling to sort of embody who Javier was, how he
fought his style, sort of established A dynamic with
Victoria, who plays young. Eve was essential to hopefully
be able to do my part and, you know, kind of set up, take care
about, you know, Eve's motives. Yeah, Victoria is super great in
(02:33):
this as well. I I love the beginning scenes
with the both of you. Director LED Wiseman is known
for high octane style. Did his visual flair, you know,
change how you tackle the scenes, especially in those
early emotion moments and all those, you know, action-packed
scenes as well? Yeah, I mean, Len was great.
He was sort of very collaborative in in in asking
(02:53):
about how I felt about certain things.
But in the end, it was very muchabout how does Javier fight and
how does that enhance his description as a father and what
he wants for his daughter? So there was a massive thing
about him not killing. And if you notice some of these
moves, it's more about disarmingand being able to do as much as
(03:15):
you can to get away from things rather than actually being
because he could kill. But the way he was trained was a
way of protecting rather than killing.
Yeah, I love rewatching this film as well.
I got to see it a couple times and like I said, the beginning
is so pivotal to the whole film and some of my favorite parts of
it. And this franchise, it's known
for its killer visuals, rich mythology.
(03:38):
What stood out most to you whilefilming?
I mean, honestly, the stunts and, and then and in its own
way, like the choreography of itall, the sort of the safety net
of knowing that we're not movingon until we get the shot.
And there was moments where I would fear that, you know, oh
(03:58):
man, like that, that punch didn't really land or this move
feels a little awkward. So they come and they
immediately be like, OK, we're going to switch it.
They wouldn't, They were. It was like an improv dance,
like constantly trying to make sure that the character and
yourself are cohesive enough to look good and to be believable.
And until we got the shot right,we'd move on.
And then obviously when I got tosee the stunt training between
(04:20):
Anna, the Adamas and the stunt crew and watching their dances
and their moves and being blown away when I got to see it on the
screen and how like, especially the the fight in the ice rink
and the club with everything is ice.
That whole entire sequence I gotto see in the stunt rehearsal
room and getting to see it in light, you know, now on the
(04:40):
screen with just was so sweet. I know how serious these films
go about when it comes to safetyand stunts, but just like that
documentary just came out, Wick is pain.
So were there any, you know, accidental falls or, you know,
some hits maybe that landed a little bit too hard?
You know, nothing that I'm willing to admit if I'm honest
(05:01):
with you, you know, because whenyou're, when you're, when
you're, you know, playing with the best you, you kind of want
to hold your own. So there was these moments where
I'd pass by limping and, you know, and then when I passed by
like the director's chair and like, you know, and chats, the
Helski was there and be like, are you hurt?
And I'm like, no. And he would just kind of say
liar. And I just keep walking.
You know, it was this kind of I,I really wanted to just impress
(05:23):
the, the, the stunt people. And if if I'm being honest.
Yeah, I mean, they're fantastic.It is amazing what they have
done for this industry as they continue to elevate all these
amazing stunts and make films look much cooler than they used
to be, you know, back in the days.
And, you know, your character Javier clearly has a pass worth
exploring. Would you be open to a prequel
or spin off that dives into the earlier life in this world?
(05:46):
Look, anything involving John Wick, I'm game.
Honestly, like the people involved, the mythology of it
all is so exciting to me that I'm I would always, always
entertain the idea of being ableto play with all of them again.
Yeah, I mean, I would love to see that.
I love this world expanding in the different ways it's about
(06:07):
to, and anything we can get in this world, I'm up for.
I gotta mention, you've been with the Umbrella Academy since
day one. What a fantastic show that was.
Looking back at Season 1, what surprised you most about the fan
response to Diego and the seriesas a whole?
I mean, I never really knew thatit was going to be such a hit.
(06:27):
And I always felt that Diego wasvery mean.
You know, there was something really dry about him, very
cutthroat, and I didn't realize how much people would connect
with him. And also the writers of
Umbrella, they really knew how to take out some of the comedic,
and it's kind of enhance it. And so by the time Season 2
kicked off, that's when I started hearing how funny he
(06:50):
was. And and that's where it sort of
made sense of like someone who was so mean but yet through that
in its own self. Like I guess we can all relate
to certain jokes we would say between family members that
eventually would made everyone laugh.
Yeah, I mean that that's a show I already missed.
It came out at such a great time, I feel like as well, and
entertained so many of us just for fun.
(07:11):
If Diego and Javier crossed paths in this, you know,
multiverse mash up, what would that look like?
And would they be allies or end up just throwing hands?
I don't know, I mean, I think I think they could be allies
because I'm selfish like that and I and I like peace within
all of them. I think they could probably take
out an entire hotel room, you know, an entire hotel staff and
of assassins. They would have a lot of fun
(07:33):
doing it. And but mostly I feel because of
their father like qualities or or or lack of with Diego I think
they would make a nice mash up. Yeah, you always pick some
really cool characters play, I must say that.
But lastly, you know you've tackled so many cool roles
already like I mentioned, but isthere a genre or type of
character you're dying to explore next?
(07:56):
You know, I, I think anything that anything that delves into
extreme anxiety and and nerve wracking preparation, that's
what I always lean towards. And so I don't know what that
might look like, but that's usually my compass.
Like if I'm like extremely anxious about and it needs, it
needs an extreme amount of preparation, that is usually my
(08:19):
wheelhouse. That's what I love.
I love your dedication for that already.
I love that, David. It was an extreme pleasure to
talk to you. It was great to see you in this
film and I'm definitely looking forward to what you deliver
next. Thanks, man.
I really appreciate it, Sean.
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