December 23, 2025 • 29 mins
Exclusive interview with Arian Cartaya, who plays Rich Santos on the HBO Max series Welcome to Derry. We talked about the scariest moments working with Pennywise, his now world-famous middle finger to the ugly clown, his new projects, and what’s next. Arian also opened up about how he feels seeing fans tattoo his face on their bodies, addressed the online rumors where some people assumed I was his father, and spoke about the most difficult scenes of Welcome to Derry, including having to act out his own death. Full interview now on YouTube / Enrique Santos.
~ Arian Cartaya: la estrella de Welcome to Derry que le sacó el dedo a Pennywise
Entrevista exclusiva con Arian Cartaya, quien interpreta a Rich Santos en la serie de HBO Max Welcome to Derry. Hablamos de los momentos más aterradores trabajando con Pennywise, su ya famoso dedo del medio al payaso feo, sus nuevos proyectos y lo que viene. Arian también habló de cómo se siente al ver a fanáticos tatuándose su cara, aclaró los rumores en redes donde algunos pensaban que yo era su padre, y habló de las escenas más difíciles de Welcome to Derry, incluyendo tener que actuar su propia muerte. Entrevista completa ya en YouTube / Enrique Santos.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Santace podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All Right, So I have known this young man since
he was five years old, Sinko, and I've seen the work.
I've seen the sacrifice, the growing pains, and the winds
that people don't see. So this conversation I wanted to
be real. I wanted to be about you. I wanted
to be about what you've accomplished, what you're doing in
your career, what you like, what you don't like, what's
(00:28):
going on?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
What's up everybody?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You're already gotta tap it for me. You're always going
to be a young girl. Yeah. Good, and we're going
to wear it. The chuck e chee.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
We're going to chunky cheese?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Want chunky cheese? How are you, buppy?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
How you feel amazing? I feel so good right now?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You should feel very good, yes, and should feel very
proud of what you've accomplished. Yes, and what you're accomplishing. Yes.
What does it feel like to be part of one
of the what people are saying is the series of
twenty twenty five?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, it feels great.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm very proud of myself of what I've accomplished so far.
Turns out HBO took over and it's like, we're making
this a big thing and it's going worldwide.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Did you expect that? No? Did you know that when
you cast it for this thing that there was going
to be such a big deal? Do you have any idea?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
We didn't know it was a penny.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Wise is a big deal, the series the big deal.
So you know you were being casted for something big
because you have any idea it was going to be
this big.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
We knew it was something big, but we didn't know
what it actually was like. We didn't know it was
a it was Welcome to Dairy, We didn't know it
was penny Wise related.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
It was just the production name, which was Fairview, and
it was like, listen, keep this very low. This is
a very there's a pretty big project. And that's that's
pretty much all the information they gave us. And then
it wasn't actually until we got to Toronto and they
(02:06):
were like, listen, this is a penny Wise show and
you're gonna be filming.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
With penny Wise. And we were like, oh my god,
no way.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
To freak you out.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yes, you like freaking me out, but I was also
excited and no, I hate scary movie. But it was
actually until after we filmed that I started getting used
to it because now you know what's behind everything, you know,
you know all the behind the scenes, you know how
they do the CGI, you know everything.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I mean, you saw a lot of CGI that went
on in here, yes, okay, yeah, a.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Lot of CGI in the cemetery as well, the ghosts
my dead deal.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
How scary was that? Filming in a cemetery, real cemetery.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
A real cemetery. Well, I remember the latest was like
two thirty in the morning, the morning in.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
A cemetery, two thirty in the morning. Yeah, okay, how
much is that real? Is real? And how much is
that was like actually scripted? The far the Santera and
all that stuff. Yeah, so.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Most of the Santera ria was one hundred scripted. But
they wanted me to do like the whole prayer. And
I'm like, that doesn't seem right that Rich wouldn't know
the whole thing, you know, because his Dead Deal obviously
he was about but he didn't teach everything to him,
so he he.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Was your you about alp Reo. No, that's just made up.
I don't know, Okay, we'll have to do something.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
But they wanted me to say the whole prayer, and
I'm like, Rich would not say the whole prayer.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
I think he would make things up just to make
friends along the way. And that's exactly how the director
saw it. So he was like, okay, perfect, you're gonna
You're gonna just repeat the same thing once or twice
and then Will is going to interrupt you.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
And I'm like, okay, perfect. So we did it, and now.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It's so funny to look back on because I'm like, wow,
that's that. I never imagine me doing a prayer at
two thirty in the morning in a cemetery to conjure.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Ghosts you from one to ten ten being the scariest
twenty twenty me. How scary was it looking at that?
Were you ever scared looking at the clown? At Penny
Wise himself?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Honestly, I remember we were that day in the sewers.
That was the first time we shot with him.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Were those sewers real or was that like it was
a set? It was a set, just gu Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And they built everything. They heated the water. It was crazy.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
They heated the water. I guess for the steam clad
yeah that.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Too, but like also for comforting comfortable. I'm not going
to shiver. I'm not just a filming in my legs. Canada, Canada, everything, everything, Canada.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
So the first time we shot with Penny Wise was
in the Sewers and I was off set. We were like,
oh my god, it's finally, It's finally time.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
We're gonna film with Penny.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
And then it got to the point where he was
terrifying because when he was warming up, Bro, this guy
goes all out.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
He warms up like he does this movements with his body,
he does voices, laughs like it's weird. But we stepped
on set and you can.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Feel like his presence it's like intimidating, like he's intimidated,
like it's a seven foot clown that's in character the
whole time, the whole time.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And then.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
He lunched toward just obviously my guy, and then we
stepped off set.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
They were cut.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Okay, that's a rap. So I went back to my trailer.
I changed, I got ready to go.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
You changed book. I got there. You changed because a guy.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
No, I brought spear underwear.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I was ready, good thing, I was ready, but no,
So yeah, I went back to my trailer, I changed,
and then I was getting ready to go.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I was in the car and then the A D.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
The first ad comes up Arian they want a picture
in the in the sewers, come on, hurry up.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So I went in the sewers. It was still penny Wise,
full makeup, full costume for everything. We went in there.
We took the picture and everyone was.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Quiet like why but I don't know, because I guess
Bill he was still in character.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
And they didn't want to ruin the moment. I'm like, no,
I don't care. I ran out to him. I gave
him a high five, and I'm like, so suck.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You saw him as your buddy, him still in character everything.
I not afraid of the clown anymore. No, not anymore,
because who is penny Wise?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Exactly? So I'm like, what's up? And everyone was like
what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So two things? Number one A D For those who
don't know what Dohle acting.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
The a D is the assistant director and what assistant
directors do?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
They like help out the like the whole production, They
set up, the call sheet, they set.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Up, like the whole schedule, like assistance make sure everything
were in smoke.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Exactly everything has to fit in this time period.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Got it? And how was it working with mister penny Wise.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Mister penny Wise scary Okay, yeah, he was terrifying. But
he's also a really nice guy. Like off off set
takes everything off. He's a very really really nice guy,
really talented.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Also, I heard that he worked a lot with you
guys too, to make you feel comfortable and not scared,
even though it was a scary scene. They were scary scenes.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, yeah, the Sewers I think was the most scared
I've ever been in my life, like in a moment,
because you know, it's such as my it used to
be like my childhood nightmare. Really yeah, like seeing a
seven foot clown scaring kids. I'm like, no, And I
(08:19):
had a dream with him once.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You had a dream, I had a nightmare during the filming.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
No, it was way before, way before, way before the filming,
when you had no idea that I was going to
be in a series.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
When you dream, Yeah, what was going on in that dream?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It was in the woods and I was with this
YouTuber and we were in the woods. We were just
running and then penny Wise pops out of a tree.
I don't know where I don't know where, and he
dugs down and then from another tree he pops out
and then it's like, what the hell's going on?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
So I woke up. Good thing, I woke up. But yeah,
he's terrifying. He's a very good actor, super talented, and
you are very talented too.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Did you actually learn how to? What else did you
learn besides playing drums?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
A lot of acting tips like don't don't always overcommit.
Let let the director tell you to calm down, always
over commit, overshoot everything.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
It doesn't matter if you go over. Just don't go under.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Got it? Go under a house?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
So under a house, go over the house?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Got it? And then let I'm learning something to I
always learned something with you.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, so a lot of a lot of great acting tips.
I mean you have Andy Muschetti, which is the director
working with that.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
He's very talented.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
He's very talented. He's very creative. I mean his imagination.
He can go like he can talk to you for days.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
How much of this was scripted and how much did
Andy let you improvise anything that like you came up
with or any of the other kids came.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Up podcast cent podcast?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
How much of this was scripted, and how much did
Andy let you improvise anything that like you came up
with or any of the other kids came up with.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Everything.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Everything was scripted until we got on set, and like
basically the whole scene would change cause he has such
a creative mind and he's so good working together and
like link minds that he just can like do do
things like in two minutes, Like he can come up
(10:51):
with a whole new story in two minutes. So a
lot a lot of the things in the scenes were improvised.
The flipping penny Wise off. That's improvised.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Let's talk about that, because that's got to be like
everyone's favorite right now. And flipping penny Wise has now
become a meme. Yeah, I'm sure you've seen them. So
number one had that come about? Was that scripted? So
who came up with that? And and he told you
to flip off penny Wise? And he told me, he
was like, you have to ask mom permission? Did that?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You just did it? Yeah, okay, how to feel He's like.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Listen, you're gonna give him a finger.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Whoa.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
That's like everything just hit me. Whoa, this is crazy.
This is like the best moment ever, it really is
boom action, flip you penny Wise.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I'm gonna go say my friends, and I did it
how to feel? It felt amazing, It felt great. I
love doing it.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So after that, that was improvised. Also the slide.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
When I when I'm running and I slide to hell
my friends, that was also improvised.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Was that like an accident?
Speaker 5 (11:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Because well kind of, because when I got to set
that day, I got I got there pretty late, and
I was sliding all over the place because they put
like this substance, the slippery substance to like make it
feel like ice. So it felt like ice, which is good,
(12:21):
I guess, but it was bad for me because I
could have stopped sliding. Okay, So I slid everywhere and
then Andy was like, you're gonna do that in the scene, okay.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Was it difficult to redo that part?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:33):
No, no, because I already got used to it. Okay,
that was already like I'm the pro.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
At this all right. So I'm sure you've seen the
memes right of you flipping off penny Wise. How popular
it span. It's like pop culture. Everyone's talking about it.
They're doing like you're flipping off twenty twenty five. You're
flipping off political figures, all different things that people want
to get out of their lives. Do you get to
use the middle finger now at home? Or Mom and
(12:58):
Dad still say no, no, keep.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Them only only when I want to replicate the scene
and I want to show people the scene. They're like, oh, yeah,
I saw I saw a scene where you're in the
ice and Penny Wise is on the floor and I'm
like yeah, and I go like this and they're like, oh, yeah,
that's what happens.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay, I'm gonna have to tell your mom. Another scene
that really broke broke people grown adults crying was where
your character rich Santos dies. How difficult was that it was?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
It was difficult.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Were you in the moment did you realize exactly what's
going on or you just focus on the acting part.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I was really focused on what my character was feeling
in that moment, and it was just to save Marge,
which is the love of his life. Get that over
with it, It doesn't nothing else matters.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It was just her. So that day it was it
was really really intimate. The set the whole crew is.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
In, and the connection that you had with her was
very real. The moment when you saved her life and
you put her into that cooler, Yes, and you lay
on top of her, on top of the cooler and
she's inside and she's like no because she realizes that
you're going to die. She's gonna live, but you sacrifice
yourself to keep her alive. How much are you in
that moment? Like this is like you're acting. Obviously it's
(14:21):
not happening in real life, but you've got to make
people believe this is really happening.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
So I remember my acting coach, mister Ben came up
to me. He was like, listen, I don't I don't
want you high fiving people. I don't want you screaming.
I don't want you hugging. I don't want you doing
none of that. This is a very emotional scene that
we need to get done today, and if we don't
get it done today, then we're.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Behind sch hyping you up, preparing you for this.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yeah, he was like, listen, you got this, But he
was also like, you need to be serious.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
You took it very serious and you got it. Yeah,
even the moment afterwards when they you're like, still you're dead,
did you act? You have to stay still for how long?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I probably like thirty seconds, that's it.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
But like an attorney, but I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Tell you this, I think they slowed down the footage.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Is that what happened? I think? So we're learning the
tricks of it. Welcome to Darry right now. Learning it
is letting us know all the time.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So I think they slowed down the footage. But I
only really stayed there for thirty seconds, and the first
take I was with my eyes closed. But then Andy
was his great imagination. He was like, listen, you're gonna
keep your eyes open, because then that like for sure
pronounces you as dead, like you're dead.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Can we do that scene again right now? Thirty seconds?
Hold yourself now you are dead? Twenty you blinked, you lost?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
No, I can't do it now.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
But yeah, he just came up with it and he's like,
you're gonna open your eyes? Great, I mean, what else?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
What else is there? So I had to hold my
breath for thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Okay, you did a good job, opened my eyes for
thirty seconds, stay still for thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And then the first take also where Marge goes and
hugs Rich the fridge fell back.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
How so radio was an accident that was supposed to happen.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
No, because the.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Fridge it's light, it's an empty fridge. So after that
they put like sand bags on the bottom.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So when you got up on top of the back,
you were so heavy or whatever the balance went off
balance and it flipped over. Yeah. You didn't get hurt though, No,
no injuries, which was good. You're happy with what you did?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Hell yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I was seeing all the videos on social media and
they're like, no, why did Rich have to die so early?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
People? Yeah, really emotional about it. Upset. Not just emotional.
People were very upset that Rich Santos died.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, And people are getting tattoos of rich people in
honor of Rich.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
People are getting tattoos with your face.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Your characters are getting their arms tatted. They're like, in
memory of Rich.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
How does that make it feel?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Picture of me?
Speaker 2 (17:09):
How does that make it feel?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
In the clouds?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
How does that make it feel a little weirded out?
But yeahs with the territory, it's weird because it's like
seeing my face on someone else's body.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
That's what else weird has happened. Since you're now recognized
around the world, that you're now you played this character
that's so iconic.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
So I was just in Mexico and the people in
Mexico are like so obsessed with this IT franchise, and.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
They like I couldn't go anywhere like they would just ariyah,
can I have a photo? And there was a video online.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
I was obviously in Mexico filming a movie and this
guy took a video offset when I was filming the movie,
and it's like, oh, he's not actually dead, he's in
He's in Mexico having fun, having the time of his life,
filming a movie.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
And so that went like all over Mexico. It went
on the news. Heck, has my life come to?
Speaker 4 (18:13):
I'm on I'm on Mexican news, Like I don't even
live here and I'm on the news.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
What has your life come to? Is this everything you
imagine when I met you and your family when you
were five years old?
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Not at all.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
No, What's what's different?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Harder harder?
Speaker 4 (18:33):
So it's funner, well, funner, I mean getting to meet
new people obviously. I mean it doesn't matter. It could
be like in the middle of a street or at
an event, like you just meet new fans that are
in love with this show and the movies and everything,
so that's definitely funner. What also, I really like to
(18:57):
play baseball, but obviously my career as an actor comes first.
So when I get these jobs, I have to stop
playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Is a better actor or a better baseball player?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
That's tough.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Well, I've been playing baseball so now since I was
a baby, and I put myself up there. But obviously
I'm a I'm already a professional actor. I don't need
to go pro in baseball. I'm already pro proving yourself.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Obviously, you left this set of it. Your character is
killed in it? You come back in spirit. We're gonna
talk about that in a minute. And then you jump
on a plane. You go to Mexico to film a movie.
It's called And it has to do with your culture too,
because we're both Cuban American and it's how a lot
of our parents and grandparents came to the United States.
(19:55):
So how does that feel?
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Centers Podcast Stas Podcast.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Your character is killed in it? You come back in spirit.
We're gonna talk about that in a minute. And then
you jump on a plane. You go to Mexico to
film a movie It's called and it has to do
with your culture too, because we're both Cuban American and
it's how a lot of our parents and grandparents came
to the United States. So how does that feel?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
It feels great.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I mean this is this is twice by the way
that you get to really embrace your roots and represent
your roots as a Cuban American in it because your
character rich Santos Equano Medicano. And now, like I said,
with and the Garcia and the Garcia, who else.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
My dad? Who plays.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Your dad? No?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Sorry, the guy who plays my dad? Okay, Hector Medina.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I thought I thought you put your dad to work too.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
My dad, my dad, real dad, my dad. He has
a job. He's good, he's good.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
He's a great man, and he is has I heard
a rumor that people thought that I was your dad
at one more people started writing on.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
He is I met him?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yes, I am like your years ago. Yeah, he's set
the story straight out of here.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Yeah. So we met actually because of a Bad Bunny
concert he was hosting in Miami. There you go my brother.
He was like, mom, please let me take my brother.
Let me take my brother.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
And he was like, you know what, fine, We're all
four of us are going. We went to the concert.
I had a crazy reaction.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
I went viral.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
This guy saw me somehow invited me to do a
commercial and then I'm like, you know what, I want
to do this for the rest of my life.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And I got an agent, manager everything.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
It's gone great for you. And you actually got to meet.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
The man, the myth, the legend, the true, the real one,
Bad Bunny.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
And now so you're now you're no longer already on
Good Bunny. Now now you are, You're Richts. What's your
character in I don't know if we can't say okay,
we can't say it.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Okay, I can't say it Decius.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Rich And that's coming soon.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yes you really time earlier next year?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Okay? Excited?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Oh yeah, oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:29):
How has this? How has fame changed you? How has fame?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
It hasn't changed me?
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You're still the same, Okay, still the same old twelve
year old kid. Life's a little different a little bit.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I got people coming up to me, but that's it.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
How do you handle that?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Like I talked to them, like I known them for
like five years. Yeah, I'm like, hey, what's up? You
want a picture? Let's do it. How are you enjoying
You're enjoying it?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Like it?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Okay, all right, yeah cool. I'm proud of you, man,
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I appreciate it, very proud of you.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Very proud of who you become, how you you carry yourself.
Very It's cool to see not just the world embracing
not just your family and your friends embrace you, but
the world embrace your acting and understand the fact that
that that that what you're doing, and understand and and
respect your your your work as a professional actor. What
else would you like to get into?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Horror?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Obviously check that box.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Check that. Well, I'm done with horror again. No, this
this that you see right here? It went through so
many twists and turns and so many emotions.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You would to do a horror movie again?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I would, but not for a very long time.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Like you want to take a break. I want to
take a breather, Well deserved. You mastered horror movies. Now, yeah,
well all right, and now you got into like what
do we call this? It's reality what we call like
a reality, but it's based on true life, drama, drama,
the drama based on real life. Okay, yeah, like a doctor.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Like a drama drama documentary kind of by the way.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
So those who don't know, you know, a lot of
our parents and grandparents that had to flee Communism arrived
my mom for example, in the freedom flights that were
called the Freedom Flights. The United States UH set up
these flights so that kids and families that were fleeing communism.
And then also there was a peal bang that was
set up with the Catholic Church, if I'm not mistaken, right, Yeah,
(24:28):
so there were actually there were actual flights coordinated with
the Catholic Church to help kids leave the dictatorship, the
Castro dictatorship in Cuba. And how cool again that you're
able to represent, yes, and and you know, play that
role in this new movie. I'm looking forward to it.
Anything else you want to tell me, you're excited about that,
(24:50):
you're proud of, you want people to know.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Okay, so, and welcome to Darry.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
There was supposed to be a scene where we have
a traditional Cuban dinner a rich Santo's house with his parents,
but sadly that got cut and we don't see Rich's parents.
We shot this during the actors strike, like the actor
(25:18):
strike hit in the middle of filming, so.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
She was striking. You're a kid actor and you were striking.
You just decided, I'm this, I just got this job,
and I'm gonna go on strike. Yeah that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I'm like, you know what, I'm stopping this whole production.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
All right. So there was a strike, so everything went
on pause. Not you, but everything that went around.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
No, everything had to go on pause because.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You were like, how old when you shot one some
scenes and.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
You had like I was we started in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
I saw you when I saw you and mom in ten,
you were ten and you were already shooting. Yes, I
think so, yeah, you're already shooting.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Yeah, we were.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
We were shooting. I had I think a few days off.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So that was shot, which had to get reshot yeah,
so that you look the same or not the same.
But they kept like ah.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
So it was six five a few months and twenty
twenty three we went on strike. Then we came back
in February of twenty four.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Then from twenty February we went from February.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
To July of twenty four and then we stopped, and
then March of twenty five we did reshoots for a
week and we reshot some of the episode five scenes,
which was fun because, you know, we got to relive
(26:46):
all of that again because we filmed everything and then
we had to come back obviously because some things didn't
turn out the way the producers and the directors liked it,
so we had to reshoot that, and it was fun.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
It was a lot of fun. It was a lot
of fun.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Yeah, what do you want to tell the fans that
have embraced your character, that love rich Santos, that are
so passionate about this pride during your funeral, they were
happy when you came back in spirit to help your
your friends then are proud and happy and are cheering
you on when you flipped off penny Wise. Oh yeah,
what do you want to tell them?
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Thank you to everyone out there watching this and even
not watching this, thank you, thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Man Again, I've known you since you're five years old.
I know your family, I know I know the work,
I know the sacrifices. How proud they are of you,
and you know how proud I am of you and
so happy to see you grow the very talented young
man now a human that you're that you're becoming not
(28:00):
just the actor, but more importantly, the the the human being.
And this is just the beginning. Very proud of you, ye,
thank you so much, all the best. You're not gonna
forget when you win your first what do you call that?
What's the Oscar set up? Yeah? Bro, you're ready to
go for this?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
No, I'm ready?
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Is there like Oscar noms talked about this?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
I actually have no idea?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
No, okay, I don't. I don't focused on that right now.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
I'm not focused. I'm focused on.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
You know it's coming. Oh yeah, you're a natural.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
It can happen tomorrow and I'm gonna pull up in
my suit and I'm like, thank you to everyone, thinking
to my mom.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
My father, my brother, and.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I can't wait for that. Poby, I'm so proud of you,
so happy for you. Keep growing, keep acting their.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Abody.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I never imagine me doing a prayer at two thirty
in the morning in a cemetery to conjure ghosts.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I'm like, what the.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Heck has my life come to. I'm on I'm on
Mexican news, like I don't even live here and I'm
on the news only time We're gonna filled with petty.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
And then it got to the point where he was
terrifying when he was warming up. Bro, this guy goes
all out and then he lunched toward just obviously my guy.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Cut.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Okay, that's a rap sent
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Podcast
Santace podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All Right, So I have known this young man since
he was five years old, Sinko, and I've seen the work.
I've seen the sacrifice, the growing pains, and the winds
that people don't see. So this conversation I wanted to
be real. I wanted to be about you. I wanted
to be about what you've accomplished, what you're doing in
your career, what you like, what you don't like, what's
(00:28):
going on?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
What's up everybody?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You're already gotta tap it for me. You're always going
to be a young girl. Yeah. Good, and we're going
to wear it. The chuck e chee.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
We're going to chunky cheese?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Want chunky cheese? How are you, buppy?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm doing good.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
How you feel amazing? I feel so good right now?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You should feel very good, yes, and should feel very
proud of what you've accomplished. Yes, and what you're accomplishing. Yes.
What does it feel like to be part of one
of the what people are saying is the series of
twenty twenty five?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, it feels great.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm very proud of myself of what I've accomplished so far.
Turns out HBO took over and it's like, we're making
this a big thing and it's going worldwide.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Did you expect that? No? Did you know that when
you cast it for this thing that there was going
to be such a big deal? Do you have any idea?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
We didn't know it was a penny.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Wise is a big deal, the series the big deal.
So you know you were being casted for something big
because you have any idea it was going to be
this big.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
We knew it was something big, but we didn't know
what it actually was like. We didn't know it was
a it was Welcome to Dairy, We didn't know it
was penny Wise related.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
It was just the production name, which was Fairview, and
it was like, listen, keep this very low. This is
a very there's a pretty big project. And that's that's
pretty much all the information they gave us. And then
it wasn't actually until we got to Toronto and they
(02:06):
were like, listen, this is a penny Wise show and
you're gonna be filming.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
With penny Wise. And we were like, oh my god,
no way.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
To freak you out.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yes, you like freaking me out, but I was also
excited and no, I hate scary movie. But it was
actually until after we filmed that I started getting used
to it because now you know what's behind everything, you know,
you know all the behind the scenes, you know how
they do the CGI, you know everything.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I mean, you saw a lot of CGI that went
on in here, yes, okay, yeah, a.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Lot of CGI in the cemetery as well, the ghosts
my dead deal.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
How scary was that? Filming in a cemetery, real cemetery.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
A real cemetery. Well, I remember the latest was like
two thirty in the morning, the morning in.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
A cemetery, two thirty in the morning. Yeah, okay, how
much is that real? Is real? And how much is
that was like actually scripted? The far the Santera and
all that stuff. Yeah, so.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Most of the Santera ria was one hundred scripted. But
they wanted me to do like the whole prayer. And
I'm like, that doesn't seem right that Rich wouldn't know
the whole thing, you know, because his Dead Deal obviously
he was about but he didn't teach everything to him,
so he he.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Was your you about alp Reo. No, that's just made up.
I don't know, Okay, we'll have to do something.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
But they wanted me to say the whole prayer, and
I'm like, Rich would not say the whole prayer.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
I think he would make things up just to make
friends along the way. And that's exactly how the director
saw it. So he was like, okay, perfect, you're gonna
You're gonna just repeat the same thing once or twice
and then Will is going to interrupt you.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
And I'm like, okay, perfect. So we did it, and now.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It's so funny to look back on because I'm like, wow,
that's that. I never imagine me doing a prayer at
two thirty in the morning in a cemetery to conjure.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Ghosts you from one to ten ten being the scariest
twenty twenty me. How scary was it looking at that?
Were you ever scared looking at the clown? At Penny
Wise himself?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Honestly, I remember we were that day in the sewers.
That was the first time we shot with him.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Were those sewers real or was that like it was
a set? It was a set, just gu Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
And they built everything. They heated the water. It was crazy.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
They heated the water. I guess for the steam clad
yeah that.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Too, but like also for comforting comfortable. I'm not going
to shiver. I'm not just a filming in my legs. Canada, Canada, everything, everything, Canada.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
So the first time we shot with Penny Wise was
in the Sewers and I was off set. We were like,
oh my god, it's finally, It's finally time.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
We're gonna film with Penny.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
And then it got to the point where he was
terrifying because when he was warming up, Bro, this guy
goes all out.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
He warms up like he does this movements with his body,
he does voices, laughs like it's weird. But we stepped
on set and you can.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Feel like his presence it's like intimidating, like he's intimidated,
like it's a seven foot clown that's in character the
whole time, the whole time.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And then.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
He lunched toward just obviously my guy, and then we
stepped off set.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
They were cut.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Okay, that's a rap. So I went back to my trailer.
I changed, I got ready to go.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
You changed book. I got there. You changed because a guy.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
No, I brought spear underwear.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I was ready, good thing, I was ready, but no,
So yeah, I went back to my trailer, I changed,
and then I was getting ready to go.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I was in the car and then the A D.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
The first ad comes up Arian they want a picture
in the in the sewers, come on, hurry up.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So I went in the sewers. It was still penny Wise,
full makeup, full costume for everything. We went in there.
We took the picture and everyone was.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Quiet like why but I don't know, because I guess
Bill he was still in character.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
And they didn't want to ruin the moment. I'm like, no,
I don't care. I ran out to him. I gave
him a high five, and I'm like, so suck.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You saw him as your buddy, him still in character everything.
I not afraid of the clown anymore. No, not anymore,
because who is penny Wise?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Exactly? So I'm like, what's up? And everyone was like
what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
So two things? Number one A D For those who
don't know what Dohle acting.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
The a D is the assistant director and what assistant
directors do?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
They like help out the like the whole production, They
set up, the call sheet, they set.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Up, like the whole schedule, like assistance make sure everything
were in smoke.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Exactly everything has to fit in this time period.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Got it? And how was it working with mister penny Wise.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Mister penny Wise scary Okay, yeah, he was terrifying. But
he's also a really nice guy. Like off off set
takes everything off. He's a very really really nice guy,
really talented.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Also, I heard that he worked a lot with you
guys too, to make you feel comfortable and not scared,
even though it was a scary scene. They were scary scenes.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, yeah, the Sewers I think was the most scared
I've ever been in my life, like in a moment,
because you know, it's such as my it used to
be like my childhood nightmare. Really yeah, like seeing a
seven foot clown scaring kids. I'm like, no, And I
(08:19):
had a dream with him once.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You had a dream, I had a nightmare during the filming.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
No, it was way before, way before, way before the filming,
when you had no idea that I was going to
be in a series.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
When you dream, Yeah, what was going on in that dream?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It was in the woods and I was with this
YouTuber and we were in the woods. We were just
running and then penny Wise pops out of a tree.
I don't know where I don't know where, and he
dugs down and then from another tree he pops out
and then it's like, what the hell's going on?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
So I woke up. Good thing, I woke up. But yeah,
he's terrifying. He's a very good actor, super talented, and
you are very talented too.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Did you actually learn how to? What else did you
learn besides playing drums?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
A lot of acting tips like don't don't always overcommit.
Let let the director tell you to calm down, always
over commit, overshoot everything.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
It doesn't matter if you go over. Just don't go under.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Got it? Go under a house?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
So under a house, go over the house?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Got it? And then let I'm learning something to I
always learned something with you.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, so a lot of a lot of great acting tips.
I mean you have Andy Muschetti, which is the director
working with that.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
He's very talented.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
He's very talented. He's very creative. I mean his imagination.
He can go like he can talk to you for days.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
How much of this was scripted and how much did
Andy let you improvise anything that like you came up
with or any of the other kids came.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Up podcast cent podcast?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
How much of this was scripted, and how much did
Andy let you improvise anything that like you came up
with or any of the other kids came up with.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Everything.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Everything was scripted until we got on set, and like
basically the whole scene would change cause he has such
a creative mind and he's so good working together and
like link minds that he just can like do do
things like in two minutes, Like he can come up
(10:51):
with a whole new story in two minutes. So a
lot a lot of the things in the scenes were improvised.
The flipping penny Wise off. That's improvised.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Let's talk about that, because that's got to be like
everyone's favorite right now. And flipping penny Wise has now
become a meme. Yeah, I'm sure you've seen them. So
number one had that come about? Was that scripted? So
who came up with that? And and he told you
to flip off penny Wise? And he told me, he
was like, you have to ask mom permission? Did that?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You just did it? Yeah, okay, how to feel He's like.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Listen, you're gonna give him a finger.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Whoa.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
That's like everything just hit me. Whoa, this is crazy.
This is like the best moment ever, it really is
boom action, flip you penny Wise.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I'm gonna go say my friends, and I did it
how to feel? It felt amazing, It felt great. I
love doing it.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So after that, that was improvised. Also the slide.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
When I when I'm running and I slide to hell
my friends, that was also improvised.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Was that like an accident?
Speaker 5 (11:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Because well kind of, because when I got to set
that day, I got I got there pretty late, and
I was sliding all over the place because they put
like this substance, the slippery substance to like make it
feel like ice. So it felt like ice, which is good,
(12:21):
I guess, but it was bad for me because I
could have stopped sliding. Okay, So I slid everywhere and
then Andy was like, you're gonna do that in the scene, okay.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Was it difficult to redo that part?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:33):
No, no, because I already got used to it. Okay,
that was already like I'm the pro.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
At this all right. So I'm sure you've seen the
memes right of you flipping off penny Wise. How popular
it span. It's like pop culture. Everyone's talking about it.
They're doing like you're flipping off twenty twenty five. You're
flipping off political figures, all different things that people want
to get out of their lives. Do you get to
use the middle finger now at home? Or Mom and
(12:58):
Dad still say no, no, keep.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Them only only when I want to replicate the scene
and I want to show people the scene. They're like, oh, yeah,
I saw I saw a scene where you're in the
ice and Penny Wise is on the floor and I'm
like yeah, and I go like this and they're like, oh, yeah,
that's what happens.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay, I'm gonna have to tell your mom. Another scene
that really broke broke people grown adults crying was where
your character rich Santos dies. How difficult was that it was?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
It was difficult.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Were you in the moment did you realize exactly what's
going on or you just focus on the acting part.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I was really focused on what my character was feeling
in that moment, and it was just to save Marge,
which is the love of his life. Get that over
with it, It doesn't nothing else matters.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It was just her. So that day it was it
was really really intimate. The set the whole crew is.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
In, and the connection that you had with her was
very real. The moment when you saved her life and
you put her into that cooler, Yes, and you lay
on top of her, on top of the cooler and
she's inside and she's like no because she realizes that
you're going to die. She's gonna live, but you sacrifice
yourself to keep her alive. How much are you in
that moment? Like this is like you're acting. Obviously it's
(14:21):
not happening in real life, but you've got to make
people believe this is really happening.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
So I remember my acting coach, mister Ben came up
to me. He was like, listen, I don't I don't
want you high fiving people. I don't want you screaming.
I don't want you hugging. I don't want you doing
none of that. This is a very emotional scene that
we need to get done today, and if we don't
get it done today, then we're.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Behind sch hyping you up, preparing you for this.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yeah, he was like, listen, you got this, But he
was also like, you need to be serious.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
You took it very serious and you got it. Yeah,
even the moment afterwards when they you're like, still you're dead,
did you act? You have to stay still for how long?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I probably like thirty seconds, that's it.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
But like an attorney, but I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Tell you this, I think they slowed down the footage.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Is that what happened? I think? So we're learning the
tricks of it. Welcome to Darry right now. Learning it
is letting us know all the time.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So I think they slowed down the footage. But I
only really stayed there for thirty seconds, and the first
take I was with my eyes closed. But then Andy
was his great imagination. He was like, listen, you're gonna
keep your eyes open, because then that like for sure
pronounces you as dead, like you're dead.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Can we do that scene again right now? Thirty seconds?
Hold yourself now you are dead? Twenty you blinked, you lost?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
No, I can't do it now.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
But yeah, he just came up with it and he's like,
you're gonna open your eyes? Great, I mean, what else?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
What else is there? So I had to hold my
breath for thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Okay, you did a good job, opened my eyes for
thirty seconds, stay still for thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And then the first take also where Marge goes and
hugs Rich the fridge fell back.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
How so radio was an accident that was supposed to happen.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
No, because the.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Fridge it's light, it's an empty fridge. So after that
they put like sand bags on the bottom.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So when you got up on top of the back,
you were so heavy or whatever the balance went off
balance and it flipped over. Yeah. You didn't get hurt though, No,
no injuries, which was good. You're happy with what you did?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Hell yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I was seeing all the videos on social media and
they're like, no, why did Rich have to die so early?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
People? Yeah, really emotional about it. Upset. Not just emotional.
People were very upset that Rich Santos died.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, And people are getting tattoos of rich people in
honor of Rich.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
People are getting tattoos with your face.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Your characters are getting their arms tatted. They're like, in
memory of Rich.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
How does that make it feel?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Picture of me?
Speaker 2 (17:09):
How does that make it feel?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
In the clouds?
Speaker 4 (17:11):
How does that make it feel a little weirded out?
But yeahs with the territory, it's weird because it's like
seeing my face on someone else's body.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
That's what else weird has happened. Since you're now recognized
around the world, that you're now you played this character
that's so iconic.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
So I was just in Mexico and the people in
Mexico are like so obsessed with this IT franchise, and.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
They like I couldn't go anywhere like they would just ariyah,
can I have a photo? And there was a video online.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
I was obviously in Mexico filming a movie and this
guy took a video offset when I was filming the movie,
and it's like, oh, he's not actually dead, he's in
He's in Mexico having fun, having the time of his life,
filming a movie.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
And so that went like all over Mexico. It went
on the news. Heck, has my life come to?
Speaker 4 (18:13):
I'm on I'm on Mexican news, Like I don't even
live here and I'm on the news.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
What has your life come to? Is this everything you
imagine when I met you and your family when you
were five years old?
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Not at all.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
No, What's what's different?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Harder harder?
Speaker 4 (18:33):
So it's funner, well, funner, I mean getting to meet
new people obviously. I mean it doesn't matter. It could
be like in the middle of a street or at
an event, like you just meet new fans that are
in love with this show and the movies and everything,
so that's definitely funner. What also, I really like to
(18:57):
play baseball, but obviously my career as an actor comes first.
So when I get these jobs, I have to stop
playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Is a better actor or a better baseball player?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
That's tough.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Well, I've been playing baseball so now since I was
a baby, and I put myself up there. But obviously
I'm a I'm already a professional actor. I don't need
to go pro in baseball. I'm already pro proving yourself.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Obviously, you left this set of it. Your character is
killed in it? You come back in spirit. We're gonna
talk about that in a minute. And then you jump
on a plane. You go to Mexico to film a movie.
It's called And it has to do with your culture too,
because we're both Cuban American and it's how a lot
of our parents and grandparents came to the United States.
(19:55):
So how does that feel?
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Centers Podcast Stas Podcast.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Your character is killed in it? You come back in spirit.
We're gonna talk about that in a minute. And then
you jump on a plane. You go to Mexico to
film a movie It's called and it has to do
with your culture too, because we're both Cuban American and
it's how a lot of our parents and grandparents came
to the United States. So how does that feel?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
It feels great.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I mean this is this is twice by the way
that you get to really embrace your roots and represent
your roots as a Cuban American in it because your
character rich Santos Equano Medicano. And now, like I said,
with and the Garcia and the Garcia, who else.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
My dad? Who plays.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Your dad? No?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Sorry, the guy who plays my dad? Okay, Hector Medina.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I thought I thought you put your dad to work too.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
My dad, my dad, real dad, my dad. He has
a job. He's good, he's good.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
He's a great man, and he is has I heard
a rumor that people thought that I was your dad
at one more people started writing on.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
He is I met him?
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yes, I am like your years ago. Yeah, he's set
the story straight out of here.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Yeah. So we met actually because of a Bad Bunny
concert he was hosting in Miami. There you go my brother.
He was like, mom, please let me take my brother.
Let me take my brother.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
And he was like, you know what, fine, We're all
four of us are going. We went to the concert.
I had a crazy reaction.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
I went viral.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
This guy saw me somehow invited me to do a
commercial and then I'm like, you know what, I want
to do this for the rest of my life.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And I got an agent, manager everything.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
It's gone great for you. And you actually got to meet.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
The man, the myth, the legend, the true, the real one,
Bad Bunny.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
And now so you're now you're no longer already on
Good Bunny. Now now you are, You're Richts. What's your
character in I don't know if we can't say okay,
we can't say it.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Okay, I can't say it Decius.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Rich And that's coming soon.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yes you really time earlier next year?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Okay? Excited?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Oh yeah, oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:29):
How has this? How has fame changed you? How has fame?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
It hasn't changed me?
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You're still the same, Okay, still the same old twelve
year old kid. Life's a little different a little bit.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
You know.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I got people coming up to me, but that's it.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
How do you handle that?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Like I talked to them, like I known them for
like five years. Yeah, I'm like, hey, what's up? You
want a picture? Let's do it. How are you enjoying
You're enjoying it?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Like it?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Okay, all right, yeah cool. I'm proud of you, man,
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I appreciate it, very proud of you.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Very proud of who you become, how you you carry yourself.
Very It's cool to see not just the world embracing
not just your family and your friends embrace you, but
the world embrace your acting and understand the fact that
that that that what you're doing, and understand and and
respect your your your work as a professional actor. What
else would you like to get into?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Horror?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Obviously check that box.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Check that. Well, I'm done with horror again. No, this
this that you see right here? It went through so
many twists and turns and so many emotions.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You would to do a horror movie again?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I would, but not for a very long time.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Like you want to take a break. I want to
take a breather, Well deserved. You mastered horror movies. Now, yeah,
well all right, and now you got into like what
do we call this? It's reality what we call like
a reality, but it's based on true life, drama, drama,
the drama based on real life. Okay, yeah, like a doctor.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Like a drama drama documentary kind of by the way.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
So those who don't know, you know, a lot of
our parents and grandparents that had to flee Communism arrived
my mom for example, in the freedom flights that were
called the Freedom Flights. The United States UH set up
these flights so that kids and families that were fleeing communism.
And then also there was a peal bang that was
set up with the Catholic Church, if I'm not mistaken, right, Yeah,
(24:28):
so there were actually there were actual flights coordinated with
the Catholic Church to help kids leave the dictatorship, the
Castro dictatorship in Cuba. And how cool again that you're
able to represent, yes, and and you know, play that
role in this new movie. I'm looking forward to it.
Anything else you want to tell me, you're excited about that,
(24:50):
you're proud of, you want people to know.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Okay, so, and welcome to Darry.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
There was supposed to be a scene where we have
a traditional Cuban dinner a rich Santo's house with his parents,
but sadly that got cut and we don't see Rich's parents.
We shot this during the actors strike, like the actor
(25:18):
strike hit in the middle of filming, so.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
She was striking. You're a kid actor and you were striking.
You just decided, I'm this, I just got this job,
and I'm gonna go on strike. Yeah that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I'm like, you know what, I'm stopping this whole production.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
All right. So there was a strike, so everything went
on pause. Not you, but everything that went around.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
No, everything had to go on pause because.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You were like, how old when you shot one some
scenes and.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
You had like I was we started in twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
I saw you when I saw you and mom in ten,
you were ten and you were already shooting. Yes, I
think so, yeah, you're already shooting.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Yeah, we were.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
We were shooting. I had I think a few days off.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So that was shot, which had to get reshot yeah,
so that you look the same or not the same.
But they kept like ah.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
So it was six five a few months and twenty
twenty three we went on strike. Then we came back
in February of twenty four.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Then from twenty February we went from February.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
To July of twenty four and then we stopped, and
then March of twenty five we did reshoots for a
week and we reshot some of the episode five scenes,
which was fun because, you know, we got to relive
(26:46):
all of that again because we filmed everything and then
we had to come back obviously because some things didn't
turn out the way the producers and the directors liked it,
so we had to reshoot that, and it was fun.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
It was a lot of fun. It was a lot
of fun.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Yeah, what do you want to tell the fans that
have embraced your character, that love rich Santos, that are
so passionate about this pride during your funeral, they were
happy when you came back in spirit to help your
your friends then are proud and happy and are cheering
you on when you flipped off penny Wise. Oh yeah,
what do you want to tell them?
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Thank you to everyone out there watching this and even
not watching this, thank you, thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Man Again, I've known you since you're five years old.
I know your family, I know I know the work,
I know the sacrifices. How proud they are of you,
and you know how proud I am of you and
so happy to see you grow the very talented young
man now a human that you're that you're becoming not
(28:00):
just the actor, but more importantly, the the the human being.
And this is just the beginning. Very proud of you, ye,
thank you so much, all the best. You're not gonna
forget when you win your first what do you call that?
What's the Oscar set up? Yeah? Bro, you're ready to
go for this?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
No, I'm ready?
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Is there like Oscar noms talked about this?
Speaker 3 (28:19):
I actually have no idea?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
No, okay, I don't. I don't focused on that right now.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
I'm not focused. I'm focused on.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
You know it's coming. Oh yeah, you're a natural.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
It can happen tomorrow and I'm gonna pull up in
my suit and I'm like, thank you to everyone, thinking
to my mom.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
My father, my brother, and.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I can't wait for that. Poby, I'm so proud of you,
so happy for you. Keep growing, keep acting their.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Abody.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I never imagine me doing a prayer at two thirty
in the morning in a cemetery to conjure ghosts.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I'm like, what the.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Heck has my life come to. I'm on I'm on
Mexican news, like I don't even live here and I'm
on the news only time We're gonna filled with petty.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
And then it got to the point where he was
terrifying when he was warming up. Bro, this guy goes
all out and then he lunched toward just obviously my guy.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Cut.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Okay, that's a rap sent
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Podcast
Host
Enrique Santos
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