Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Conejo, Dominique, exclusive, interview, Jose Conejo Martin, lionsgate, Michael S. Ojeda, Oksana Orlan

Dominique Star Conejo on Music and Crossing Over into Acting

Jose Conejo Martin (The Tax Collector) spoke to Bleeding Cool about the Lionsgate action-thriller Dominique, acting, inspirations & more.

Jose Martin, also known as Conejo, is one of the biggest names in the Chicano and gangsta rap scenes, collaborating regularly with Proper Dos and Cypress Hill since 1999. The musician discovered he had a natural talent for acting with roles on Fox's Deputy and RLJE's The Tax Collector (2020). Being a childhood friend of director David Ayer also didn't hurt. Conejo, who plays Officer Chago, spoke to Bleeding Cool about his latest role in the Lionsgate action-thriller Dominique, which follows a brilliant assassin (Oksana Orlan) left for dead in a small South American village. After the only man she cares about is savagely killed, Dominique sacrifices herself to protect his innocent family and trains them to wage a war against the bloodthirsty authorities and brutal drug cartels responsible for his death.

Dominique Star Conejo on Transitioning from Music to Acting and Embracing Both

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about Dominique, and how did you get involved?

C: I was called to a Mexican restaurant and cast by the director, Michael J Ojeda, and producer Jason Gurvitz. I came down, they interviewed me, asked me a bunch of questions, and decided I'd be right for the role [of Officer Chago], but I'm always drawn to these dark, complex characters, these roles that show the other side of the human spectrum.

What's it like working with Michael and Oksana on set?

It was amazing, incredible. I had a fight scene with Oksana, so we were already working with the fight choreographer in Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley before we left. When we got over there, we got with the stunt coordination team for the choreography of the fight, so that was fun. I loved Michael and Oksana, cool people. It was a blessing to work with Michael because he's a new guy in town.

How do you compare your experiences of acting versus creating music? Is one more involved in a process than the other?

I've worked in music for so many years it's almost second nature. My transition into acting came naturally. They're two different things, but at the same time, they're art. My focus is acting, which I love. At the same time, I'm working on this new metal rap-rock album, so I'm in the craft. I'm involved heavily in both crafts.

What was the most challenging scene you shot for the film, or was there an aspect of production you had maybe struggled with?

I don't think there was a difficult scene, but I have a favorite one. First, let me tell you, the only difficult thing was shooting the night scenes because they say you shoot from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. When we were out, first you got to stay awake. That's hard, then it was cold, and drizzling, and we're by the mountains. As long as you stay warm and covered up, you're good. One of my favorite scenes was when I launched that RPG, rocket launcher. Dominique has been my favorite and most memorable experience out there.

You talk about your co-stars and what they brought to production.

In the movie I'm in, Maurice Compte, who plays Chief Santiago, I'm his main henchman. I spent time with Maurice, and we had the same vocal coach. He's a good friend and I spent most of his time during production aside from Oksana.

Is there a particular genre or IP you have your eyes set on for your next acting project or something else you want to challenge yourself in?

It's funny, someone just asked me that. I want to do something sci-fi, like Star Wars. I do some damage over there in that genre.

What are your acting inspirations?

I like watching all the greats all the time, from watching movies to streaming things. I like all the greats and take a little bit from them. I try to understand there are certain scenes in different movies and take them with me. No matter what actor, it might be an unknown.

Directed by Michael S Ojeda, Dominique, which also stars Maurice Compte, is in theaters, digital, and on-demand.

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