Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: amc, bruce willis, john malkovich, michael rooker, olga kurylenko, rlje films, Vadhir Derbez, White Elephant

White Elephant: Vadhir Derbez on Co-Stars, Crossing to American Films

Vadhir Derbez is a star on the rise in Hollywood with his crossover success from Mexico. The actor started gaining more notoriety with appearances in Netflix's Sense8 and Lionsgate's How to Be a Latin Lover (2017). His latest is the RLJE Films' action crime drama White Elephant which features screen veterans in Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, and Marvel holdovers in Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy films) and Olga Kurylenko (Black Widow). I spoke to Derbez, who plays the enforcer Carlos, about working with director Jesse V. Johnson, differences in working in Mexican and American markets, bonding with Rooker, and what he hopes to do in the future. The film follows Gabriel Tancredi (Rooker), an ex-marine turned mob enforcer who is ordered by his ruthless mob boss (Willis) to eliminate any and all threats. With an eager underling out to prove himself, rival gangs making moves, and a rising body count, every step Tancredi makes threatens lives…including his own.

Bleeding Cool: What drew you to 'White Elephant'?
Vadhir Derbez: I loved everything about the story, how the characters interact with each other, and all the little plot twists. I like the fact that it was going to be Jesse directing. I really like his work and the way he does action. The cast is amazing, and that's definitely a big one. I think the fact that I would be able to do some heavy-packed action stuff was also very appealing. He was someone who was very fun. At the same time, he was always focused, making everything super safe and making sure that everyone was on point and focused so everything would look its best. He's also a director who works for the actors, ensuring that the characters are fine-tuned and polished. They're exactly going where they need to go, which is nice. As an actor, because there are some directors that I've worked with that the moment the shooting starts, they just forget about the acting, and they just let you do your thing. It's really nice to always have that guide in Jesse.

BC: Can you break down the differences between Mexican and American productions?
Derbez: I was very surprised when I started doing more of like American films because, in Mexico, we see these productions, and we guess we expect this whole different like thing. No, equipment-wise, we have the same kind of stuff. It's very similar, but I think you guys are generally more organized over here. We're a little more laid back in Mexico. I had fun doing it in both places. I love working in both atmospheres. Nowadays, everything's so diverse that you get a mix of every culture in there. It's just nice to meet new people and see how everyone works in their own little different style.

BC: Did you bond with any of your co-stars
Derbez: Michael was such a crazy dude to work with in a positive way. I love his energy. He was always being so friendly, making sure that everyone was comfortable. Even outside of set, we would go eat. It really builds like a good friendship and a good relationship there. So it was nice to be able to like have that with one of the cast members. One day, he took me and some of the crew shooting because we were in Georgia and had a lot of people shoot around here. So we went into the woods, and we were shooting at targets and stuff like that. So it was so fun.

BC: Was it hard not to feel starstruck being around your more seasoned cast mates?
Derbez: Well, listen, Tom, the fact that I was there every day helps kind of like shut that off. At the same time, I definitely felt a little starstruck, especially with like Bruce. I think that happened to me a couple of times where he was just sitting there, and I would like to look over, and I was like, 'It's really him. He's really there like that. It's this guy that I've been seeing for years and years and like so many other films.' So it was just very interesting to like to feel and see that. So that was very nice, but everyone was so wonderful, awesome, and friendly. After a couple of days, you're good with that.

BC: Were there any type of American genre projects you hope to do in the future?
Derbez: There are so many projects in different genres and different things that I would love to do still especially in the English market, that I'm just crossing over. For example, I love projects like 'Ozark' or something with more CGI action like 'Avengers' or some superhero thing. Maybe something medieval, like 'The Crown' or 'The Last Kingdom.' There are so many different things that I would love to explore. There's still a lot of time, but I definitely want to get into trying different things.

White Elephant is available in theaters and streaming on AMC+.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!