Let’s get this out of the way early. The best reason to see Pantelion Films‘  “Cantinflas” is Óscar Jaenada. The Spanish actor delivers a masterful performance as Latin America’s legendary comedian. This is your chance to see an actor destined for greatness, in a role where he embodies not only the character of Cantinflas, but also the more elusive Mario Moreno.  As Jaenada makes it clear, the complexity of the man, and the humor of the character, provide his most arduous challenge to date.

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“Cantinflas” is the untold story of Mexico’s greatest and most beloved comedy film star of all time. From his humble origins on the small stage to the bright lights of Hollywood, Cantinflas became famous around the world – one joke at a time.

Óscar Jaenada, previously seen in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” ” The Losers” and the Goya winning “Camaron,”  is joined by Ilse Salas, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Gabriela de la Garza, Ana Layevska, Adal Ramones, Bárbara Mori, Rafael Amaya and James Michael Imperioli.

Cantinflas with David Niven in “Around the World in 8o Days”

The film travels back and forth between the beginning of Mario Moreno’s career and creation of ‘Cantinflas,’ and the making of “Around the World in 80 Days,” a film that served to introduce Cantinflas to a mainstream American audience and earn him a Golden Globe Award.

With upcoming roles opposite Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman, Jaenada is on the road to becoming the next Spanish actor to achieve a mainstream acclaim, much the same as Javier Barden and Antonio Banderas before him.

I spoke with Jaenada on the eve of the ‘Cantinflas’ premiere. Let this conversation serve as your introduction to a future Award Winning actor.

HOMBRE: You were attached with the production of another ‘Cantinflas’ project prior to this one, what happened?
Óscar Jaenada: It was completely random, I don’t know of any other similar situation. It was an American production that had a casting for a Cantinflas movie, I showed up and booked the job. But the film was never made. Four years went by and I learned that a Mexican production wanted to make the film. I auditioned again and won the role again. And here we are.

H: Would you say you were born to play the role?
OJ: It seems that way.

H: Did you grow watching Cantinflas’ films in Spain?
OJ: In Spain the Cantinflas movies were very popular. Every weekend they ran his films. But at that time I was very young and did not really get the humor, I just heard my parents laughing. As I got older – and even more as an actor – you learn all about him.

H: Which of his films was your favorite?
OJ: It has to be “Ahi esta el Detalle.” As I was preparing for the role and researching his work, when I saw that film I remembered many things. It may have been 25 years ago, but it came back to me.

Mario Moreno

H: How did you prepare for the role since you not only have to play the character of Cantinflas, but also  Mario Moreno?
OJ: I was very clear that there are two roles. When people think that Mario Moreno is the same as Cantinflas, there’s nothing more erroneous. There are no more different people than Mario Moreno and Cantinflas. It was an evolution. You don’t know that at the beginning. Cantinflas has so many films that you can watch, imitate, create, learn when you see his eyes and he begins to improvise. I hired a movement coach, and a phonetics coach to work on the voice. But with mario Moreno there’s nothing. Maybe a couple of interviews on the internet and that’s it.
The challenge of discovering Mario Moreno was much more difficult. I had to join his circle, do plenty of research to learn more. Discover his personal circle, his social circle, his work circle, his political circle. He was a great activist. All that, and to penetrate those circles and being a Spaniard and having to ask uncomfortable questions was a major undertaking. Sometimes I would return home, late at night without any answers. The search for Mario was frustrating because he was very secretive, and very dark, and the fact that it was a Spaniard doing it closed more doors than it opened.

H: How long did you work on the project?
OJ: Six months. Four months researching the role and two months filming. I didn’t know Mexico. I went for the first time for the audition and left when we stopped filming.

H: You really wanted to immerse yourself in the character.
OJ: It’s the only way. There are many actors and many techniques. I don’t study a lot, but if I have to take on a role, I let that character take over. In this case my body had to travel to Mexico and I simply let everything of that jester Cantinflas and of that man Mario Moreno take over; and forget my vices, my shoes, everything. So that at the moment of the scene I won’t worry about my accent, won’t worry about the movement. All that is there already. What I worry about are the eyes, and the eyes of the actor or actress in front of me, concentrate on that. And for that to happen everything else has to be a part of me so I don’t have to think about it.

H: Is that the process for every role you undertake?
OJ: Yes, not all demand this much when there are two characters in the same project and for each you have to show an evolution of the character. It has been a great challenge. In this case I had to change everything, beginning with the accent. My greatest challenge was to separate Mario Moreno from Cantinflas when everyone has the tendency to combine them as the same person. It was a tough job, but marvelous.

H: How do you deal with the controversy of a Spaniard portraying such an iconic Mexican character?
OJ: I was expecting it. I won’t lie to you. When you are going to portray the most iconic Mexican character and you’re a Spaniard, there is going to be conflict. I didn’t expect to be the cover subject of so many newspapers prior to filming, but I understood it. For many, Cantinflas defined Mexico. The skepticism was warranted. But I welcome that they come with those doubts because I know the work we’ve done, and they’ll leave in shock.

H: And to anyone who does not know who is Cantinflas, what would you tell them?
OJ: I would tell them that if they love Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin said Cantinflas was better than him. And that saves us a lot of words. It’s an entity, it’s universal comedy. What Mario Moreno achieved with Cantinflas was to join all Latin Americans. He helped define our identity.

H: Who did you admire growing up?
OJ: Axl Rose. The only poster I had at home was Axl Rose.

H: Will you do anything in music?
OJ: No. I like it too much. I respect it too much. My best friends are musicians, my best conversations are with musicians. But no. I suffer at not being able to do it. (Laughs)

H: What’s your next project?
OJ: Well, next is “Hands of Stone,” the life of Roberto ‘Mano de Piedra’ Duran with Robert DeNiro and John Turturro. It’s done. Edgar Ramirez plays Duran and my character is his friend, but its a huge film. It also has a very strong Latin identity. And then I join “Viva Cañonero!,” a Venezuelan project with Morgan Freeman and Hector Elizondo where I play a Venezuelan. In the first one I’m a Panamanian, I had my diction classes. And then I have a role about Che Guevarra, the last three hours in the prison where they held him before killing him. The thoughts of Che before passing away. It all has to come together for me to be able to do it all. The dates have to coincide so that I also have time to live, to observe, to then be able to give.

H: What advice can you offer those entering this profession?
OJ: You have to search. Being at home you’ll never get what you want. And I say that with film and television.
I don’t like television because you can be in your underwear. But for the movies you have to get up, shower, change, step outside, make a line and then pay.
I would tell everyone to fight for what they want. In my case it has been completely different projects, a lot of money in travel, hotels, crossing the world to search for a role and sometimes you don’t even get it. You have to fight. This career is a constant battle.

H: Any plans for more English language projects?
OJ: Yes, I’ve done “The Librarian” in the UK, where I play a Costa Rican; it has not been released. I’ve also had a lead in “The White Room,” also yet to come out. Language doesn’t limit me, it’s work and that’s it.

Oscar Jaenada with HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo

All photos of Oscar Jaenada photographed exclusively for HOMBRE Magazine by Paul Tirado