CraveOnline: Do the rest of the “Matador” episodes keep up with that level of action?
Gabriel Luna: I think if we kept everything at that clip, people would fatigue a little bit. It pops in and out. There’s definitely a lot of action but there’s also just a lot of suspense and building the stakes. There’s a lot that goes into the show. As much as it’s a spy show, it’s equal parts a sports show and a family drama and there’s a lot of romance in it.
I think the family is very important. The character is described as a Latin James Bond, but the thing about Bond is you never meet Bond’s family. You don’t know what he has to lose, so we play as much as the sports and spy stuff as much as we do the family unit and what’s at risk in the end for Tony Bravo, which is the safety and security of his family.
I thought about it as less of a Latin James Bond, and Orci might like this, but it is more of a Latin “Alias?”
Like an “Alias” or a Bourne, or something like that. As I become more refined, I think, in this really high profile world, I think it becomes more Bond. Right now, rough around the edges in all aspects of the show. Just with soccer, a little rough around the edges and starting to develop it as a player and then of course as an agent, I’m a bit of a hot wire, a bit of a loose cannon. I’m just trying to find ways to temper this rage that I have built up that’s rooted in a lot of pain in my family history. Eventually I think we will go in that direction if we get the opportunity to continue to play the story.
Bourne didn’t have a family either, but Sydney did on “Alias.”
Right, right. That’s true. Some of the people who work on the show come from “Alias.” Our costumers come from “Alias” and of course, Bob did. That’s not a coincidence at all. I’m glad that that comparison is being made because that was a good show. People really latched onto it. Hopefully the same thing happens.
That was actually my introduction to J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner, and “Matador” will be a lot of people’s introduction to you. What was your background in getting into acting?
I’m from Austin. I was born here. I went to school at St. Edwards University doing theater there, but that in and of itself was kind of a fortuitous turn of events that ended up getting me here. It’s a long story, but beyond that I continued to work here in Austin. I went to school here and ventured into the independent film scene and started a theater company called Paper Chairs and primarily did my work on stage whenever the opportunity was there I would take part. A few films I’ve done here, Dance with the One, Spring Eddy, Fall to Grace, these other small indies.
Then of course I worked on Bernie with Rick [Linklater] and had some small parts in other things. I’ve been working here for seven years before I left, seven, eight years. “Relative newcomer” is kind of what they say.
Alfred Molina seems like both a powerhouse and a very welcoming collaborator. Did he take you under his wing at all?
Absolutely, both in life and in the story. Fred is one of the greatest actors that we’ve known. I don’t think there’s ever been anything I’ve seen Fred do that I didn’t think was wonderful. Just having Fred on the show elevates the show of course, but having Fred Molina elevates the network. It really legitimizes everything we do and it’s an honor to have him around. Every day I know I’m working with him, the night before I don’t sleep. It’s just like Christmas. I just try to do my best and hope that he doesn’t find me out for the fraud I might be.
Is there anything else you’d want us to know about “Matador?”
So much TV over the last four or five years has been all about good guys doing bad things, the antihero being shown with all his faults and all his shortcomings. We seem as a culture to start to adhere to these antiheroes and have grown tired of the traditional straight up and down good guy.
That’s one thing I’m really proud of with the show is Tony Bravo is a good guy through and through, top to bottom. Especially with the fact that so many times, Latin Americans are depicted in a less than savory way, I’m just so happy when you watch this show you can see a guy who loves his family, who’s good at his job, who doesn’t compromise his morals and who doesn’t compromise his true self for anyone.
It’s really an honor and a great privilege to be that for people. Hopefully they enjoy it and they start coming back from the Walter Whites and the Rust Cohles and these guys and towards the Clark Kents and the James Bonds, the good guys.
