Eiza Gonzalez is in a sweet moment. At the age of 31 he does not stop working. This week it was presented as the image of the new Louis Vuitton perfume in a campaign that gives a lot to tell about and at the same time we see it in the premiere of the week, Godzilla to Kong, which hopes to become the top-grossing film in the cinema in more than a year.
The Mexican actress joined us from Los Angeles to talk about the blockbuster movie she’s starring in with Demián Bichir, the industry’s tendency to pigeonhole Latin actresses, and how she works at Holywood and in English.
Question: Godzilla vs. Kong was filmed before the pandemic. Does it feel like something far away?
Eiza Gonzalez: I think we filmed in 2018. I don’t even know … If you make movies like this, you know it will take time because of the animation and all the technology. But now it feels a little sad that the premiere is taking place in a pandemic and we can’t personally share with the fans, to be able to go to Asia, do the promotions like we would … Because that energy is contagious. But I am very happy with the result. The movie is very entertaining. People will have fun, and I think that’s what we need now.
Question: Godzilla and King Kong lived a lifetime. Why do you think they continue to exist there generation after generation?
EG: We will always identify with monster movies because they allow us to fantasize about “what would happen” if we lived in a world with other titans. It kind of goes back to what would have happened if we lived with the dinosaurs, who would be in control. And it is also a connection with nature. People are curious if nature had more physical strength – that it has – to force itself against us.
Question: Your character is Maya, the daughter of Demián Bichir. You’re a little “bad”, you’re the villain of the movie …
EG: Demián and I talked about it. I don’t think we think of a character as a villain or a hero, because seeing it that way can help you fall into the stereotype. I think our characters’ agendas are fair. They ardently believe that technology will save humanity. But Demián’s character also has a lot of greed. He’s a genius madman who wants to be in control. Instead, she has a history of justification, showing her father that she can achieve what he asks of her.
Q: You look very comfortable making action movies and character characters.
EG: I try to do a little bit of everything. I like dynamic characters. Play with fantasy. It also has to do with the industry that if you started one way, it always sees you that way. Little by little I do other types of projects, like “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you” (“I Care a Lot”, on Netflix). But I do like movies of this genre. For me, the magic of cinema has always been represented by those big, explosive films. And I’ve never had a chance to see Latina women do characters like this because they are made exclusively for white women. With the opportunities open, it’s very hard for me to miss the opportunity to represent a Latina woman internationally in any other way that helps us get out of a stereotype or cliche. I have an affinity with those characters. Maya has nothing to do with where she comes from or where she comes from. She is a woman of conviction, clear, educated, intelligent … She represents contemporary women. But of course I like to diversify and look for other projects that allow me to navigate other types of characters. Because someone like Demián Bichir is allowed to do a lot, but sometimes it is more difficult as a woman.
Question: Were you afraid of being pigeonholed?
EG: Latinos are always pigeonholed. Period, it’s over. And I think Latina women are a lot more boxed. Men get a lot more consent. But Matthew McConaughey also got into romantic comedies and it took a lot of work to be taken seriously. This happens in all races in one way or another. I personally enjoy action movies, I love projects like this. What guides me is the direction, the script, the character … that’s what inspires me. A constant factor in my characters is that they are not necessarily the stereotype of a Latina woman.
Question: You work a lot in English. Do you already feel like your world?
EG: Nerd. English will always be my second language and, while it may not seem like it, I am struggling. It’s quite complicated. I naturally think in Spanish and I have to adapt that to English. It also has to do with culture, because the way a Latina woman would respond is very different from how an American woman would respond. Sometimes directors expect me to act more like an American actress, but they forget that I’m still Mexican, from a different culture. Sometimes it is difficult to know the best option, but I enjoy it. I am constantly learning and growing.
· Read more: Eiza González had more scenes in Godzilla vs Kong, but they were eliminated