How Eugenio Derbez Stripped Down for Radical

To play real-life schoolteacher Sergio Juárez Correa, whose unconventional methods led his students in a poor Mexican town to top test scores across the nation, Derbez, who also produced through his banner, 3Pas, took on one of his first dramatic lead roles for the film (which received an interim wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHollywood Reporter Vol. 429; p. 78
Main Author Sun, Rebecca
Format Trade Publication Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hollywood P-MRC 11.10.2023
Subjects
Actors
Derbez, Eugenio
Motion pictures
United States > US
Mexico
Newport Beach California
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Summary:To play real-life schoolteacher Sergio Juárez Correa, whose unconventional methods led his students in a poor Mexican town to top test scores across the nation, Derbez, who also produced through his banner, 3Pas, took on one of his first dramatic lead roles for the film (which received an interim waiver from SAG-AFTRA) and unlocked his own potential in the process: "I always wanted to do drama. Many of the children didn't have much acting experience before Radical. There was also a day when Sergio [the real-life inspiration for the character] went to set, and I was like, "Oh my God, is he watching the monitors?" I was really scared of him watching me play him, but at the end, I understood the essence of Sergio's soul, and I felt really comfortable. Participant [one of the production companies behind the film] partnered with Hispanics in Philanthropy to launch the Radical Fund to help close the achievement gap among Latino students.
ISSN:0018-3660