We are only a few days away from the premiere of Babylon in Mexico. The film directed by Damien Chazelle features performances by Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva, a Mexican who, for many, could become a star thanks to his work as Manny in this film. Obviously, working with an Oscar winner like Chazelle requires some amazing talent, especially for a story as ambitious as this one. And according to the same filmmaker, Diego Calva has this amazing talent, even at the level of Al Pacino.
In a special article on The New York Times the process that Calva followed to join Babylon is narrated. In late 2019, Damien Chazelle began the cast search. He wanted a “fresh face,” someone who could perfectly represent the hopes of Manny, the character in question. Suddenly, the filmmaker saw a photograph of someone that caught his eye.
“There was something dreamy in his eyes, something of a poet. But he had no idea if he could act,” Chazelle mentioned.
Diego Calva sent his casting through a recording and was able to meet virtually with the director in mid-2020. After a few months, the actor began to feel overwhelmed by the change that starring in Babylon would represent. It was not until the end of that year that Calva met Chazelle and Margot Robbie, who plays Nellie LaRoy, his love interest in the film. When Calva and Robbie did their first camera test together, the also filmmaker La La Land he was captivated by what he saw.
“He had this kind of ability, on an Al Pacino level, where he could command the camera without looking like he was doing anything.”
Interestingly, the director also acknowledged that the arc of Michael Corleone, Pacino’s character in The Godfatherwas similar to the one that Diego Calva’s Manny would travel. Even Margot Robbie herself agreed with Chazelle and confirmed that the Mexican has an impressive stage force:
“It’s so transformative to act with him because he’s so present, you forget you’re doing a scene. He was the best scene partner you could ever wish for,” he added.
For now, Diego Calva is nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Though Babylon It was not exactly adored by critics, many still hope that the Mexican can stand out even more and achieve an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Will he make it? We will know the answer next Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
Juan Jose Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the theater up to 7 times. My guilty pleasure? Low budget horror movie.