'blue Beetle' Star Xolo Maridueña Talks East L.a. Upbringing, Latinos In Film And Future Projects

In this week’s section of “The De Los Podcast,” hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito sat down pinch character Xolo Maridueña to chat astir his East L.A. upbringing, nan value of Latino practice successful his profession and a litany of projects he has successful nan works.

Born and raised successful El Sereno, Maridueña was exposed to nan arts astatine a very young property done section organization arts hubs Casa 0101 and nan Boyle Heights Art Conservatory, wherever his mother, Carmelita Ramírez-Sánchez, now serves arsenic executive director.

The 25-year-old character credited his mom, who besides antecedently worked arsenic a power DJ for decades successful L.A., for encouraging him to research a imaginative career.

“She was successful nan euphony world astatine a clip erstwhile that wasn’t really a point arsenic a Latina woman,” Maridueña said. “She met truthful galore roadblocks and overcame those that erstwhile it came clip to for her to yet raise her ain family, she understood nan want to effort thing that was extracurricular of what nan acquisition strategy would deem successful. As a Latina, she besides instilled these values of remaining curious, questioning definite traditions and nan ways our experiences are affected by immoderate systems that are larger than ourselves.”

He besides touched connected what it was for illustration being nan first Latino lead successful a live-action superhero movie successful “Blue Beetle” — and nan value of continued Latino practice successful Hollywood.

Xolo Maridueña is featured connected “The De Los Podcast.”

(L.A. Times Studios)

“It was specified a chaotic thrust doing thing for illustration ‘Blue Beetle,’ that was nan first successful a batch of categories... But erstwhile nan movie came out, it was truthful heartwarming to spot that location were already for illustration 10 different Latino superheroes that were making their debuts connected nan screen,” Maridueña said. “[Filming nan movie] was nan first clip I had witnessed immoderate overmuch of nan unit being Latino, aliases conscionable being divers — location were a batch of women and queer folks connected that set.”

Having worked connected deed bid for illustration “Parenthood” and nan Netflix arena “Cobra Kai” successful summation to his theatrical roles, Maridueña wants to thief supply an avenue for chap Latino artists to succeed.

“I conscionable dream [that] pinch this assemblage of work, I tin thief unfastened nan doorway and prop it unfastened for everyone else,” he said.

The speech pinch Maridueña wrapped pinch him discussing nan litany of projects he has coming retired successful nan adjacent future, including a starring domiciled successful nan movie “Dog Years” alongside Xochitl Gomez, a portion successful nan Al Pacino-led movie “Killing Castro” and a spot successful nan upcoming play of Netflix’s live-action adjustment of “One Piece.”

He will besides characteristic alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman successful nan upcoming sequel to nan witchy 1998 movie “Practical Magic,” which is group for merchandise Sept. 11.

“It’s been a blessing to grow not only nan types of group I’ve gotten to activity with, but [also] nan genres and types of characters I’ve gotten to bring connected to nan screen,” said Maridueña. “Projects for illustration ‘One Piece’ are truthful awesome for nan scope and past movies for illustration ‘Dog Years’ and ‘Killing Castro’ are conscionable arsenic fulfilling successful nan consciousness that because they get to beryllium smaller productions, nan formed and unit person a spot much ownership of what they’re doing.”