Eiza González: “Sometimes directors forget that I'm still Mexican”

The actress of 31 years acting in Godzilla vs. Kong with Demián Bichir and demands that the film industry stop pigeonholing Latina women

Photo: Warner Bros.

Eiza González is in a sweet moment. To your 80 years does not stop working. This week it was presented as image of the new Louis Vuitton perfume in a campaign that are giving a lot to talk about and at the same time we see it in the premiere of the week, Godzilla vs. Kong , which hopes to become the highest-grossing film in theaters in over a year.

The Mexican actress attended us from Los Angeles to talk about the blockbuster in which she acts together with Demián Bichir , on the industry’s tendency to pigeonhole Latina actresses and how he is working 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 shot in 2018. I don’t even know … When you make these types of films you know that it will take a little time because of the animation and all the technology. But now it feels a little sad that the premiere takes place in a pandemic and we cannot share with the fans in person, to be able to go to Asia, do the promotions as we would … Because that energy is contagious. But I am very happy with the result. The movie is very entertaining. People are going to have fun, which I think is what we need right now.

Q .: Godzilla and King Kong have lived their entire lives. Why do you think they are still 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’s going back a bit to what would have happened if we lived with the dinosaurs, who would have control. And it is also a connection with nature. Human beings are curious as to whether nature had more physical strength –that it has– to impose itself against us.

Q .: Your character is Maya, the daughter of Demián Bichir. You are a bit of the “bad guys”, you are the villain of the film …

EG : Demián and I talked about it. I don’t think we look at any character as a villain or a hero, because when you see it that way you can fall into the stereotype. I think our characters’ agenda is honest. They fervently believe that technology will save humanity. But also the character of Demián has a lot of greed . He’s a genius lunatic who wants to be in control. Instead she has a history of vindication, of 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 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 am doing other types of projects, such as “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 never had a chance to see Latina women doing these kinds of characters, because they were made exclusively for white women. Now that opportunities are opening up, it is very difficult for me to miss the opportunity to represent a Latina woman internationally in a different way that helps us get out of a stereotype or cliché. I have an affinity with those characters. Maya has nothing to do with where she is from or where she comes from. She is a woman with conviction, clear, educated, intelligent … She represents contemporary women. But of course, I love to diversify and look for other projects that allow me to make my way into other types of characters. Because someone like Demián Bichir is allowed a lot, but sometimes it is more difficult as a woman.

Q .: Were you afraid of being pigeonholed?

EG : Latinos are always pigeonholed. Period, it’s over. And I think that Latina women are pigeonholed much more still. Men are given much more permission. But also Matthew McConaughey started in 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 these kinds of projects. 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 Latin woman.

Q .: You are working a lot in English. Do you already feel it as your world?

EG : Nerd. English is always going to be my second language and, although it may not seem like it, I have a hard time. It is somewhat complex. I innately 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 react is very different from how an American woman would. Sometimes directors expect me to act more like an American actress, however they forget that I am still Mexican, from another culture. Sometimes it is difficult to know which is 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 removed