Last week, I attended the red carpet premiere of Disney Pixar’s newest film, Coco. {See more of that experience here!} I watched the movie, {and cried a lot} and then the next day I had the opportunity to interview some of the stars of the film! The first interview is with Benjamin Bratt, who plays Ernesto de la Cruz, Miguel’s idol and role model. Read on to find out what moved him about the movie, the inspiration for his character, and his very wise advice to his kids that everyone should hear!
What surprised you the most from the premiere?
Well, I hadn’t seen the film in its completed form yet. So, there was a lot about it that affected me but I think I was most struck by the beauty of the artistry. It’s such a beautiful film to look at. And then when you add that technical expertise to the emotional depth of the film and what it delivers at the end, there’s no other word for it. It was a really powerful result.
Was there a moment that made you cry? What was the first scene that made you get choked up?
A moment? There were a handful of moments. One of my favorite scenes in the film- this scene was completed when I saw- when I first saw the film, it was about two thirds animated so a lot of what happens at the end were basically sketches and stick figures but it still packed and emotional wallop. But what was complete, and it just reinforced what my initial feeling was that seen with that Eddie Olmos plays, Chicharrón.
It’s expository but it also just punches you right in the heart because [Spoiler redacted- come back and nod along once you’ve seen the movie!]. And then the song that Gael delivers, raw, simple, emotional, truly moving.
On what he’s most excited about from the movie:
What I’m most excited about with Coco is it’s finally an opportunity on a global scale to illuminate the beauty of the Latino culture. Way back when, when I was first given a tour of the Pixar Studios up in Emeryville, [filmmakers] Lee and Darla and Adrian led me into this room that, from floor to ceiling on every wall was covered in Mexican iconography, Day of the Dead colors and images and some of the characters that were illustrated that they were going to portray in the film.
And it affected me in a way that actually kind of surprised me because it was in that moment that I recognized these beautiful brown faces- albeit they’re animated figures- they looked like people I know, the people I come from. And it underscored the fact that that portrayal hasn’t been done yet on this kind of scale.
In a way, it reintroduces who we are as a people in our uniqueness but also in our sameness to everyone else in the world whether you’re from China or Africa or Europe or anywhere else in the world. At the end of the day, for all the uniqueness that we have- and there’s a lot that’s vibrant and authentic and beautiful about Latino culture- we all at the end of the day are more alike than we are different and this need or sense of wanting to belong to something, to recognize where you come from, to stay connected to the people that paved a path for you before you got here.
In your character, I saw or I recognized a lot of the powerful, macho novella lead. Did you draw inspiration from anyone in particular?
You know, the truth is, I had never seen a film with Pedro Infante or Jorge Negrete. I was loosely aware of Vicente Fernandez’s music. But after Lee and Adrian shared with me that those are the people in real life that they were drawing on for this character I went out to YouTube, of course, and studied a lot of it. And what I realized was that, there’s real star power.
They were like the Mexican versions of Frank Sinatra, someone who is as adored for his musical ability as he was for his movie star magnetism. And that doesn’t happen to everyone, not everyone possesses that set of talent or that particular personal chemistry. So you have to create it. I just thought okay, I’ll just try to be larger-than-life. And it’s an even more difficult trick to do it just vocally. Thank God they draw the guy. That’s a good-looking skeleton. His hair was perfect.
Talking about death with children can be very difficult, actually, talking about death in general. Do you feel this movie will actually empower parents to approach the subject from a different viewpoint with their children?
I hope so and actually think so. I think people give short shrift to the impact and power of film stories. They really can do a lot to teach young people, whether you want them to or not. And in that, this story views death as a kind of celebration, as a continuation really of what we are and who we are. It’s not something to be feared but something to realize that it’s part of the natural cycle of life and that you can in fact stay connected to the people that you love.
I think there’s a hopefulness in that and a kind of comfort, too, I would say. And I already know that and I already feel that and I already believe that as do most of my family members. But seeing the film reminded me last night as my mother now enters into a certain set of years in her life that as we edged closer to our moment of mortality that there will be a kind of comfort in knowing that we can stay connected through prayer, through memory, through acknowledgment, even through ofrendas. So, my hope is that children will see it as a reminder of what already exists, which is just the next step in this cycle of life.
What’s the biggest lesson you would like to pass on to your children?
To have compassion, to be empathetic, to recognize that wherever you come from, whatever your gender is, whatever your sexual orientation, whatever your religion is, lead with kindness, lead with empathy and lead with love.
You have the “Seize the Moment” phrase that evolves around you. You are the origin of that. What does that phrase mean for you in real life or do you actually reflect your life through “Seize the moment”?
“Seize the moment” I interpret as a call to action. I’m a little more pensive before I make a decision and I think I’ve gotten more cautious as I’ve gotten older. But what I can relate to is, and it’s always held particular importance for me, but it is the most important thing in my life right now and that’s my family- my immediate family, my relationship with my wife and my two children, my daughter Sophia and my son Mateo.
They take precedence over all else, even at work, and that’s how I self-identify. If someone says what are you, I don’t even start with man. I say I’m a husband, I’m a father first. And with that kind of clarity, you can really take on any challenge that’s presented to you. But as far as seize the moment goes- if you ask me to jump off a 50-foot cliff I might have done that when I was 25. But now I’ll take a pause and, “Do I do this with my shoes on or my shoes off? Do I wear a life jacket? Want to do it with me? We’ll hold hands or should I go solo?”
For someone like Miguel, it’s the perfect motivator because he’s young and has all this potential and he has a dream that is burning inside him. So, it makes sense for him.
We had the chance to see you sing “Remember Me” at D23 and a lot of my friends were like “We didn’t know that Benjamin Bratt could sing.”
I didn’t know that I could sing.
Really? Where did you get those pipes?
So, here’s the deal. I acknowledge that I’m a fairly decent actor but I’ve always wanted to be a singer. I just admire singers so much and musicians in general because with singing, your voice is your instrument.
And it translates across all languages, all cultures because a beautiful voice is a beautiful voice. I don’t possess one when it comes to singing. And I’ve always said I’d give my left big toe to be able to be a balladeer like Marc Anthony. He’s just a phenomenal, powerful singer and a friend but someone whose talent I admire immensely. So, when I was offered the role, I thought it was a bit ironic that I was meant to play the most famous singer and musician in Mexican history.
I had a little chuckle for myself. And then, of course, I became immediately terrified because Lee and Darla and Adrian wanted me to attempt it. And so, in what better circumstances could I do that? They provided me with Liz Kaplan who’s the instructor, mentor to the stars in New York. I had several sessions with her. And they just gave me the opportunity to fail. And the first few sessions, I’ll tell you, they were horrible. They were really horrible. But they gave me a shot. I was happy to do it. And that it’s in the movie- I recorded every song- I’m really proud of it.
I chose to seize the moment.
Coco comes out next week on November 22nd, just in time for Thanksgiving weekend! While you wait, you can follow Disney Pixar’s Coco on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and the hashtag #PixarCoco! Be sure to check out the hashtag #PixarCocoEvent on my Twitter + Instagram accounts to see even more about my experience and keep an eye out for the next few weeks as I share exclusive interviews with the cast and filmmakers and more!