Puerto Rican actress Marisé "Tata" Álvarez has joined the sprawling cast of Porto Rico, Residente's ambitious historical epic starring Bad Bunny, according to an apparent accidental reveal by her co-star Ismael Cruz Córdova.
Speaking from the Dominican Republic, where production on the film is underway, Cruz Córdova let Álvarez's involvement slip while discussing the project during an interview.
"We have someone very dear to us here, Marisé Álvarez, whom we know as Tata in Puerto Rico," he said. "I think that might be a spoiler because she hasn't been announced."
After briefly realizing he may have revealed something he was not supposed to, the Verity actor decided there was no taking it back. "Well, I gave it to you," he said. "I don't mind if they scold me."
Álvarez's name was notably absent from the principal cast announced earlier this month as cameras began rolling in the Dominican Republic. That announcement added 11 actors to a lineup already headed by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Javier Bardem, Viggo Mortensen, and Edward Norton.
The newly announced cast members included Cruz Córdova, Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd, Rhenzy Feliz, Daniel Brühl, Rubén Blades, Alberto Guerra, Marcel Ruiz, Arian Cartaya, Óscar Jaenada, Carmen Machi, and Luis Tosar. Character details have largely remained under wraps.
Álvarez's addition brings another prominent Puerto Rican performer into a production deeply rooted in the island's history. The actress, known professionally in Puerto Rico as Tata Álvarez, has built a career across film, television, and theater and most recently starred in the Puerto Rican comedy Nunca digas nunca.
"This is something historic," added Cruz Córdova, who is also part of Verity, the new Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway movie that opens this weekend. Then he comes back as Arondir in the third season of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Fire.
However, his present is with Porto Rico. "We've never had the opportunity to be part of a production at this level, of this caliber, in which we have the first and the last word. And it's not just about the cast we have here. Look, we have René Pérez Joglar, known as Calle 13. This is his idea. This is something that came out of his head. And this man has been working on this for a long time. And from there on down... This is something he always says: we don't want egos here."
Porto Rico marks the feature directing debut of Pérez Joglar, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar-winning Birdman, and now Digger co-writer Alexander Dinelaris. The production has been described as an epic Caribbean western and historical drama inspired by true events.
The story draws from the life of José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca, a Puerto Rican revolutionary who fought against colonial rule during the final years of the 19th century. The film is also expected to explore the tumultuous period surrounding the United States' takeover of Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898.
Even the film's title carries historical significance. After the United States took control of the island, "Porto Rico" became the spelling used by the U.S. government, a change Residente has tied to the movie's larger examination of colonialism, identity and the power to define a country.
Bad Bunny is taking on his first leading role in a feature film after appearances in movies including Bullet Train and Caught Stealing. Residente has described Porto Rico as the "most complex" and challenging artistic undertaking of his career.
Despite its Puerto Rican subject matter, the film is shooting in the Dominican Republic. Residente has said the production had intended to film in Puerto Rico but moved after difficulties involving the island's film incentives, while thanking the Dominican Republic for opening its doors to the project.
The film also has considerable Hollywood talent behind the camera. Academy Award-winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle is director of photography, while David Crank serves as production designer and Anna Terrazas as costume designer. Residente and Erick Douât are producing through 1868 Studios, with Norton, Bill Migliore and Michael Bederman producing through Class 5 Films. Alejandro G. Iñárritu is among the executive producers. No release date has been announced.
For now, Álvarez's role remains another closely guarded detail. What is apparently no longer a secret, thanks to Cruz Córdova, is that she is in the movie.
