For more than fifty years, Luis Guzmán has been one of our best character actors, which is why filmmakers including Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, and Brian De Palma have sought him out repeatedly. Guzmán’s latest, Guns Up, is an action-comedy led by Kevin James and Christina Ricci, hitting theaters this week on July 18th. And of course, it’s got Guzmán stealing every scene he’s in as Ignatius Locke, a crime boss whose code of ethics threatens a rift with a rival.
Written and directed by Edward Drake, Guns Up follows Ray Hayes, an ex-cop and a family man, who leads a dangerous life as a mob enforcer. On the brink of retiring to fulfill his wife’s dream of opening a restaurant, Ray’s final job goes sideways, and suddenly he’s got just one night to get his family to safety.
Having been a fan of Guzmán since I first saw him in films such as Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and Out of Sight, it was a real treat to spend a few minutes discussing Guns Up with him. We talked about what it takes to be a great character actor, how he gets up for the diverse array of characters he plays, and even his thoughts on the advancement of Latino actors in Hollywood.
It was a great conversation. You can check it out below, and please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel!
