If Mexican hottie Fernando Noriega looks familiar to you, then chances are that you’ve spotted him on television being a leading man. You may recognize this familiar face as detective Eugene Mayer on the telehit series "Morir En Martes," which was inspired by the popular American show "Twin Peaks.” He was also in last year’s movie, When the Road Meets the Sun, and is expected to star in the upcoming drama, Nothing Against Life. The 28-year-old is a young and talented actor with a positive perspective and a lot on his plate. The fashion model, who has been in seven shows in his native Mexico, now resides in Los Angeles and is pursuing his other love: photography. In time for the season two premiere of “Morir En Martes” this January 22nd, we sat down with Noriega to talk about his many roles, passions, and inspirations. If you didn’t love him before, you will now!
nocheLatina: I understand that you started as a model. When did you know you wanted to get into acting?
Fernando Noriega: I was very young when I became attached to the idea of becoming an actor. I moved to Mexico City where I have lived for 13 years and started modeling. I then became more serious and did soap opera castings with Aztec America. Then, I just moved to Televisa, which was a bigger outlet for me. Whichever company you choose is often the one you will spend your whole life with.
nocheLatina: Which of your roles so far have you most identified with and why?
Fernando Noriega: Most of them have a little part of me, which is why I choose the characters carefully. However, the role I identified with the most is, in my guess, Julio from last year’s movie, When the Road Meets the Sun. This is about a Mexican who crosses the border to get a better life and status. My situation was kind of the same because it was shocking to see how the industry works in the US. The character came in good timing. Each character I select represents a part of me. My television series, "Morir En Martes," is about an isolated detective. He’s a little bit like me because I’m not really sociable in real life.
nocheLatina: If you could work with any actor in the world, who would it be?
Fernando Noriega: Daniel Day Lewis. I admire his work, career, and the way he sees the industry. He doesn't pick up so many characters. Instead, he builds his characters. He has a way of being the project.
nocheLatina: Who or what inspires you?
Fernando Noriega: My family. They are the greatest thing I have and are very supportive through difficult and good moments. Also my friends. I get inspired about life and every small thing that surrounds me in a bad or good way. To build a character I take everything that surrounds me.
nocheLatina: What are you most passionate about?
Fernando Noriega: I love photography. If I weren't performing I probably would be a fashion photographer. At some point I was thinking of moving to New York City and starting a new path as a movie director. I would like to explore that at some point in my career.
nocheLatina: What has been your greatest challenge so far as an actor?
Fernando Noriega: The film Nothing Against Life. It's not just because of the topic. The character needed a very different accent from what I have. The first movie was so much easier because the guy needed a heavy accent. My character from Nothing Against Life was more sophisticated and educated. Getting as much as we could with the accent was a huge challenge. Americans talk in a different rhythm and stress certain words, which made me go nuts just to express ideas.
nocheLatina: Tell me about your role in the upcoming movie, Nothing Against Life.
Fernando Noriega: My director Julio Ramirez was very concerned as Seattle is one of the states with the highest suicide rate in the US. We had this long conversation about the topic and he felt he needed to make a movie about it. The whole idea came from this news story about a lady who was trying to commit suicide by jumping off a huge bridge. People were stuck in traffic, so instead of helping her, they yelled at her to jump. I tried to get a sense of what was going on in Seattle. I also spent a lot of time in LA working very hard with a dialect coach because the character was supposed to be living in the US for 10 years.
nocheLatina: What other projects are in your near future?
Fernando Noriega: The second season of "Morir En Martes" starts on January 22nd. After filming "Morir En Martes" I will go back to LA, which I love. Nothing Against Life should hopefully be out by summer 2011.
nocheLatina: What words do you live by?
Fernando Noriega: Regret what you didn't do, not what you did do.
