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Cuban actor Nestor Carbonell has had a steady flow of work since his debut on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan. Besides a lot of voiceover work in cartoons only your little cousin will recognize, Nestor has been in the violent opus Smoking Aces, the well-regarded TV series Commander in Chief, and the ever-confusing Lost. But his portrayal of Gotham City Mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight will be his highest profile role to date. Nestor spoke to us about the Batman movie, his thoughts on Heath Ledger, and another upcoming movie that will have everyone waiting with anticipation.

How did you get a role in such a coveted movie?
Basically, I auditioned for Chris Nolan (director) and producer Emmit Thomas. I got the material the night before. It was a great scene, a great opportunity. But I didn’t hear back. I thought they didn’t like me. Two months later, I heard Nolan wanted to see my tapes. Universal sent him Smoking Aces and I got a call that I got the part.

Who do you play?
Mayor Anthony Garcia. I was a fan of Gary Oldham (who plays Commisioner Gordon) since Sid & Nancy. Oldham was down to earth and generous. Aaron Eckhardt was also generous. Artistically it was a treat to work with Chris Nolan and cast. It took me to the next level but I am keeping my focus on the process.

What was it like on set?
It was a light set. It is great with Nolan. His crew is made up of key people from his debut Memento. He’s worked with them forever. He was under pressure to deliver but he had a very clear vision that helped him immensely.

Any thoughts on Heath Ledger?
I really didn’t get to know him. I met him but we had little interaction. He was a tremendous guy, great rapport. Very tragic, what happened. One of the scenes I have with him, I am announcing to the police officers that we have captured the Joker. And he claps along sarcastically with the cops. Little things like that make it incredible.

Tell us about Lost?
The new season starts in August. I play Richard Alpert, a mysterious guy with a penchant for drama. He tapped someone to be the head of The Others. I have great material. I talked to the director about it. He wanted me to play him as a tough guy with ego that doesn’t take bullshit. The writers know the end already, but they go about it in different ways. There are two more seasons left and I Iam contracted for 9 more episodes.

Besides Batman, what else have you been working on?
I optioned a screenplay on the book Against All Hope by Armando Valladares. His story is unbelievable and people are interested in it, still pursuing financing. I just wrote a screenplay for a romantic comedy. I really want to get into the literary world. I would want to play Armando but I would not hold the project back if that’s not what the producers want. Joe Carnahan is working on a Smoking Aces prequel, which I am a part of. And he wants me in Killing Pablo (the story of the capture of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar).