MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� The opening credits of 鈥淲akanda Forever鈥� fittingly say 鈥渋ntroducing Tenoch Huerta.鈥�
What an introduction it鈥檚 been.
Huerta鈥檚 role as Namor in the 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� sequel has wowed audiences, catapulting him onto the global stage and sparking conversations about race and identity, both in his native Mexico and abroad. It鈥檚 also led to Huerta of The Associated Press鈥� of 2022, joining the ranks of , and his fellow Marvel standout, .
Like many of the Breakthrough Entertainer honorees, Huerta isn鈥檛 a newcomer. He鈥檚 appeared in numerous films such as 鈥淭he Forever Purge鈥� and series like 鈥淢ozart in the Jungle鈥� and 鈥淣arcos: Mexico." But 鈥淲akanda Forever鈥� has given him a new level of global exposure, which he鈥檚 using to advance several causes like inclusivity and social justice.
Huerta grew up in Ecatepec, a suburban area of Mexico City, infamous for its high levels of delinquency and often referred with prejudice by the people in the capital.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to come from there,鈥� said Huerta in a recent interview in Mexico City during the promotion of 鈥淲akanda Forever.鈥� The area is close to the capital, but 鈥測ou can spend a couple of hours to reach the nearest subway station, there鈥檚 violence.鈥�
Huerta, 41, acknowledged that the fact that he didn鈥檛 see 鈥渂rown skin people鈥� like him on screen or theater, and definitively not in advertisements, made him believe that acting wasn鈥檛 a serious possibility. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 dream of something that you can see,鈥� he said.
He spent many years playing American Football, and it wasn鈥檛 until his father prodded him that he considered acting. 鈥淲hen I was 16 my father insisted to me to become an actor, he pushed me to take workshops,鈥� said Huerta. 鈥淭he workshop was for two or three weeks, and I spent nine months. I liked it a lot but, (it) never was my life plan, it was just a hobby.鈥�
He kept going to casting calls and was selected to play a gardener who entertains white rich youngsters in Gael Garc铆a Bernal鈥檚 debut feature 鈥淒eficit鈥� (2007). That took him to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, a journey he repeated in 2011 with Everardo Gout鈥檚 鈥淒ays of Grace,鈥� for which he won the Ariel, the Mexican equivalent to the Oscars, as best actor.
鈥淯ntil that moment I assumed, I understood I was an actor, but it takes a long time and a nomination to the Ariel, many awards around the world and in Mexico, and finally in that moment I thought, 鈥極k I鈥檓 an actor.鈥� It was a process,鈥� said Huerta.
Huerta said he was a fan of Marvel movies and was really pleased when he received a videocall from the director Ryan Coogler who was explaining the plot of 鈥淲akanda Forever.鈥� The story included a shaman and a potion that people drank before jumping into the ocean.
鈥淭he communication was frozen for about five minutes so when he is back, he says 鈥楽o what do you think?鈥欌�� recalled Huerta. 鈥淚 never understood clearly what was about this offer and then I told my agents, and they found out that he (Coogler) was offering me Namor. I assumed it was the shaman, but they said, 鈥楴o its Namor.鈥欌��
His character is the leader of Tlalokan, the subaquatic world where Namor lives. It is a vibrant world inspired by pre-Hispanic architecture and culture, created with help from Mayan experts.
鈥淭hey grew up in Mayan communities, they are Mayan speakers and they have degrees and all the credentials to work in this movie,鈥� said Huerta. 鈥淚 just can say that Marvel and Disney they鈥檙e making a really great job of inclusion and representation and finally people like us, we鈥檙e able to see ourselves in this movie, so proud, so beautiful and so powerful, that鈥檚 a gift.鈥�
Huerta said the second-best part, after the reassurance of collaborating with experts in the film, was to do all the training and battles, learning to hold his breath for minutes underwater and use wires to simulate the flights of Namor.
鈥淚n real life ... my knees hurt, my back and everything. I鈥檓 a simple human, and I鈥檓 getting old by the way,鈥� said Huerta smiling. 鈥淏ut in the movie it鈥檚 such a great experience.鈥�
In Mexico Huerta has become a symbol of the fight for racial justice, winning acclaim but also facing criticism from people who consider him problematic because as a person with dark skin, Huerta denounces prejudice against those who look like him.
Huerta recently published 鈥淥rgullo prieto鈥� (which loosely translates as Dark Skinned Pride) a book in which he recalls his own experiences facing racism and classism in his country.
鈥淔or me this book is a way to say we need to learn, we need to change and then try to have a better society. I specially wrote this book for the kids for the young people,鈥� said the father of two girls. 鈥淚 try to create, as much as I can, a better place to live for them.鈥�
Seeing himself as a breakthrough artist brings Huerta hope.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how my life is gonna be changed from this point on, but I hope this movie affects the people, affects the kids and if the kids are able to look at themselves on the mirror and feel proud,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f they are able to look at them and feel proud of themselves, for me, that鈥檚 perfect.鈥�
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For more on AP鈥檚 2022 class of Breakthrough Entertainers, please visit:
Berenice Bautista, The Associated Press
