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Freddy Rodriguez: 'I Feel So Blessed'



Like
most people my age, I first saw Freddy Rodriguez as one of Mike
Dexter's cronies in "Can't Hardly Wait." But it wasn't until 2001 that
I discovered the boy could act, thanks to his stellar work as Federico
on "Six Feet Under."

Seven years later he's turned into one of the most in-demand young
actors, having worked for Quentin Tarantino in "Grindhouse" and
alongside Christian Bale in "Harsh Times." But life is anything but
harsh as Freddie prepares for the release of his latest movie, "Nothing
Like The Holidays," a hilarious holiday film that makes us all feel a
wee bit better about our dysfunctional families!

PopWrap: You've starred in a series of intense dramas recently. Was that part of the attraction in doing a holiday film?
Freddy Rodriguez: Definitely. I've been doing so many dark projects in
the last few years that I thought this would be a fantastic departure
from that. I've also been wanting to produce for some time and to be
able to work with this cast -- it was all of those elements coming
together.

PW: The cast gels quite fantastically -- did you feel like a family on set?
Freddy: Yeah, we spent a few weeks beforehand rehearsing and a lot of
that was just us talking, getting to know each other and going out to a
lot of dinners. We genuinely liked each other, which unfortunately,
doesn't happen very often on film sets.

PW: Those dinner scenes are fantastic. How much improvisation was there?
Freddy: There's a lot of improv, I just remember laughing a lot while
filming, which is the unfortunate part -- my character isn't supposed
to be laughing because he's suffering from war-related PTSD. So it was
really hard to keep from laughing -- this cast is so funny.



PW: In the film, Debra Messing is a bit out of her element in this Puerto Rican family. Was it like that on set as well?
Freddy: It was one band, one sound. Debra is an incredibly fearless
actress -- she came on board and dove right in. At no point did I see
her feel out of place or uncomfortable. She got right in there and was
willing to go to any length to bring that character to life.

Watch an exclusive clip of Debra in the movie below, then keep
reading after the jump as Freddy talks about producing his first movie,
"Can't Hardly Wait's" 10th anniversary and a possible return to "Ugly
Betty!"





PW: Did you like producing?
Freddy: It's a lot of work, a lot of pressure, a lot on your shoulders
-- but I liked it. I took on the challenge and felt really blessed that
we could get this cast. I think subconsciously as we were casting it, I
was looking for actors that were all on the same page -- had the same
vibe, ya know? And I think the fact that we found that and got along
from the beginning translated on the screen.

PW: You definitely come across like a family
Freddy: And it's so gratifying whenever I hear people say that because
we wanted to make this movie as universal as possible and show that it
doesn't matter what the ethnic background of the people on the screen
is. Audiences from every walk of life can relate to this family.


PW: The family in the movie shares your last name. Are the on-screen Rodriguez's similar to your family?
Freddy: I don't think we're as dysfunctional as they are -- no one in
my family has announced divorce in the middle of a toast. But we're
alike in that I also come from a big, extensive family. The Christmas
experience has always been 50 people in one house, talking over one
another.

PW: Do you have any holiday traditions?
Freddy: We always come back to Chicago for the holidays. It's easy to
stay in LA but it's important to teach our kids about the importance of
family, so we always come out. My hope is that when they get old enough
to make their own choices, they'll continue to want to come back to
Chicago and spend the holidays with family.

PW: Was shooting the movie in Chicago, your hometown, a surreal experience?
Freddy: You hit the nail on the head, I've been describing it as
surreal all week long. I moved out of Chicago 14 years ago, so to come
back and do a movie in the neighborhood I grew up in is surreal and a
blessing. I remember this one scene where people I haven't seen in 20
years were walking by -- people I went to grammar school with -- asking
about my parents and my kids, and I have this gigantic movie crew
behind me. It was the first time my personal and professional lives
have crossed like that.


PW: Why was it important for you to bring this production to your home?
Freddy: There's a certain texture to Chicago, a quality of life, that I
wanted to have on screen. The people here are very unique and it was
important to have this movie revolve around a family from Chicago so I
could include all those things that I know about this life.

PW: I recently interviewed Peter Facinelli for the 10th anniversary of "Can't Hardly Wait" -- can you believe it's been that long?
Freddy: It is bizarre, those were fun times though. I never thought it
would become the cult hit that it did -- at the time it was the era of
teenybopper films, us and Freddie Prinze Jr. I just thought it would
blend in with those.


PW: Why do you think it has stood out more than, say, "She's All That?"
Freddy: Well, I think what attracted all of us to the project was the
script. It felt very different from any of those others teen movies, it
had more depth.

PW: And as long as I'm gushing, I loved your work on "Ugly Betty" -- any chance fans will see more of Gio?
Freddy: Well, I didn't die, so there's always a possibility. They just
decided to go in another direction, which is fine. I had a blast on
that, but there's always a possibility of him returning. Write a
letter! [laughs]

PW: Is that what people have been recognizing you from most lately?
Freddy: It depends, I get "Can't Hardly Wait" a lot even though my
characters name was Jock #3. I think that the films and projects I've
been a part of have been kind of diverse and hit so many different
audiences that it depends on the person. but I can usually tell --
young people, it's "Can't Hardly Wait," the hipsters are all about
"Grindhouse" and older people bring up "Bobby."


PW: When you headed out to Hollywood 14 years ago, could you
have ever predicted that your resume would be filled with Quentin
Tarantino, Christian Bale and Alan Ball collaborations?
Freddy: That's what you always hope for as a young upstart - that
you'll get to work with those kinds of people. And I can barely believe
it's been 14 years since I left. It's an honor to have amassed the body
of work that I have, and you always dream of that day when it happens.
But it is surreal to be going through this right now. I just feel so
fortunate, so blessed to be in this position and not to sound cheesy,
but I am just so grateful.

"Nothing Like The Holidays" is now in theaters.