A new type of cop show is taking over prime time TV on Tuesday nights.
On the freshman network El Rey, “Matador” has Gabriel Luna facing off against Alfred Molina in one of the most unlikely of places: a soccer field.
It’s a little bit more complicated than just a professional soccer player not getting along with the team’s owner — Luna’s character Tony "Matador" Bravo is actually a CIA undercover agent trying to bring down Molina’s shady character, Andres Galan.
“We start off as slightly adversarial in the sense that the notion is given from that this young kid, Tony Bravo, might be worth looking at in terms of being a member of the team and I’m not impressed with him,” Molina, 61, told Fox News Latino. “I find him a little cocky, a little too sure of himself.”
For his part, Luna said his character has his own agenda and it behooves him to get as close as possible to Galan.
“Early on there is some friction there and the only reason I am allowed into the fold is because he beings to see dollar signs,” added Luna.
As the show continues – it premiered in July – the dynamic between the two continues to shift and change with the tension between the two driving much of the drama.
“I don’t trust him. He doesn’t trust me,” said Molina, who was born in London but whose father is Spanish. “We have very different agendas.”
The “Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Boogie Nights" and, more recently, HBO's "The Normal Heart” actor said the quality of the scripts really attracted him to the role – aside from the paycheck, that is.
“It’s a chance to do quality work,” Molina said. “The scripts were very fast pace, lots of action, lots of intrigue (and) it was a great opportunity to work with some young actors like Gabe… It was a win-win as far as I was concerned.”
Luna, 31, said the role is a dream come true for a young actor.
“You play ball. You take out bad guys. You romance women. You travel,” he said. “It would be appealing to anyone.”
The show’s reception from fans and critics alike has been very positive. Molina attributed to the show’s premise and format to its success to standout from other cop shows.
“There is a sensibility that it is fresh and very dynamic,” he said.
“Matador” airs Tuesday on El Rey Network.
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