Jaime Camil on returning to Broadway in 'Chicago'
Mexican actor Jaime Camil talks about returning to Broadway in 'Chicago.'
Jaime Camil feels right at home when he steps out on stage at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre eight shows a week and becomes Billy Flynn.
The Mexican actor is currently playing the leading man on the Tony-winning revival of “Chicago” while on hiatus as Rogelio in “Jane the Virgin.” And he is loving it.
“I come from the stage and that is my passion — being in a musical theater stage,” he told Fox News Latino at the recent 150th anniversary celebration of Breyers ice cream in New York City. “I get to work with this amazingly talented group of people. They are a tour de force of talent and precision and I love being in a play that has so much history and so much heritage.”
Camil first appeared on Broadway in "Latinologues" and then played Nestor Castillo in the Broadway-bound musical "The Mambo Kings" in 2005.
“Chicago” is the longest-running musical revival on Broadway after returning to the Great White Way in 1996. It won the Tony for best musical revival that season.
“It’s just beautiful to be in a play that only relies on the human factor – no mechanics, effects or explosions – you just have these humans doing amazing stuff and dancing beautifully and telling such a cleverly told story. It’s just timeless,” Camil said.
“Billy Flynn has a beautiful heritage – it’s a great character and playing (him) is a dream come true,” he added.
Camil is the latest Latino actor to join the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda in his megahit “Hamilton” and Josh Segarra and Ana Villafañe on “On Your Feet” to grace the stages of Broadway this season. It’s something that he finds truly “amazing.”
In a historic moment, he will be joined in a couple of weeks by fellow Mexican actress Bianca Marroquin, who was one of the youngest actresses to play Roxie Hart on Broadway. It’s the first time two Mexican-born actors play leads in the same show.
“We are going to be writing history,” Camil said. “I am so excited that it’s going to be alongside my dear friend and talented performer.”
The 42-year-old actor will remain in “Chicago” until the end of July before he has to return to Los Angeles to film season three of “Jane the Virgin.”
He said he and the cast of the hit CW show are incredibly blessed to be part of such a show that highlights an American family that happens to be Hispanic.
“We are happy to be working on a show that is so well written and so cleverly written and the critics love it,” Camil added. “It’s a dream come true to be on ‘Jane.’”
Season three of “Jane the Virgin” premieres on the CW on October 17.
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