Los Angeles – In the world of acting, sometimes you have to do things you might not want to – like kiss a costar whose father just happens to be one of your good friends.
“It was pretty uncomfortable," Omar Chaparro admitted to Fox News Latino, about filming an intimate scene with actress Aislinn Derbez – whose father is the Mexican star of "Instructions Not Included," Eugenio Derbez – for the cross-border buddy film, "Compadres," which hits theatres April 22.
"I’ve known Aislinn since she was a kid, and Eugenio is a good buddy,” Chaparro said, adding at least partly in jest, "well, until this scene."
In the film, which he also executive produced, Chaparro plays a disgruntled Mexican cop whose love interest, Derbez, goes missing. Chaparro is then forced to work with a teenage hacker, played by Joey Morgan, to hunt down the criminals who kidnapped her.
"Compadres" represents something of a change of pace for the Mexican actor, who is mostly known for more comedic roles. While "Compadres" has comic moments, in it Chaparro showcases his ability to bring on the brawn and kick a little butt.
“It's a very powerful story. Even though its an action film, there’s a lot of heart," Chaparro told FNL.
Most of the movie was filmed in Mexico, and Morgan said he got so immersed in the culture, he even participated in a local protest.
"I loved it, I loved every minute of it," he said. "I loved trying to speak the language as best as I could.”
"Compadres" is the latest movie distributed by Pantelion Films. Created in 2010, the studio's goal is to bring wider theatrical distribution to movies aimed at Latino audiences. So far, they’ve released dozens of films, including critically acclaimed hits such as "Instructions Not Included" (2013) and "Cantinflas" (2014).
"Compadres" has both English and Spanish dialogue, and it also features the well known Hollywood actors, Eric Roberts and Kevin Pollak.
Actress Camila Sodi, who plays Emilia, says having these type of productions that incorporate both American and Latino cultures is important.
“Especially at a time like this, when there’s people who want to build a wall," she told FNL. But there are also "people who want to build unity between the two nations.”
In the end, the movie us that two people from different cultural backgrounds, the Mexican cop and the American hacker, can become “compadres" – a term used to refer to men who are such good friends, they are like brothers.
"We have to spread the message of unity and [the idea of] 'Compadres' – of being friends with one another talking about different countries,” Sodi said.
"Compadres" is rated PG-13 and opens nationwide in 350 theaters on Friday.
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