'What to Expect:' Rodrigo Santoro, JLO Told to Keep Hands Off Each Other

JLO, Cameron Diaz Hot Mamas In ‘What to Expect When You are Expecting’

Comedy “What to Expect When Your Expecting,” stars Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro.   

Rodrigo Santoro and Jennifer Lopez, who co-star in “What To Expect When You’re Expecting,” were told by the movie's director to keep their hands off each other during filming.

“Jennifer’s background is Latin, she’s Puerto Rican, I’m Brazilian, we touch, we hug, we kiss, that’s part of who we are,” Santoro told Fox News Latino during a candid interview.

In the pregnancy-themed comedy, which hits theaters March 18, the actors play Holly and Alex, a fun-loving affectionate couple that are really into each other. But Santoro says the movie director, Kirk Jones, who is British, isn’t used to such physical signs of affection.

“Chemistry happens. Just the fact that we both have a Latin background we could relate to each other,” said Santoro. “For this couple, if it didn’t have the chemistry it wouldn’t work.”

Santoro is undeniably sexy. In the movie, he’s a supportive husband to JLo's character. The couple has a difficult time conceiving and decides to adopt a baby from Ethiopia, but Santoro’s character has a hard time coping with the idea of impending fatherhood.

“The character that I play, Alex, is exactly the representation of what we feel,” said Santoro. “How scared we feel, how we feel we are not ready for this, even though we desire this we really want it, but we feel we’re not ready."

In “What To Expect,” Santoro got the chance to delve into comedy, something he admits he’s not entirely comfortable with. The Latin actor who is already a huge star in his native Brazil, is more known for playing dramatic characters and has slowly started to make his way into Hollywood with memorable roles in television shows and movies like “300,” and “Lost.”

“I didn’t plan to go to Hollywood and become an actor, it didn’t happen that way. It started as a consequence from Brazilian films getting attention in film festivals,” he said

In fact, Santoro recently opened another film in Brazil he produced and starred in, titled “Heleno” about a famous soccer player from the 40’s. “It’s been a passion project for me for many, many years and I spent most of the year in Brazil shooting this film."

Santoro is being embraced by Hollywood despite having a distinct Brazilian accent. And it was the fact that he was able to play a Latino character in a non-stereotypical role that has attracted him to many projects including “What To Expect.”

“When I got the script (for “What To Expect When You’re Expecting) I was as looking for a Jose, a Ricardo, a Juan” said Santoro “I liked Alex, I really enjoyed that he wasn’t the stereotype of a Latino, he was just a guy.”

Although he currently has no children, Fox News Latino asked the Brazilian actor if he was ready for fatherhood in real life.

“I think I am," he said. "I’ll let you know when it happens, I’m looking forward to it, I think it will be amazing.”

Naibe Reynoso is a freelance reporter from Los Angeles, California.  She can be reached via her twitter: @NaibeReynoso

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