One of the best comedies of the year is Mexico’s “Saving Private Perez.” Directed by Beto Gomez, the film is already a hit in Mexico and arrived in theaters stateside September 2. Many of the actors are well-known in Mexico, but many American moviegoers may not recognize any of their names. Time for an introduction, don’t you think?
For those of you who haven’t seen “Saving Private Perez” yet, here’s a quick rundown of the plot. Julian Perez (Miguel Rodarte) is the biggest, baddest crime lord in all of Mexico. When his mother falls ill, she makes just one request – bring his brother home from Iraq. Julian gathers a team of specialists for a rescue mission.
Their call sign is “tomato.” Along with Julian, the members of Team Tomato are Rosalio Medoza, Chema Diaz, Pumita, and Carmelo. The team picks up a fellow “tomato” along the way, a Russian gangster named Sasha. What follows is a comical infiltration into Iraq.
The Men of “Saving Private Perez”
Marius Biegai plays Sasha the Russian gangster. Born in Poland, Biegai studied theater in Berlin. Now based in Mexico City, Biegai has worked in several Mexican films and TV series. He also had a stint on the short-lived 2010 American TV series “Persons Unknown.”
Jaime Camil plays Julian’s do-it-all assistant, Eladio. Camil is of Egyptian and Brazilian descent and started out as a radio host-turned-singer before moving on to acting. He’s starred in some of the most popular Mexican telenovelas and films in recent years.
Joaquin Cosio is Julian’s loyal follower and chopper pilot, Rosalio Medoza. Cosio began his acting career in theater in the 1980s before moving on to film. He played the evil General Medrano in the 2008 James Bond film “Quantum of Solace.”
Juan Carlos Flores plays Julian’s missing-in-action brother Juan Perez. Both an actor and singer, Flores has starred in several Mexican TV series. You can see Flores as Chucho in the Mexican telenovela “Rafaela.”
Jesus Ochoa plays the Mexican-American Vietnam vet Chema Diaz. Beginning his acting career in comedy, Ochoa has worked on numerous Mexican TV series, films, and in theater. He starred alongside “Perez” costar Cosio in “Quantum of Solace.” He also was blown up by Denzel Washington in the 2004 film “Man on Fire.”
Rodrigo Oviedo is Pumita, the notorious gunman who has worked for Julian’s enemy, Benito Garcia. Oviedo has worked in both Mexican TV and film. He has also written and directed two short films.
Miguel Rodarte plays the powerful drug lord Julian Perez, who seems to take his fashion sense from the likes of Tony Montana. Rodarte studied acting in Mexico City and is a popular TV star in Mexico. He’s hilarious in the Mexican sitcom “Los Heroes del Norte.”
Adal Ramones is Julian’s crime lord rival Benito Garcia. Ramones is a well-known comedian and TV host in Mexico. Besides acting, Ramones has also written and produced for TV.
Gerardo Taracena plays Julian’s childhood pal, Carmelo Benavides. Originally from Mexico City, Taracena has acted in several Mexican films and TV series. He starred as Middle Eye in Mel Gibson’s 2006 film “Apocalypto.”
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