EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Aislinn Derbez Reveals Details About Filming 'A La Mala', Falling for Co-Star and Future Projects
On Feb. 27, Pantelion will release "A La Mala" starring Aislinn Derbez and Mauricio Ochmann. The movie is a romantic comedy which features Derbez in the lead role.
The Mexico City, Mexico-born actress has steadily been rising to fame in Mexico as she has starred in a number of films including "Tierra de Sangre," "El Cielo En Tu Mirada," "Yerbamala" and "Te Presento a Laura."
Latin Post had a chance to speak with Derbez about the process of making the film and her future work.
Latin Post: How did you get the role for the film?
Aislinn Derbez: I got the role by doing an audition. They sent me the script, I really like it and I did various auditions and some callbacks.
LP: What was the most difficult part of the film?
AD: There were a lot of difficult scenes. Some of the difficult scenes were the car scenes because they were very risky. I had to take some classes to learn how to drive as if I were the stuntwoman. It was a lot of fun to work in a car. I did most of the car scenes except for some which were done by the stuntwoman.
Another difficult part of the film was that the character has a lot of different colors. The character has to interpret different characters because she is an unsuccessful actress who is contracted by other women to seduce their boyfriends to find out if they're loyal or not. So she dresses up as different characters. That was very interesting and a challenge.
LP: What scenes were the most fun to shoot?
AD: The most fun scenes in the film were those relating to the relationship. I loved doing the scenes that featured Mala's friends, which were played by Luis Arrieta and Daniela Schmidt. It was also fun to film with Mauricio (Ochmann). When we started, I did not know him and I loved how our relationship developed. By the end of the movie, I fell in love with him so it was very special.
LP: What was the process of working with Mauricio Ochmann?
AD: It was a very unexpected process. We never thought we would actually fall in love in real life because we went in as professionals to work on a film. There was always chemistry and we always tried to maintain it very professional. The last week of filming we started falling in love and we started to look beyond our work. We never confessed anything until the end of the movie and we kept it very secret. It was fun because you felt the tension of love that was in the air.
LP: What kind of preparation did you do for the film?
AD: We did a lot of rehearsals with the actors and the director. We analyzed the characters during table reads and the fun part was that we were able to improvise and propose new things to our director Pedro Pablo Ibarra. The director was very open and was enthusiastic every time we improvised and came up with new things.
LP: Did any of the improvisations end up in the film?
AD: Definitely. A lot of what is in the film is improvised.
LP: Do you find the character to be similar to you in any way?
AD: We have a lot of similar things. She is a struggling actress and I identify a lot with that. There is a part in the film where she does a lot of casting calls and she does a bad job. She becomes frustrated because she can't get work as an actress and obviously at the beginning of my career I had similar problems. So I identified strongly with her.
LP: You have a scene with your father Eugenio Derbez. Can you tell me the experience of working with your father?
AD: That was a fun scene because my dad is playing himself so it's really funny. The scene has a lot of drama but at the same time it has a lot of comedy. I also had the opportunity of making fun of him so it was great.
LP: What he has taught you about acting?
AD: He has taught me to be very prepared and he has taught me to never worry about having opportunities because the opportunities come when you are prepared and ready for them.
LP: What do you hope audiences get out of the film?
AD: I hope audiences enjoy the film because I think it has a lot of romance but at the same time a lot comedy. It is a perfect film for this month and I think it's a great family and couples film. I think it also talks a lot about relationships and how people judge men for cheating and woman for being a bit crazy and jealous. It's trying to take away those stigmas and those masks and it gives men and women a second opportunity.
LP: What is coming up after "A La Mala"?
LP: I would love to work in the United States. It is one of my plans but I will continue to work in Mexico. I am currently filming a movie that is called "Compadres" with Omar Chaparro and it will come out in the United States at the end of the year. The movie is also by Pantelion and I have some other projects coming up as well.