Edgar Ramirez has two movies coming out on Christmas Day: "Point Break" and "Joy." Both films have been a crucial part for Ramirez's career as they explore two different facets of the actor's talent.

"Both are really meaningful to me. Both are fundamental emotional experiences to me," said Ramirez in an exclusive interview with Latin Post.

Both movies coming out on the same day is a coincidence and a challenge for the actor as he has had to split his time promoting both films and making sure to give each project the same time.

"It is very unique. At the beginning I felt very torn because it's like who do you love more? Dad or Mom?" he said. "Of course it's not the ideal situation because you want to give your full attention to one thing. But I also try to make the best out of its situation and it's a very unique moment and I'm trying to enjoy it. All I can say it's like double feature for Christmas day."

In "Joy," Ramirez was working with David O. Russell and Jennifer Lawrence for the first time, an experience he relishes.

"David O. Russell is one of the strongest voices in cinema right now, not only in America, but in the entire world. And his movies are being studied in film schools around the world and I know that 50 years from now he will be an American classic," Ramirez noted.

Ramirez went so far as to state that Russell will be regarded as highly as some of the great filmmakers in history such as Orson Welles, John Huston and even the great Italian director Federico Fellini. For Ramirez to work on "Joy" was also special as he has been a fan of Russell's work, and he considers films like "Three Kings," "American Hustle" and "Silver Linings Playbook" as classics.

But the endorsement was not only his. On set, Ramirez recalls Isabella Rossellini, daughter of director Roberto Rossellini, comparing Russell to Fellini. "Many times we discussed on set that the way David works is similar to the way Federico Fellini worked back in the day. So it was beautiful and he was very generous."

Regarding his character, Tony, Ramirez considers it one of his best roles. "He gave me the opportunity to play one of the most beautiful characters in my career. He supports and celebrates the strength of the woman he loves, the Mother of his children."

To play this role alongside Jennifer Lawrence was also a dream come true. Lawrence has worked with Russell three times and has developed a full understanding of the way Russell works.

"She is a delight to work with. She has this ancestral knowledge. This very deep understanding of the human nature that goes beyond her years. It's incredible how she can channel and navigate such intense emotions and be able to deliver. We love her and it was such a privilege to work with her."

While "Joy" offered the opportunities to work with one of the best directors of modern times, "Point Break" represented a return to his homeland and an opportunity to explore the action genre.

For years, Ramirez worked in Venezuela before coming to Hollywood and breaking out. However, after shooting "El Libertador" in 2012, he had not made a film in his country. "Point Break" offered him the opportunity to return and it also offered the opportunity to go to Angel Falls, the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall.

The moment he knew that he would take the film on was when he first read the script and saw Angel Falls in it. "If I was really looking for a sign to be on board this project that was definitely the right one."

From there, he went on to prepare for the film, which included traveling to 10 countries. "It was fantastic. It was not only about the about the countries. It was the access that we had to some of the most spectacular and some of the most remote locations in the world," he said.

"I mean this movie feels more like an expedition than a film production to us. We were staying in tents, we were living in little hostels and living in little cottages in our locations."

To Ramirez, being on set did not really feel like a movie, and for him it is very difficult to speak of it in technical terms. There were many obstacles that production had to face including the weather and coping with many of the difficult terrains. There were also a lot of safety regulations that the cast and crew had to follow because of the remoteness of the locations as well as the heights they had to climb.

One such location was Angel Falls in which Ramirez's character Bodhi actually rock-climbs the falls. For the film, director Ericson Core opted out of using CGI and instead used real stunts to create the reality of the circumstance.

While there were professional stuntmen and extreme sport athletes, Ramirez still had to be involved in some of the stunts. While in Angel Falls, he recalled being on top of the mountain and waiting for the sun to be in the right place.

"I was on the rock that has the shape of a balcony right above the waterfall. And I was clipped to that rock waiting for the right lighting for overcast so that principal photography would match second unit. I would take naps, I would fall asleep 3,000 feet above ground just waiting for the sun to be covered for the right cloud."

After a few days working there, most of the actors and crew got used to the location and felt more comfortable. However, as fascinating it was, it was still daunting because if someone was to have fallen, their body would have never been found due to the remote location and the height.

Angel Falls is truly one of the most interesting experiences for Ramirez and one that he will never forget as he believes he will never return.

"It was very emotional for me and it was a huge privileged to shoot a film with such a big scope and to be able to show one of the most beautiful parts of my country, one of the most majestic places on earth, one of the most beautiful gifts of nature that we have still untouched in the world," he said.

"I grew up dreaming of going to the falls but it is very difficult to go there. Let alone to shoot on top of it. And that was a once in a life time opportunity because I don't think I will be there again. "

Now that the two films are coming out, Ramirez hopes that audiences go see the movies and enjoy the work that he has done over the past year.

"I'm very grateful for both of them and I hope that people will respond to both films and that they will serve as a way for me to continue to work with great and creative people. So you better go and see both movies," he joked.