PS: Was it fun playing a character like Esteban? What went into preparing for that role?
M: A lot of what Esteban represents, where he comes from, and what he believes in, I could relate a lot to. I felt like I could bring Esteban to life. He's a nationalist, and he believes in where he comes from. It guides who he is. He's artistic, he's creative and he had to learn to become a businessman even in spite of his passion for arts. As a musician I'd had to learn to do the same thing. He also has a tremendous sense of family with his sister Graciella [played by Zoe Saldana]. I have a brother who I'm very close with. He's my best friend, so there's a lot of parallels I drew to who I am in my life.
PS: The movie is also a period piece set in the 1920s. How was that process as far as transforming your look? When you first appeared on screen I almost didn't recognize you with the slicked-back hair and shaved beard!
M: [Laughs] It was fun! Aside from every morning having to cover my tattoos. That was kind of the most annoying part. It was amazing to put those clothes on. It was really cool to kind of get back into that mode of how classy it was. And realize how much detail was put into little things, like the ties, the bow ties, the cuff links, the shoes, the socks, and all of those things. It was incredible.
