Cuete Yeska on doing MILFriend playing Jesus and being Latino- Tattoo covered rapper Cuete stands 6'2 and looks menacing from afar, he has a sweet mellow voice that can put a baby to sleep or lay down a romantic rhyme like only a Latin lover can. And that's good given his role as babysitting Jesus on the new series MILFriend. I spoke to Cuete about his role, his thoughts and what he thinks about high heels.
Sh: What was your experience playing Jesus? C: I was very nervous. It was the most daring role I ever took on. It took courage I didn't know I had. Just the fitting alone was uncomfortable- then I got to set and I thought OH NO I'M ACTUALLY DOING THIS. Sh: What was it like working with Judy? C: Judy- was so much fun. I didn't know she was such a talented actress- she was so much fun to be around and I think I laughed more than half the time I was around her. Sh: Do you think Latinos are well represented in film and tv? C: I think Latinos are overlooked- I also think Latinos make HORRIBLE films- low budget indie movies - that also adds to Latinos being overlooked. But those of us that are in the mix are doing great. My experience doing MILFriend was one to remember- thats for sure- I had fun preparing for it - I was going to drag clubs and drag karaoke shows. It was a lot of fun to watch. I've NEVER seen anything like that before- they live a carefree life - that's for sure. They don't care what no-one thinks. They just live and they're happy. I'm on the LOPEZ show and there is a trans on the show named Rain Valdez- she's amazing - there's also a show called transgender which is opening doors for the Lgbt community. Sh: What got you interested in playing Jesus? C: I wasn't interested . My agent called me and asked how would I like to play a drag queen - I told her I DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA AT ALL. Haha, then I thought about it - and realized only a really good actor could pull that off- and it would open more doors for me - I knew having that in my reel directors would know I was more than your stereo typical cholo actor who could only play gangbanger parts. So I told her to submit me - then I got the audition was was like: "OH NOOO!"- then I went to the audition and I knew I was gonna book it - when I got the call saying I booked it, I was even more LIKE Ohh Noooooo hahaha. But I committed to the role and I think I nailed it. Sh: What kind of characters would you like to see on tv and film? C: The kind of characters I like to see are basically all types - I like seeing actors pull off roles you never thought they could. That's what great acting is. Like when Edward Norton played a nazi in American history x. Man, now that was amazing. I think that if Latinos keep getting portrayed as killers and drug dealers our youth looks up to it and they might wanna take that road in life by how it's portrayed on tv. Sh: Got a fun anecdote from the shoot? C: I remember Judy telling me about her sister - and when I met her on set- I was like woahhh in how BEAUTIFUL she was- and I was talking to her and realized- oh no I'm dressed like a woman haha... Sh: What do you think the difference is between network shows and indie shows? Who represents people better? C: I think the indie shows have more creative control of the content- to where network shows they wanna come in and change the core and life of it. And it ends up not being the show it was meant to be anymore. I'm at a point in my career where I turn down a lot of cholo gangster roles - cause I feel like I'm past that - but this one had such a crazy twist to it, I decided to take it on. And was excited to do it. I think the characters I came across were really funny - like my grandma and Alabama, Judy's- it was a great script - wonderful writing and the actors put it to life. Sh: What scared you about playing a drag queen? C: What scared me about playing a drag queen is the laughs and ridicule that I would endure. Everyone making fun of me - but being an actor you gotta be comfortable being uncomfortable. That's what makes us actors great. And it separates the dedicated from the Half assed. We can't wait to see Jesus in action. Stay tuned for more about MILFriend.