Diego Luna Reveals What He Learned From His Breakout Role in Alfonso Cuarón's 'Y Tu Mamá También'

Diego Luna is gearing up for his big return to the Star Wars universe with Andor, the new Disney+ show that will serve as a pseudo-prequel to Rogue One. But even as the actor further cements his place in Hollywood history, he's still nourishing his careers on stage and in Mexican cinema, as he detailed in a new interview with GQ.

Luna grew up acting in the theater and on Mexican telenovelas before bursting onto the international cinema scene with a starring role in Alfonso Cuarón's Y Tu Mamá También (2001), co-starring his close friend and colleague, Gael García Bernal. "I had no expectations of how my life was going to change," he told the magazine. "And then we went to the Venice Film Festival and won the award. I got an agent, things started to happen. We went to Europe, South America, Japan, and the States."

Looking back, Luna sees Y Tu Mamá También as an example of the value of telling authentic stories. "We were telling a very specific story [and] you had to read subtitles, and audiences responded. I realized there was a chance that specificity will take you far."

In the two decades since the film's release, Luna has continued to act in both English-language and Spanish-language films, and, as he told GQ, makes an effort to work in his home country of Mexico, though he sees how difficult it is for Mexican cinema right now. "We don’t have a healthy industry these days," he said. "It’s very difficult to get your money back from the box office. The amount of pressure the major [blockbusters] have on cinema leaves very little space for Spanish-speaking movies."

Luna also teased what fans can expect from Andor, telling GQ that it's a kind of show that would bring "texture to a universe like this." He promised "intimate stories and character-driven journeys" centered around his character, Cassian Andor, a rebel fighter who helped steal the Death Star plans in Rogue One. The 12 episode first season premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and has already been picked up for a second and final season. It’s unclear what Luna’s schedule will be after Andor, but he said that he’d like to conquer directing next, saying, "It’s something I'm missing."

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