ERICK CHAVARRIA
“Will Ferrell might possibly be the kindest, most down to earth human being I’ve ever met.”
Ever wonder what it would be like to go to work and laugh all day? Well, actor Erick Chavarria tells us all about it, after working alongside Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart on the comedy, GET HARD. Hitting U.S. theaters on March 27th, the film unfolds as a wrongfully convicted investment banker prepares for prison life with the help of the man who washes his car. Audiences can also find Erick in theaters as a high-school Spanish teacher in the teen comedy film, THE DUFF; and coming soon in the political comedy, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, and the horror-western, BONE TOMAHAWK. With all these films in the can, Erick found some time for an interview:
Give us a little taste of your role in GET HARD.
ERICK: My character’s name is Cecelio. He is the head gardener at James King’s (Will Ferrell) Beverly Hills mansion. Cecelio gets treated poorly. Not only does he wear Mr. James’ hand-me-down shirts, but he has to put up with Mr. James’ walking around naked around the house from time to time. Cecelio wishes he could get even with his boss, and now that Mr. James may be going to prison…he just might.
Was the script as funny on paper as it looks on screen?
ERICK: This script was hilarious. I haven’t laughed out loud so much from reading a script in a long time. And on top of that, there was more to it than just jokes. It’s also a commentary on the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country.
Tell us about your first impressions working with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart?
ERICK: I had actually worked with Will Ferrell on HBO’s Eastbound & Down for a bit, but this time I got to spend a lot more time with him on set. Will might possibly be the kindest, most down to earth human being I’ve ever met. There is nothing “Hollywood” about his personality. If you didn’t know any better you wouldn’t even think that he was an actor, let alone the movie star that he is. You can really have a conversation with him, like a real conversation. Kevin Hart is the most energetic person in the world. It would be 6 a.m. and he was already bouncing up and down on set. I was like, “What in the world does he drink in the morning? I want some of that!” He is just so full of life, so excited to just be Kevin Hart. I have great admiration for the guy. He is a real self-made star and very inspiring to be around.
How much improvising was there or did you stick to the script mostly?
ERICK: There was so much improv, they could probably cut two completely different versions of the film. We usually filmed one or two takes sticking to the script and then went from there. Oh man, I consider myself a good improviser but watching Will made me realize I have a long way to go. Everything he says during a scene is so funny and so natural. I was amazed by his genius. There is a great prison scene where Kevin becomes all these different characters…best Kevin Hart material I’ve ever seen! You’ll see…they are both great.
Did anything surprise you from working with these two funny men?
ERICK: I guess the one thing I found surprising was that when the cameras are off, Will is just a normal guy. He isn’t trying to be funny, or get attention or anything. He is so normal, just a person. And, that is refreshing.
You also appeared in the teen comedy THE DUFF…what can you tell us about that film?
ERICK: THE DUFF was a lot of fun. It’s a really sweet teen comedy, very funny with a great message which essentially is: be yourself and let your high school friends think whatever they want. DUFF stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend, describing the not-so-hot, approachable one of the group. Basically, myself in every group of friends I’ve ever been part of…Haha! The film was based on a book that a very talented young girl by the name of Kody Keplinger wrote about her high school experience.
And, you wrapped two more films, right?
ERICK: Yes, I did work on this amazing western titled BONE TOMAHAWK, which is also based on a novel. It was such an honor to be on this project. It’s a great story with lots of grit and blood. I would even describe it as a horror-western; you’ll see when it comes out. I was frightened just reading the script. It has an amazing cast, including Kurt Russell, Richard Jenkins, Matthew Fox and Patrick Wilson. I also have a role on OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, which is a political dark comedy based on the documentary by the same name. It’s about a presidential election in Bolivia and stars Sandra Bullock. It’s directed by one weird genius who goes by the name of David Gordon Green. He’s made such great indies as All the Real Girls and Joe and also the comedies Pineapple Express and Eastbound & Down.
How did you get into acting?
ERICK: You know, I actually always wanted to be an actor, but I was born a raised in Guatemala and over there the idea of becoming an actor is just so distant. I was even afraid to tell my Dad that it’s what I wanted to do. But, I ended up moving to the U.S. when I was 16, so I attended a couple of years of high school and then went on to college in Maryland. Once in college, while I was taking my first acting class as an elective, I remember saying to myself, “You know, you’re paying your own way, working your ass off as waiter and getting in debt up to the crown of your head to get an education. You could actually study whatever you want!” So, I immediately changed my major to theater. After graduating from University of Maryland Baltimore County and working a few years as a real estate agent, I decided to move to L.A. Seven years later, here I am talking to you. I am very excited to get to do what I love, and I’m looking forward to seeing where life goes from here.
Can you share with us the biggest piece of advice you wish you would have followed?
ERICK: Oh boy, there are so many mistakes I’ve made on this journey. One that I wish I wouldn’t have made is going to auditions that I wasn’t fully prepared for. By this, I mean, going to a series regular audition when I had just arrived in Los Angeles and not knowing much about on-camera acting. My acting training was for the stage and at that time, I still didn’t understand the difference between stage acting and on-camera acting. Needless to say, I yelled and over-acted myself out of many T.V. shows and casting offices.
Lastly, we can’t let you go without asking…what’s your favorite comedy film and why?
ERICK: Oh my God, there are so many great comedies. Ok, one that I’ve seen so many times and still get cravings to see is Meet the Parents. I think Ben Stiller is just such a genius. The awkwardness of meeting your fiancé’s parents is so relatable, as are the insane things that happen to his character. Also, the great casting choices they made, from Robert De Niro to that awesomely mean flight attendant who makes him wait his turn to board the plane, even though there is no-one in front of him. I just love that movie!
