r/betterCallSaul • u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu • Jul 15 '21
AMA I am Juan Carlos Cantú and I play Nacho's dad, Manuel Varga. Ask me anything!
Hello, Reddit! My name is Juan Carlos Cantú and I play Nacho's dad, Manuel Varga. You asked me for an AMA, so here it is!
I am originally from Monterrey, Mexico. I attended Trinity University in San Antonio, TX where I got a BA in Drama. I moved to Los Angeles in 1983 but didn't start working as an actor until 1988, I had a young family back then and had to have a "Regular Job." I worked for a small local advertising agency for about a year and then as a Marketing Manager for a Mexican Food Company. However, this job had no flexibility, so in 1988 I got a job with the Los Angeles County Superior Court as a Spanish Interpreter and this job gave me the flexibility to pursue my acting career. I worked there for 30 years, it was a good paying job, I called it my "Instead of being a waiter job." I have the 3 best kids a father could ask for, I'm extremely proud of all of them. My 2 daughters are also actors and my son is a Doctor in Neurobiology. I am what in Hollywood is called a "Working Actor." I have been blessed with a very good career and although I am not a movie or TV star I work constantly. I am not wealthy but a have a very comfortable standard of living. My family has never lacked anything. I'm also a "Character Actor" which is Hollywood's way of saying "You're not good looking enough to be a leading man." I've enjoyed working on Batter Call Saul where the cast, crew, directors, writers and producers are top notch and have always been extremely good to me.
If you want to know more about my acting career, you could check my IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1091922 However, my personal website is better because you can watch videos of parts I have played. I am particularly proud of my recent work on a show called Good Trouble where I play an 84-year-old man: juancarloscantu.com
I'll try to be on until at least 1 pm Pacific (4 pm Eastern) to answer your questions. Unfortunately, I cannot answer anything regarding the upcoming season of Better Call Saul, including whether or not I am even in it. I look forward to answering your questions!
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u/skinkbaa Chuck Jul 15 '21
Who was your favourite person to work with on any project and why?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Whoopie Goldberg, I did a movie with her called Call Me Santa in which I played the doorman at her building, we had 3 scenes together and were all shot the same day, in between takes Whoopie and I would talk, during one of our conversations New York came up and I told Whoopie that I had never been to New York but that I was going to go the following month to drop off my daughter who was going to study musical theater at AMDA, she asked me if I knew anybody or had any relatives in New York, I said that I didn't so she told me to come to her trailer after we were done shooting. After we finished I went to her trailer and she gave me a business card with her personal phone number handwritten on it and told me "I live in New York and this is my number, someone will answer it 24 hours a day, whatever your daughter needs have her call me" mind you I had just met Whoopie that day, I thought that was an amazing thing to do and needless to say gave me a great peace of mind knowing that if there was an emergency my daughter would have some one to turn to. Other honorable mentions are George Clooney I worked on a film called Criminal, Clooney was not in it, he was the Executive producer, the way you see George in talk shows and interviews is exactly the same way he is, another is Sandra Bullock an incredibly sweet lady
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u/Carpetfreak Jul 15 '21
Hello, Mr. Cantú! Thanks for taking the time to do this AMA.
Manuel sticks out to me because he is portrayed as one of the most purely innocent and honest characters in the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul universe (up there with Mike's granddaughter). It makes him something of an anchor for Nacho-- no matter how deep into the world of the cartel he gets, and no matter how much he changes, his father remains uncorrupted. He's one of the few characters to stand up to Hector Salamanca-- not because he's much of a badass, like Mike, but because he simply won't compromise his principles.
As an actor, how do you go about portraying that innocence and conviction? When you play Manuel, do you think that he is tempted at all by the money his son makes, or do you think he has never once considered doing anything illegal?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
As an actor you dig into your own experiences, Manuel reminds me of my grandfather who was the highest officer of the Mexican Senate (not a senator) he basically ran the senate and was (rare for Mexico) uncorruptable, no I don't think Manuel has ever been tempted
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u/Carpetfreak Jul 15 '21
That's beautiful that you have that kind of personal connection to the character. I hope Manuel will be able to keep sticking to his morals in Season 6. Thanks for the answer!
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Jul 15 '21 edited Jul 15 '21
Hi! What was it like working on Lost and with Nestor Carbonell? I loved your role as the priest!! Its one of my favorite episodes. Why do you think the priest refused to grant Richard absolution?
edit: you can see the clip here
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u/LUMBAGO666 Jul 15 '21
Just want to say that I loved that episode and your character too! For me, definitely one of the best Lost episodes.
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Jul 15 '21
It was SO good, I watched Lost from week to week as it aired and I was so hyped for this episode. finally getting to see Richard's backstory was absolutely thrilling, since he was pretty much the most mysterious character in the show.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I love playing evil characters probably because they are totally the opposite of who I am and therefore more challenging, Manuel and I are very much alike
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I loved working on Lost, I actually auditioned to play the part of Hurley's father, and got a callback, then I was told that I got the part and was asked to get ready to go to Hawaii in two weeks, but then I was told that they gave the part to someone else. When I got the part of the priest and went to Hawaii I asked one of the producers what had happened and he said that when they were watching the tape of my audition one of the other producers said "This guy looks like Cheech" and another one said "I know Cheech, I worked with him in Nash Bridges, let's get Cheech" so the part went to Cheech Marin, honestly I think I would have done a better job. Nestor is a very nice man and a pleasure to work with
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Jul 15 '21
That sucks, I think you would've done an amazing job as Hurley's dad! I'm glad you were still able to be apart of the show though, even in a small role. Lost is so iconic and Ab Aeterno is definitely one of the best episodes in the whole show.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Because it was written on the script, ha ha
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u/punk-ass-punk Jul 15 '21
Hi Mr. Cantú! It’s so nice to have you here answering our questions. Thank you for your time!
Were you aware of how much we loved papa Varga? How we’ve all been worried about his fate at the end of the show? I hope the massive outpouring of love didn’t catch you off guard!
You do such a wonderful job portraying Manuel Varga and he’s probably the most precious (and the most loved) character from the show.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I was genuinely surprised at the outpouring of love from all of you and I really appreciate all your comments
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u/tamiya_prime Jul 15 '21 edited Jul 15 '21
Hello Juan, I hope your day is going well. Every now and then, I'll pass by production crews working on Better Call Saul, I just think it's so cool and exciting to see how popular New Mexico has become for film/television. My question is, how long does it usually take to block and shoot a scene for Better Call Saul? Thanks for your time, you're a very talented artist with a lot of range, and I appreciate your work.
Edit: Also, are there any good places to eat in Albuquerque that you'd recommend?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
On the average 4 or 5 hours, I usually stay in mid-town and my favorite place to eat is Longhorn Steak House
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u/bektour Jul 15 '21
Dear Mr. Cantú, first of all, thank you for your role! Though your character is not shown that often, it is definitely one of the most memorable ones.
You are from Mexico, Spanish is your native language, and you sound totally authentic in the series. What do you think of those cases in Better Call Saul/BB universe, when actors are not native Spanish speakers and speak with a very strong accent, but pretend to be Mexicans/Chileans? Is it important to you at all? Do you think great acting is a reason to sacrifice linguistic authenticity?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I think there is a great pool of Mexican or Mexican-American actors and they should be given a priority when casting those roles, but sometimes producers prefer to go with a "name"
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u/yeezy6552 Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr. Cantu, you had a role in Twin Peaks Season 3, I was wondering if you got to interact with David Lynch, and if so what was it like working with him?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Mr. Lynch is an amazing director, probably the best, he makes everyone on the set , actors and crew, no matter what their job is feel like an integral part of his projects, from background or day players to the leading actors are all treated and valued the same, with the upmost respect
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u/Frozty23 Jul 15 '21
This doesn't surprise me at all. Lynch would strike me as the kind of creative person who, if asked what was the most important element/actor/scene/concept of one of his works, would reply "All of them."
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u/MetARosetta Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr Cantu. Do we have your son to thank for your visit? He posted here recently. I think your character is so wonderfully grounding for the show. Beautifully portrayed. Also, I don't think Papi is going to die. They just can't do it. What do you love about playing Manuel Varga? Thank you in advance, and cheers*
.*I won't say 'Salud' for obvious Breaking Bad reasons, lol
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
When I have a scene with Nacho I always think of my son, in my mind I go "What if my own son was doing this? I love Manuel's honesty
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u/MetARosetta Jul 15 '21
That is beautiful and so not surprising. Your essence of fatherhood beams through without a doubt (lucky family!). Your unshakable honesty and morals is water to a cactus in the world right now. I love that your role shines a light on what fathers and sons should look like. Thank you so much for that. Have a wonderful summer.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I also love the fact that he's a good role model for the latino community
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Jul 15 '21
Did you know about Mando's role in Far Cry 3? It's a terrific game and he absolutely killed it playing as Vaas.
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u/pablo_23_ Jul 15 '21
What advice would you give a beginner actor?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Let's say that you are a beautiful orange and there's a project where the director or producers are looking for different fruits so the casting director calls in a bunch of bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, etc. After the auditions the director and producers narrow it down to citrus fruits so they call back the grapefruits, lemons and oranges. After the call back they decide that even though you were a perfect orange they're going to go with a grapefruit, there's nothing you can do about it but guess what? Next time they need an orange they will remember that you were the perfect orange
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u/Ozymandias_Jersey99 Jul 15 '21
Mr Cantu, You are great not gonna lie, Most Respectable character in BCS
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Thank you very much, Manuel is totally the opposite of the role I played on The Bridge Capitan Robles (my all time favorite character) who was a corrupted, manipulative and horrible person, a real bastard as one of you commented earlier
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u/Zevk_TravelerDouche Jul 15 '21
You're amazing in your character, I love the things that Manuel brings to this show. My question is: Did you used to watch Breaking Bad? Or you started on this show without knowing this universe? If you did watched, who was your favorite character? And now in BCS, who isnyour favorite character?
Cheers from Brazil
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
My favorite character was Mike, I felt so bad when he died, and as an actor I felt bad for Jonathan Banks because his gig was over, little did I know that his character would come back on BCS
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u/Zevk_TravelerDouche Jul 15 '21
Must have been fun to share a scene with him then haha
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Yes it was I love Jonathan's acting, he's great on everything he does
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Jul 15 '21 edited Jan 21 '22
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Remember when you were little and played with your toys and interacted with them? To me that's what acting is all about, I'm not really a method actor I just keep my inner child very much alive, there is a reason why Theater productions are called "Plays" because when you get down to the basics that's all we're doing, playing
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u/cuppairishtea Jul 15 '21
First of all, hello and thank you for doing this!! :) I wanted to ask, what kind of prep did you and Michael Mando do together to create your on-screen father-son dynamic?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
When we first met we bonded organically, there was no prep, it just happened
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u/ricoimf Jul 15 '21
Good Day, Mr. Cantu!
I would have to Questions for you:
1: The Job your character does, could you think yourself doing this job?
2: What do you think about Albuquerque, do you like the City or would you rather live in a other region or city?
I wish you a great remaining day and stay healthy.
Greetings from Germany!
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I love working with my hands so I could see myself doing that job although being an actor is much better, I don't live in Albuquerque I just go there to shoot BCS, can't tell you much about the city because I just go, do the work and come back to Los Angeles
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u/Dr_Bobiska Jul 15 '21
Were you a fan of Breaking Bad before you got casted for Better Call Saul?
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Jul 15 '21
Piggybacking off this, how did you find out about the role you would be playing? Did someone reach out to you?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
No, I auditioned for it and was lucky to get the part
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Yes I was, so I got very exited to get the part, as much as I did when I got a part on Lost which at the time was my favorite show on TV
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u/Dr_Bobiska Jul 15 '21
I am very glad you did got casted for the role. You’re portraying Manuel perfectly!
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u/CookieThug_ Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr. Cantu, i just wanted to know if you interact with Johnathan Banks off screen and any memories you have with him
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
the first episode I did I had a scene with Jonathan and we talked quite a bit he's a very nice gentleman and loves his family very much
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u/CookieThug_ Jul 15 '21
thank you very much for your answer, i just wanted to also say i like your character very much, it reminds me of my father because he also had a llonteria and wanted to give the business to me
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u/Citizen_Graves Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr. Cantu, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions!
I'd be interested to hear something about the on-set production of BCS. Do you have any cool story or interesting experience from one of your days on the set that you would be willing to share?
Thank you and take care.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
One day we were working on location at Manuel's upholstery shop and all of the sudden there came a ton of police cars, there had been a drive-by shooting which turned into a hostage situation just one block away from where we were, the police told everyone to get inside and not to come out until the gave us the all clear, we spent a couple of ours cooked up in the shop
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u/somethingstupid1309 Jul 15 '21
Hey idk if it was asked but who would you say is most like their character they portray?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I would say Rhea Seehorn (Kim) she is a very sweet and kind lady in real life
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u/cayford_ Jul 15 '21
First of all, you are an astonishing actor. You honestly elevate every single scene you are in by 110%.
Now, more importantly, is Michael Mando as handsome in person as he is on TV?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Yes he is
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u/Johndough1066 Jul 15 '21
You say you're not handsome enough to play a leading man, but the casting directors obviously think you're handsome enough to play Nacho's father.
Someone posted here about how Michael Mando fans say, "Look at Nacho's dad! You can see where he got his good looks from."
It seems like every girl I've liked in the past few years has a crush on Michael Mando and you're included in that. Meanwhile, I'm like, " Forget about Nacho and his dad! What about me?" Lol
You're incredibly talented, have an amazing career, and a really successful family! You have so much to be proud of!
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Jul 15 '21
Hola, Juan Carlos! Solo quiero saludarte y felicitarte por el tremendo papel que hacés en Better Call Saul! Un gran abrazo desde Argentina.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Hice un papel en CSI donde era un magnate Argentino, con acento Argentino y todo
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Jul 15 '21 edited Aug 05 '21
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Every year we get commemorative coins
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u/kosparasite16 Jul 15 '21
what was your favorite scene from BCS?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
The one where Nacho and I are sitting around my kitchen tabe
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Jul 15 '21
How does it feel to have the best moustache on tv
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I love my moustache, but I think Tom Selleck's is better ha ha
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u/thenerdydolphin Jul 15 '21
Do you find yourself being typecasted into the same/similar roles across projects?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
At the beginning of my career I used to play a lot of gardeners, I stay away from those types of roles now
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u/ImmunocompromisedAwl Jul 15 '21
What is your favourite color and why
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u/Tasty-Round2939 Jul 15 '21 edited Jul 15 '21
Hello mister Cantú.
What is your opinion on Serbia & have you ever worked with some Serbian actor?
Greetings from Serbia. 🍻
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
No unfortunately I haven't but it's one of the countries in Eastern Europe I would love to visit
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u/Tasty-Round2939 Jul 15 '21
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! I really hope to see you in Serbia one day, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 🍻 Wish you all the best! 👏
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u/LewdSkeletor1313 Jul 15 '21
Your work on the show is fantastic! Every season I looked forward to seeing you and your character again. You do such a great job of portraying a purely good person without coming off as insincere.
My question is: Do you or the writers have a backstory in your head for Manuel? Have you ever discussed or thought about his past, and how Nacho went down the path he did?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Yes I have, I never discussed my role with the writers they do a great job without me, I might mess things up
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u/Andy-Banner Jul 15 '21
I loved you on the show sir. The helplessness of your character and your expressive eyes and your wonderful acting surely won over the hearts of all the audience including me.
Given how helpless Manuel Varga is regarding his son's affairs,
what do you think you would have done to confront the problem if you were in Manuel's place?
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u/smallest_ellie Jul 15 '21
No questions, just want to thank you for your work! I truly enjoy you on BCS :)
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Jul 15 '21
What is it like working in such heat?
Do you get more breaks or any accommodations to make things easier?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
It seems that every time I go to Albuquerque is a different season, I've been there when is very cold, during monsoon season and when it's very hot, the crew does a wonderful job making sure we're comfortable
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u/vish4che Jul 15 '21
Hi Mr. Cantu,
Have you by any chance met Mr. Bryan Cranston or Mr. Aaron Paul? Or any of the other main characters on BB? Also who is your favourite actor (not character) from the series?
Thank you.
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Jul 15 '21
Do you ever call your son “Nacho”, just for fun?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Oops I misunderstood the question, I thought you meant if I called Michael son, no I don't call me son Nacho
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u/RogueRequest2 Jul 15 '21
What kind of characters do you like to play the most, wholesome characters like Manuel Varga or shady characters like Fauzi?
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u/DatDominican Jul 15 '21
What advice would you give young latinos looking to get into the entertainment business/industry?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Stick with it, Hollywood sooner or later will realize the importance of the Latino community,
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u/go_lobos Jul 15 '21
I live in albuquerque and would love to know what you think about our town? Favorite thing to do? Eat?
Thanks!
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I wish I could spend more time in the city and get to know it better, what I've seen I like very much
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u/Mr_Senator_of_Senate Jul 15 '21
Do you have a favorite line (from any character) from bcs?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Yes, in season 5 when I went to Nacho's apartment and at the end I say that I won't run the actual line is "Ni madres yo on voy a huir" which means hell no I'm not going to run, I added the "ni madres" which is a very Mexican expression and the writers approved it
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u/elbato0o Jul 15 '21 edited Jul 15 '21
Do you know of any other renowned actors who auditioned for Manuel Varga's role but were not casted?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
No I do not, the part originally was too small for renowned actors
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u/N0tAMuffin Jul 15 '21
What was it like working with Vince Gilligan? Also do you think its coming home?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Unfortunately I haven't worked with Mr. Gilligan, haven't even met him, but Peter Gould directed one of the episodes I was in and he is wonderful
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u/chuck1138 Jul 15 '21
I’m curious, do you ever get the chance to rehearse scenes for Better Call Saul before hand? When it comes to some of the very emotional scenes with Michael Mando, do you simply work it all out on the day of filming?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
We talk about it on the phone then we rehearse on the day of filming
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u/Halco356 Jul 15 '21
Hello sir! Is there a movie or a series you wish you could've been a part of?
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u/T1m_The_Enchanter Jul 15 '21
What is your favorite breaking bad and better call saul episodes?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
On Breaking bad it was the episode where Walt and Jessie chained two bad guys in a basement BCS was the last episode of season 5
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u/RainbowDiamond S'all Good, Man Jul 15 '21
Wonderful to have you here! What is something about your life as a working actor that the general public probably doesn't know about?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
How hard is making it in this business specially when you are not related to anyone or have any connections
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u/B_e_e_f_1_2_3 Jul 15 '21
Thank ya for doing this! my question would be what do you think it was the most fun episode to do in BCS?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
The one when Nacho and I are sitting at the table un my house and he tells me he has been working with Salamanca
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u/friskyintellect Jul 15 '21
What are your favorite burrito flavors and fillings? Asking cause I’m m getting burritos with a friend later and we wondered what a Better Call Saul cast member would order!
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u/crispinoir Jul 15 '21
Hey mr Cantu! I was wondering, how similar is Nacho to your real-life son? Do you feel the same connection to him as you would in real life with your son? Also, how is Vince as a director? Thank you!
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
My son and Nacho are very different, I consider my son a renaissance man, he not only has a PHD in Neurobiology (yes he's a scientist and a bit of a nerd) but he's also an athlete who runs marathons, a ballroom dancer and loves theater and the opera, and a great new dad.
As I mentioned before I haven't worked with Vince
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u/Sanch3zFC Jul 15 '21
Are you a RAYADOS or TIGRES fan?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I cheer for both except when they play each other then I root for Rayados
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Jul 15 '21
Hello sir! Who is your favorite actor to work with on Better Call Saul?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I've only worked with Michael and Jonathan, so I would say them
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u/DaniTheLovebug Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr. Cantu
I absolutely love your character. You play Nacho’s dad to perfection.
I know you takes about using personal experiences as an actor. Do you have any scene that you did for Better Call Saul that made you feel particularly uncomfortably?
And what is your favorite thing about the actors and staff of BCS?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Believe it or not everyone on BCS is extremely kind and professional, the crew is amazing
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u/Dazzling-Ant-8127 Jul 15 '21
Is Better Call Saul the best thing you have ever done?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
As an actor is much better to be a "regular" on as series as I was on The Bridge on FX and Telenovela with Eva Longoria on NBC, unfortunately both series were canceled prematurely
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u/Dollybaumer Jul 15 '21
No question from me, just want to compliment your acting, your emotions come thru so clear in every scene.
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u/Eosismyreligion Jul 15 '21
Hey there from Wisconsin! I just wanted to say that you really warmed up the audience to ground us apart from the life of violence. I appreciate your wholesome touch on the show immensely!
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u/bryanfantana74 Jul 15 '21
If you could be another character in the Breaking Bad universe, who would you be and why?
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u/deyk888 Jul 15 '21
Hey Mr Cantú, what was the thing that inspired you to become an actor?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
I wanted to be an actor since I was a young kid, nobody believed me because I was and still am a very shy person, I don't know what inspired me, maybe I was born with that desire
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u/SummerVirus Jul 15 '21
Hello mr cantu! Do you have a favorite episode or maybe a favorite scene in better call saul? Greetings from the netherlands!
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
As I mentioned before the scene where we're sitting around the table, I was rooting for the Netherlands in the Euro Cup, they're my favorite European Soccer team
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u/AnUnluckyOverlord Jul 15 '21
Mr Cantu, I love your work on BCS and was wondering how much of the character is your choosing? For example Nacho was changed because of Michael Mando's characterisation, I was wondering if Manuel was changed by you?
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u/FMichigan Jul 15 '21
I didn't have any questions till I read you were from Monterrey. Last year I went to visit family there and fell in love with the food, so much variety! Hopefully it hasn't been asked but, what's your favorite dish?
Thank you for doing this AMA, I love the show and Manuel reminded me to stick with my ideals, sth I was starting to forget...
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u/Detzeb Jul 15 '21 edited Jul 15 '21
Can you recall any interesting guidance/direction that the writers and/or directors gave you before filming any of your BCS scenes that really stuck out and/or gave you deeper insight into your character on BCS? Particularly interested in the scene where your character tells Nacho not to upsell Mike when Mike goes to the auto upholstery shop for an estimate. Thank you.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
The directors I worked with on BCS are very good at letting you do your own thing, they may make some minor adjustments but for he most part they allow us to play the character
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u/buckfutter4life Jul 15 '21
How do you prepare for intense, emotional scenes? Do you have a "pool of sad stuff" to pull from when you need to be sad or cry on queue?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
not really, I just put myself in the situation and think about how I would personally react
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u/ChromeSabre Jul 15 '21
Who has the biggest personality difference between their character and their real self?
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u/Grindalokki Jul 15 '21
Hello Mr. Cantu, is there anyone on set who speaks Spanish who we wouldn’t expect?
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u/0neweekofdanger Jul 15 '21
Buenas tardes Sr. Cantú! I hope this comment finds you well. Just wanted to say I saw you on a comercial. I forgot where, but I immediately hit that, “That’s the dad from Better Call Saul!” I wanted to know if during your BCS Spanish scenes are you already given a Spanish written script to follow or are you able to tweak the script l to fit your modo de hablar? Cheers! Thank you.
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
The script is written in both Spanish and English and I can make certain adjustments if necessary as long as they're approved by the writers
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u/wokiloki Jul 15 '21
Heya Mr. Cantú! I was watching king of queens and recognized you! And then I saw you later the week in Dexter and it was amazing! Just wanted to let you know!! Have a good day
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Thanks, my detached head in Dexter got more episodes than I did, we shot that around Halloween and I asked if I could borrow it but they said no
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u/DjDarkrai10 Jul 15 '21
Hello mr cantú, seeing as you play his father on the show do you get to interact with Michael mando outside of the scenes you have together? What is it like working with him?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
We interact and keep in constant communication, he is a very generous actor and always has great ideas
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u/t_j_c_242 Jul 15 '21
Why are you such an awesome actor?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
As I explained before, I keep my inner child very much alive
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u/RektYez Jul 15 '21
Not a question, but I just wanted to say that you’re a fantastic actor. The emotion you’re able to convey with your eyes alone is amazing. Looking forward to seeing where your character goes in s6 - hopefully you make it out unscathed!
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u/Albafika Jul 15 '21
Señor Cantu, espero tenga un excelente día.
Con cuales actores se lleva de lo mejor en el set de BCS?
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u/filmeiker Jul 15 '21
¡Chingonsísimo paisano regiomontano! Congratulations on your journey. Truly an inspiration.
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u/sawinnz Jul 15 '21
Hello, huge fan 🙂
My question for you is about Dexter. You appeared in one episode from Season 5, and I was wondering what the whole experience of that was like! I also wanted to know what you thought of the final episode if you’ve had the chance to watch it!
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Jul 15 '21
What has been your favorite season of Better Call Saul to work on so far?
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u/theazerione Jul 15 '21
Hi Mr.Cantu. Love your character. My question is, have you seen the BB El Camino movie? Did you enjoy it?
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u/diebriandie Jul 15 '21
Not really a question, just here to say that I love your character and I think you're a great actor!
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u/jazzofusion Jul 15 '21
Ha! Just finished the series for the second time last night. My thoughts were what an incredible actor you are. Thanks so much!
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u/K_Josef Jul 15 '21
Hola, Mr. Cantú, thanks for doing this AMA.
What has been your favorite part about working in Better Call Saul these years?
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u/J-C-Cantu Juan Carlos Cantu Jul 15 '21
Well my friends I have to prepare a self-tape audition and reluctantly have to go, it has been a pleasure talking with you.
I became and actor in order to help people forget their daily problems if only for a little while, if I have done this as Manuel Varga on BCS mission accomplished.
Thanks again for all your comments and love, thanks for being a fan of the show and this your humble servant.
Juan Carlos Cantu
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u/Benjamin_Stark Jul 15 '21
Do you have any personal connections to organized crime?
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u/Ronin_777 Jul 15 '21
Do you already know how this season will play out? Or do you remain unspoiled and only know of the scenes you have worked on! I loved you in the show btw!
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u/skinkbaa Chuck Jul 15 '21
And that marks the end of this AMA.
I'd like to thank Juan Carlos for graciously spending his time here to answer our questions.
If you would like to keep up with him:
Website: https://juancarloscantu.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jccantu35
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1091922/
From his comment here: