Latino Actor Breathes Life into 'Bella'
By Melissa Charbonneau
CBN News
November 5, 2007
CBNNews.com - HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - You may not be able to see the movie Bella in your local theaters yet, but some say it could be the next Passion of the Christ.
The award-winning independent film is up against the giants of Hollywood in the battle for distribution dollars. The film did very well when it opened in limited release last weekend.
The producers of the movie are hoping Bella it continues to do well at the box office so it can get a distributor to release it nationwide.
CBN News spoke with the film's leading man, Eduardo Verastegui, to talk about Bella, and his own story that's as inspiring as the film itself.
Latin America's Brad Pitt
Much of the Oscar buzz about
Bella surrounds Verastegui himself.
The Mexican-born actor and film's co-producer is among the fastest rising Latino stars and was named among this year's 50 most beautiful Latinos.
He is also known as Latin America's Brad Pitt.
His drop-dead good looks put him on the fast track for edgy lead parts like the playboy in Chasing Papi.
A Risky New Role
But Verastegui's new role is riskier, producing uplifting moral movies with universal values.
He said, "We were like, 'Let's make a difference. Let's make films that will light a candle in people's hearts.' And the next thing you know, three years later, we end up winning the biggest film festival in the world."
The risk paid off at Toronto's International Film Festival, where Bella won The People's Choice Award.
Bella tackles the thorny abortion issues in a love story about a waitress and her unwanted pregnancy.
Verastegui says that it's a message so powerful, that those women who saw the film cancelled plans for abortion.
'Babies are Alive Now Because of Bella'
"Babies are alive right now, jumping around - one in Miami, one in Los Angeles. That, you know, is the result of Bella. And by the grace of God - through Bella and through us - we're just instruments of saving these babies."
They're not words one would expect from the Hispanic heart throb.
"After working 12 years really hard and achieving success, fame, money, pleasures, everything, I was seduced by the environment. I was empty. Something was missing in my life," he said.
Verastegui returned to his Catholic faith, and would one day name his company Metanoia films.
He explained, "The spiritual meaning is 'turning to God' because that's what happened to me. I had a conversion; I had a transformation in my heart."
He recalls, "What broke my heart was when I realized I was offending God with the talent he gave me."
Some said Verastegui would never work again in Hollywood after he made a commitment not to take any roles that poisoned society or compromised his values. It was a decision that resulted in four years of unemployment.
He laughed, "They thought I went crazy."
Challenging Negative Stereotypes
Verastegui also began questioning the negative portrayal of Latino men.
"Always the bandito, the criminal, the thief, the drunkard, and if you are good looking, you are the Don Juan Latin lover- in other words, the womanizer and liar."
Bella has won kudos from the Hispanic community, religious audiences, and even The White House for shattering stereotypes and honoring everyday heroes.
"A Latino man who comes to this country with a spirit of gratitude. A man of integrity. A man that is honest. A man that is willing to sacrificing everything to help his wife, his children, his friends," he said.
Verastegui's hope for Bella is that audiences who see his film will leave inspired.
He said, "Hopefully we could create 'metanoias' in peoples lives, light in the darkness, little transformations. Little bits of light."
*Original broadcast October 26, 2007.
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