Luis Gerardo Méndez on Ben Affleck’s ‘Animals’ and the Urgency of Immigration Reform

For Mexican actor Luis Gerardo Méndez, the opportunity to work with Ben Affleck on the new thriller “Animals” began with an unexpected phone call from his agents. The Oscar-winning filmmaker had not only read the script but also wanted Méndez specifically for the role.

“They sent me the script, and it had a very beautiful note at the end from Ben,” Méndez recalled. “He said, ‘Hey, Luis, I really want you to be in the movie. This script is not ready. I’m gonna do a rewrite specifically about your character, so I’m gonna call you around Christmas because I would love to hear your thoughts.’”

The two did not meet face-to-face until the first day of rehearsals. Méndez described Affleck’s enthusiastic greeting, noting that the director embraced him warmly and praised him as “the best actor in Mexico.” Affleck reportedly told everyone present how excited he was to collaborate with him.

When Méndez asked why Affleck was so eager to work with him, the filmmaker cited his admiration for Méndez’s performance as corrupt cop Victor Tapia in the third season of Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico,” which aired in 2021. Affleck had originally wanted Matt Damon for the film but decided to call him after seeing Méndez’s work.

In “Animals,” Affleck stars as a businessman running for mayor of Los Angeles whose life is upended when his son is kidnapped. Méndez plays Ramon, the undocumented Mexican boyfriend of the family’s housekeeper, who becomes unexpectedly involved in resolving the crisis. Méndez praised Affleck’s revisions to the script, saying they captured the proper representation and speech patterns he had envisioned for the character.

Beyond entertainment, Méndez hopes the film will spark dialogue about immigration. “What I want the audiences to think about for a second is: no one leaves their homes because they want to,” he said. “They leave it because they’re running away from violence, from political persecution.”

He emphasized that most immigrants, both in the U.S. and globally, are hardworking people who simply want to do the right thing. “They’re taking the biggest risks with the least protection,” he noted. “They’re doing the right stuff in a system that won’t allow them to shine or to be heroes.”

Méndez, who divides his time between Los Angeles and Mexico City, serves as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He became emotional when discussing recent events involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly referencing the shooting of 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in New York.

“To hear about these families getting separated, it’s really hard for me to speak about it,” he said. “I feel like no matter what your immigration status is, no one should lose their dignity. It’s as simple as that.”

He also warned about the impact of climate change on migration patterns, pointing to displacements already occurring in California. “We don’t know if tomorrow we’re going to be the ones migrating,” he said. “We must understand that. We must be welcoming because we don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 20 or 30 years. It’s about empathy and also about you could be next, we could be next.”