Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal Talk Creating La Maquina, Being Best Friends, and The Power of The Spanish Language

Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, and showrunner Marco Ramirez recently sat down to discuss their new Hulu original series, La Maquina. The series follows Esteban “La Maquina” Osuna, a once-renowned boxer who has suffered a devastating blow to his career. However, his manager, Andy, refuses to let him stay down. Together, the duo becomes entangled in criminal organizations that put their careers and lives at risk. The series also stars Eiza Gonzalez as Esteban’s ex-wife, a journalist whose career clashes with the criminal underground of the boxing world.

Since working together in 2012, Bernal and Luna had been itching to work together again. After several years and a global pandemic, the two finally reunited in the ring. “We knew it was going to be a boxer and a manager. We knew it was going to be about the success trap,” said Bernal, “…and in a way, how to say goodbye, and how to end a career.”

Not only do Luna and Bernal both star in the series, but they also serve as executive producers. “It’s not just like a random idea. It’s connected to life and to our friendship, and we have a company to make those things happen, right?” Luna elaborated on the show’s creation and what it was like working with one of his closest friends. The duo explained that they started a production company together to ensure they can create the stories they want to tell with the people they want to work with.

The two actors discussed their close bond and how, at times, it was nearly impossible to keep it together while filming. Luna hilariously called out Bernal for his inability to stop laughing while filming scenes. “It connects with my childhood in a way like no other, you know, chemistry in this job. It just triggers things that are unstoppable, you know?” said Luna, sharing how it was ironic that the younger cast and crew members were the more responsible and mature members of the set while he and Bernal were totally out of control with their humor. “Laughter is part of this journey, which is beautiful because that’s why we go there every day with a huge smile and the energy to keep going.”

Showrunner Marco Ramirez praised the show's director, Gabriel Ripstein, for allowing Luna and Bernal to riff off one another, which helped elevate the depth of the story. “This moment is the reason we’re here and it’s the reason the audience is going to want to be there,” said Ramirez, highlighting Ripstein’s dedication to authenticity and humor, and how allowing the actors to improvise enhanced the story.

In the series, Luna is unrecognizable in facial prosthetics. “It was very nice once they were on. The process was painful, but gladly we had an amazing team working and we got it really fast,” Luna said as he spoke on his experience acting in the prosthetics. He explained that they wanted his character look like a damaged man. He explained, “He really wants to be on the front page. He would like to be the boxer and not the one behind. He’s begging for attention. And he’s living in a world that is televised 24/7, right? A world that is streamed and there are pictures and there is social media.”

Bernal explained the difference between acting in their native Spanish versus acting in English. He noted that performing in Spanish feels more natural and allows him to transform into his character easily. However, he added, “When we act in English, it’s interesting because it’s immediately a mask. I’m immediately a character.”

Luna explained that speaking in Spanish instantly connects them to their stories because it feels more personal. However, when he acts in English, it becomes more calculated. He elaborated, “I have to work with the text a lot. In Spanish, I can improvise. I think in Spanish. The words resonate with me differently and trigger emotions in a different way.”

When asked what they hope audiences take away from the story, Luna explained, “It’s a show that has boxing as a context, but it’s about much more. It’s about family, it’s about friendship, it’s about those relationships that get lost in the process of getting to succeed in what you’re looking for, and suddenly you miss the opportunity to be there for the real stories of your life.”

All episodes of La Maquina are now streaming on Hulu in the United States and internationally on Disney+.