Luis Gerardo Méndez is making his mark in the entertainment industry.
The star has achieved massive commercial fame through major Mexican and international projects like Nosotros los Nobles (The Noble Family), Netflix's Club de Cuervos, Narcos: Mexico, and Hollywood's Murder Mystery.
As his celebrity status continues to grow, Méndez has used his platform to challenge traditional machismo culture in Mexico, normalizing queer presence and diverse storylines in mainstream Spanish-language media. His activism and notable roles on screen have cemented his status as one of Mexico's most famous and prominent openly LGBTQ+ actors,
While he sadly doesn't play a queer character in Ben Affleck's new movie Animals, Méndez is proud to showcase a strong Latino on screen during a very difficult time for minority representation.
"It was very important for us to show dignity and bring the proper representation for the Latin community. Our characters are just trying to do a good job, take the biggest risks, and have the least protections. You're going to be on the edge of your seat, but these reflections on the screen are very exciting," Méndez tells Out.
For over ten years, Méndez has spoken publicly about his same-sex relationships and used his platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality. As the political climate continues to target minority communities, the star is actively encouraging queer youth to build community.
"Authenticity is key. Being different is the superpower you have. It's okay to feel different and awkward. You're going to find your real voice in the world and you're going to be okay. Sometimes it feels like we're going backwards. Speak out! I love to speak about these things with my work."
Méndez's Animals co-star, Adriana Paz, also argues that everyone should unite against prejudice and discrimination as the political divide worsens across the globe.
"We cannot take our rights for granted. We have to remember that we have to fight for them because they can disappear, so we have to be very aware of that," Paz says.
"Human rights are for everyone! Queer, Latin, women... any community. You have to fight for human rights because you're fighting for everyone! We're living in a moment that everything is so divided. We need to be very aware and we need to be very loud. We need to own our stories and put them on the screen. When I was growing up in Mexico, we didn't have a lot of references. We still need more," Méndez adds.
Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, and Steven Yeun round out the star-studded cast in Ben Affleck's new film. As an outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, Anderson welcomed the opportunity to tackle another political project that shines a light on the systemic divisions and bigotry happening in America.
"A lot of topics have resonated with the community on such deep levels in my projects. A film like Animals sparks political and societal conversations that'll be debated. These types of films get to the crux of things and that's really important to me. These films have come to me and it reminds me how important it is to strive for those types of meaningful and cultural expressions," Anderson says.
Animals is streaming now on Netflix.
