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Watch McAllen actor J.d. Mata on HBO's 'True Blood' [8 p.m. Sunday, July 31] [The Monitor, McAllen, Texas](Monitor (McAllen, TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 29--When J.d. Mata stepped into the audition room at HBO studios in Hollywood, the McAllen native was careful not to break character. The producers were in search of the perfect brujo -- a medicine man who was solemn and mysterious, and Mata was determined to become him. "(My agent) said 'Be the character, do not be J.D.,'" Mata said. The University of Texas-Pan American graduate followed his agent's advice, and before he knew it, he was scheduled to star in one of the network's highest-rated shows. This Sunday, July 31, at 9 p.m. Mata will appear as "Tio Luca" on the HBO drama "True Blood." The series, which is set in Bon Temps, La., follows the lives of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and this season, witches. Now in its fourth season, the show has made stars out of Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgård, and has developed a huge cult following for vampire lovers and fantasy enthusiasts alike. Often considered the "Twilight" for adults, the show offers more blood, more nudity and more substance than its counterpart. In just a matter of days after his first audition, Mata was on set shooting scenes with Nelsan Ellis, who plays Lafayette Reynolds, and Kevin Alejandro who plays Jesus Velasquez, Reynolds' boyfriend. Although he'll be on primetime this week, Mata still recalls the days when he was a known as "The Mexican Wedding Singer" in the Valley. The McAllen High School graduate often performed at weddings throughout the area. He said he was involved with the Orion theater, a local theater organization located where Club Metropolis now resides. Bitten by the acting bug, Mata finished a degree in psychology at UTPA in 1998, packed his bags and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Mata began with a small role in the movie "Boys and Girls" with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles and moved on to write and direct a slew of independent films for his own production company Fugue Films including "Pan Dulce" with Jeff Conway ("Grease") and "The Divorce Ceremony" with Apollonia Kotero ("Purple Rain"). He worked with Sigourney Weaver in a commercial for Orange, a telecommunications company in Europe, and directed several music videos for his self-titled solo project. By day, he works as a choir director. Festiva got a chance to chat with Mata about his experience on the set. Even though he's been sworn to secrecy, he dished about "Tio Luca," the casting process and whose side he's on: Team Eric or Team Bill. What was it like being on the set of "True Blood"? "This production is unbelievable, it's extremely professional. The writers are brilliant. My jaw dropped. It was intense." Was it difficult to get into the role of a shaman? "Let's just say for a couple of hours, we were out in the desert shooting. It was really, really cold. I had to go to the bathroom. But to be in character, I got lost. I lost myself in that character. I wasn't cold, I forgot about going to the bathroom -- I knew that this was a break for me and I didn't want to blow it, but more than anything else, I just wanted to be the character. And that's what you do as a character. You don't act the role, you become the role. They actually put a prosthetic on the side of my face. It's really trippy; it's unbelievable." What was it like working with Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) and Jesus Valasquez (Kevin). Right away, Jesus and I clicked and you'll understand when you see the scene. When he saw I was going to play 'Tio Luca,' he looked at me and I looked at him and there was an immediate connection. We started talking about the roles and our characters. Jesus has family in Harlingen actually. We talked a little bit about the Valley. But both of them were very pleasant, very professional, very down to earth, very humble and very smart. Both of those guys were so intelligent, very friendly and great at their craft." Did you watch True Blood before you got the role? "I would watch it online periodically. I was a fan, sure. I don't have a television but I'd watch it online." What was it like working with Sigourney Weaver? There are some actors who won't even talk to you but working with Sigourney Weaver was great. She invited me to lunch to sit with her and stuff and that was really nice, so I've had really good experiences." What's your favorite place to go when visiting the Valley? "Luby's! Oh geez, Luby's Cafeteria. Anybody who lived there could tell you they could find me at Luby's or Country Omelette. Those two places were my home away from home. I'm also a musician so the last time I was there, I played at the Jaber At The Art Village, and Moonbeans lets me play at their coffeehouse." Team Bill or Team Eric? "I'd rather just stay neutral on that one." ___ To see more of The Monitor, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.themonitor.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |