A few days ago I had the opportunity to speak briefly (I really mean briefly) to Luis Guzmán about the upcoming film, Carlito’s Way: Rise To Power. The gritty, urban-action film tells the gripping tale of the early years of gangster legend Carlito Brigante. In the film Luis Guzmán plays hit man Nacho Reyes, who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Below is what he had to say:

You were the only actor to come back to this film; of course you’re playing a different character. In this film you play Nacho Reyes and in the first film you played Pachanga, somewhat of the same character.

Luis Guzmán: Well they’re both different characters from two different books. I read the first book and read the second and they were different characters and that’s was one of the main reasons I did this film.

Talk about working with Jay Hernandez?

Luis Guzmán: Jay Hernandez is awesome, just that he pissed me off a lot though.

Long Pause

Luis Guzmán: You do want to know why he pissed me off right?

Of course

Luis Guzmán: Nah man I thought the guy how to play Dominos and then he whips me like 6-8 games in row.

Are you a heavy Domino player?

Luis Guzmán: Yeah man and that ain’t supposed to happen.

What attracted you to the project?

Luis Guzmán: They told me that there would be good food on the set. Like I said before I read both books and then I read this script that was written and I really dug it. Its nice to do an urban gangster movie you know?

But what I want to say about Carlito's Way: Rise to Power it’s a really good movie, we have a really good cast in it and I think people are going to receive it really well. There’s really good performances and like I said back in the day they use to make those awesome gangster movies with the Cagney’s and Bogart’s and stuff like that, it’s nice in 2005 to see somewhat of a period piece done about Latino’s, Italians and Blacks all kind of growing up together in the neighborhood.

Can you speak a little bit about you’re character in the film?

Luis Guzmán: Yeah, my character is a totally dysfunctional individual who is like the assassin for the mob. He’s a santero and a cokehead, so he has issues this guy. He doesn’t have to many friends; his best friend is his shadow cause they are always hanging out together. Outside of that this guy is one of those guys that he don’t care about anybody. He just cares about what he has to do, make sure he has his life and that’s it and just so know there are really people like that. This is not something that is made up. I just happen to play this dysfunctional character.

What’s next for you?

Luis Guzmán: I doing a movie with director David O. Russell and Vince Vaughn

Who do you play in the film?

Luis Guzmán: Really I don’t even know yet, the script is still going the works but I know I’m in it.