ANDY GARCIA

The Cuba-born actor, who starred in The Godfather: Part III and Ocean’s Eleven, is the “father” in the new comedy-drama Father of the Bride (June 16 on HBO Max). The familiar tale—made into a pair of previous films— gets a Latino twist with Garcia, 66, as Billy Herrera, an old-fashioned dad in a sprawling Cuban American clan, who is trying to come to grips with his daughter’s wedding.

How is this Father of the Bride different from— or similar to—the earlier versions? It was refreshing setting this in Miami with a traditional Cuban father and the introduction of a new Mexican family from Mexico City. The common [link] is the father being concerned about losing his precious daughter to someone else as she’s going off on a new journey in her life.

Had you worked with Gloria Estefan, who plays your wife? Yes, we had a bit together in one of her music videos. She also participated in For Love or Country, a movie I produced based on the life of [Cuban American musician] Arturo Sandoval. She’s one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met. She has a natural gift for a sense of truth and understanding of the work.

How did it feel to be a part of The Godfather: Part III in 1990? It was a great honor and a great privilege to be part of that trilogy. The Godfather was the movie that solidified my interest to pursue my life [in film]. It was a dream come true.

Like your Father of the Bride character, you and your family came to America from Cuba when you were a child. What was it like? I had to learn English. I was 5 years old. We were encouraged to assimilate. We felt extremely grateful to have the opportunities that we had here in America that were stripped from us in Cuba. A lot of people who haven’t gone through that don’t understand how important it is—the ability for you to voice your opinion without any repercussions or repression. That’s a very basic human right. I consider myself bicultural—Cuban and American.