Michael Peña
Dora’s dad talks stolen monologues and staying real…
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive on set?
I always introduce myself. Whether it’s the DoP, the director, the costume designer… I like to know the new family that you’re going to be with for a little bit.
Do you prefer to eat a hot or cold lunch when shooting?
Hot lunch all the time. And then I take a nap right after. I’m a napper. I get my food, I eat, and then boom. I try to stay away from craft services though.
Do you use a phone on set or would you rather not have it with you?
I do [have it], but for games. I try not to be on social media or anything like that. I play a lot of chess.
What’s been your best on-set experience so far?
I loved working on End Of Watch and Crash because, at the end of the day, what I really remember is the movie. Ant-Man was a blast, because I’d never done a superhero movie; Dora And The Lost City Of Gold was a blast, because I’d never done a kids’ kids’ movie.
And what’s been your worst on-set experience?
I was on a movie where there was another actor trying to take all my monologues and stuff, and trying to steal my storyline – which is why I signed on to do it. I won’t tell you which movie, but that was the worst. I was trying to ask the director… I was like, “I can’t believe this is happening.” And they were like, “Yeah, I know.” And they just let it happen. That left a really bad taste in my mouth.
What’s the longest day that you’ve ever spent on set?
I think it was 22 hours on The Lucky Ones. We were at an airport, and we needed to shoot everything, and we were going to be there until we got it. I went crazy. I was going like, “Woo!” or some really annoying thing, just to try to keep myself up. But it was very hard.
Have you ever stolen anything from a film set?
Never. I feel really weird about that. Because it’s not mine. Somebody paid for it, and they’re probably going to give it back. Then there’s reshoots, and then they don’t have it, and maybe you lose it. So I never mess with it.
What’s the best wrap party you’ve ever been to?
Probably Narcos. We’d shot already, and then we came back, and then it was the premiere, and I got to see everyone. It felt like doing 10 independent movies because it takes 25 days to film an episode, and we’re doing two episodes in a month with two units at the same time. So when I’m not on that unit, the others are. So it was great to see those guys.
How did Dora compare to other sets you’ve experienced?
This one was really cool because it’s all about the Incas so you come in and you’re like, “Wow, this is how the Incas used to do it.” They really did a lot of research and stuff. I’m used to seeing those kind of sets, but you feel like a kid. And we were filming in the Australian jungle so you always have to keep an eye out [for unfriendly creatures]. When people are freaking out, it was real!
How do you keep in touch with ‘real life’ when you’re filming?
I basically live a really simple life. I love playing chess. I go golfing with my buddies. I always check in, and try to be helpful with people – and to be more interested than trying to be interesting. JC
ETA | 16 AUGUST / DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD OPENS NEXT MONTH.
‘on one movie there was an actor trying to take all my monologues… that was the worst’