From famine to feast in 24 hours.
I was blown away by the personalities around me today. From all walks, world over I was spoilt for choice. So who do I choose?
Someone was more visual to me than the others, I’ll admit not just today but from last night at dinner. His presence albeit quiet at first was just ‘there’. He commanded the room but with a passive, calming and very pleasant atmosphere.
I was in no doubt that I would approach him today, so not a complete stranger but we had yet to speak.
The people in my presence today all had an amazing story, I wish I was spending the week with them.
Name: Julio Cesar Cedillo
Occupation: Professional Actor
1. Where were you born and raised?
‘I was born in Mexico, Durango & Fort Worth Texas, I spent my months at school in Texas. My parents moved to Texas but they sent me back home to Mexico so I wouldn’t lose the language, I was with Aunts & Uncles in Mexico when out of school. My childhood was interesting because I have two brothers and one sister that were younger so my mother put me in front of the TV which was easier for her because she had babies so I learnt how to speak English by watching TV, so I was mimicking actors like James Mason, Jimmy Stewart, Christopher Walken.’
At this point I am treated to an incredible audio of these actors, Julio has them down to a tee..his Christopher Walken gave me chills, loved it, one of my favourite actors, shut my eyes and he was in the room..listening to the tape. Incredible. Talented guy.
‘The neighbourhood I moved to in Fort Worth in Texas were not predominately Hispanic, interestingly enough the people who discriminating us, because there was discrimination, were not causcasian they were Mexican Americans, there is a cultural identity crisis going on because they couldn’t speak Spanish well and I could but I couldn’t speak English like they could, so there is already a separation of cultures even though they look like me because we come from the same ethnic group. But when you are a kid you don’t notice that you just grow up in that environment.’
‘Where I moved to we were one of the first hispanic families to move into that neighbourhood but within about 10 years after that more families moved into those areas but within about 15 years there were hardly any caucasian families in that area. Its natural progression of immigrants coming in and job opportunities in that area.’
2.Tell me a childhood memory.
‘It’s the time my folks, my Dad was injured and he was the only one working, he had a serious shoulder injury from his job. My Dad never asked for handouts, I think all immigrants don’t come that way, we just want the opportunity, so my Dad was of that mindset. But my Dad was the only one working at that time because my Mom was a stay at home Mom and her English wasn’t that great. My Mother ended up having to go to the church and asking for assistance at Christmas time. So I remember as a kid hearing a knock at the door, this was right before Christmas and it was the Catholic Church and they come to our house to drop off gifts, there weren’t very many but it was this little red aeroplane that they gave us and several other little toys, I remember my Mother handing them to us and just crying non-stop and I didn’t understand why until she told us later, after all this and then my Dad, it took him almost six months to recuperate from this and we were getting food stamps as well, when he was able to get back to work he actually went back to the Government office where we applied for food stamps and he went back and wrote them a cheque to give them their money back. I will always remember that.’
3.What is your favourite season and why?
‘Spring, because I love gardening and gardening is my thing.’
4.Tell me about someone you love.
‘Y’know it’s real easy for me to say my kids because that only seems natural and it could be easy to say my parents because they have struggled and I don’t think any of us would be here without our parents who were supportive but at the end of the day I’m gonna have to say my wife because at the end of the day she has been at my side through thick and thin and she has never faltered. I thought I was the anchor, I’m not the anchor, she is the anchor and the kind of love I have for her is a compassionate love, because I am so grateful for her, so it’s my wife, I love my wife. More than I ever realise sometimes.’
5.What words of wisdom do you have for the reader about life?
‘I think just know your place in the world and know that you don’t have to aspire to anything other than what you need not what you want and there’s the difference.’
6.Dreams for the future.
‘Oh my God, dreams for the future is just to keep it together, I go against the grain in a lot of things in my life so that is why when I became an actor it seemed like the craziest thing to be at the time. I have been an actor for 27 years, I am 46. I take the road less travelled, what I would like to do now is to avoid taking the road less travelled and I’d like to have a little more consistency in my life, I am a very impulsive person. Take it easy, thats the future, doesn’t matter what I do just take it easy, life is fleeting and I just wanna chill out. The future is more about being more comfortable in the skin we are in’.
Can you tell by Julio’s response how much I enjoyed our conversation. His voice was rich and vibrant, the pull up a blanket, lay down and just listen kind of voice.
He has lived a life we have seen in the movies..then he has starred in those movies.
Julio has a wonderful disposition, funny, humble, considerate and a real team player. He entertained us all with his humour, impressions and wonderful accents, he has a few.
The rich tapestry of life is in abundance for me today. I am overwhelmed by the great big stories of life that are laid out in from of me. How can I possibly write words to do his story justice? Mexican immigrant to Hollywood star..
This is who I saw.
A man who loves his wife, with gusto..he is still in love with his wife, a considerable difference. He loves his parents, his children, here is a man who loves life. It shines out of his face like a beacon and he shares his joy by his wonderful smile and huge laughter..sometimes in the style of an evil villain, well, he is an actor.
Julio is a nice guy, genuine, humble, full of humour. His presence was considerable in our group today, we would have been lacking without him.
I’m smiling as I type these words, so glad to have met him, he has definitely left his mark on my life, I’m going to continue to take a leaf out of his book and just ‘Chill out’.
Said in a Christopher Walken voice, of course.
