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American Morning

Showbiz Today Reports: Jay Hernandez Discusses 'Crazy/Beautiful'

Aired July 05, 2001 - 10:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Teen movies are continuing to fill the theaters this year using big names, fast cars, and gross-out humor, but there is a new movie that is about teens and for teens that offers none of the above. It's called "Crazy/Beautiful," and it stars an unknown actor named Jay Hernandez.

CNN's Lori Blackman talks to this "Showbiz Today" star of tomorrow about the film and how crazy it is that he's starring in it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LORI BLACKMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am here in Manhattan's Central Park, by a tree because it's slightly raining, with Jay Hernandez, star of the new film "Crazy/Beautiful." Now, Jay is not only new to New York City; he is also relatively new to the big screen.

So how does it feel to be starring in your first feature film?

JAY HERNANDEZ, ACTOR: It was a lot of work, and it was really strange. It takes a lot of getting used to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE OAKLEY, ACTOR: You find the right person, and then all of a sudden, anything's possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKMAN: When they started casting for this film, you were one of the first people that they brought in.

HERNANDEZ: I think actually the first person they saw.

BLACKMAN: But they couldn't cast the first person they saw. They did a countrywide search and came back to you.

HERNANDEZ: Right, right. And they even saw people from Mexico and Spain, so they pretty much looked everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: I love your daughter, sir. She has so much beauty, so much honesty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: It's teen oriented I guess, but it's not the typical type of teen movie; it's got a lot more reality to it, and I think the characters are real, and it has something to say. It's got more depth, I think, than sort of the average teen movie.

BLACKMAN: And certainly, a big deviation from the average Latino character.

HERNANDEZ: Right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: You guys play around and bet, which is cool -- whatever -- but it's not like that for me, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: That's what drew me to the role immediately, the fact they were so positive, and it was something different. The stereotypes were completely reversed. The more affluent, rich white girl was the one who was dysfunctional, and I was from the wrong side of town and that kind of thing -- my mom was really nurturing and caring.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: How did I get involved in this?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKMAN: So how much are you, Jay, like your character, Carlos?

HERNANDEZ: I'm pretty close. I try to bring a lot of myself out and put into the character, so it's pretty real as to who I am. And I think there are a lot of similarities between me and Carlos. It's sort of like the way he transitioned into the "Pacific Palisades"- sort-of lifestyle is the same transition that I'm making into the entertainment business right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERNANDEZ: Don't me, OK?

OAKLEY: I'm not going to play you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Lori Blackman, CNN Entertainment News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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