Latino USA
Reporter & Producer
What I Learned
By the time I interviewed actor Michael Peña, I had enough experience interviewing famous filmmakers and celebrities to not be starstruck in their presence. But doing interviews as part of a movie press junket, with a limited time frame that included multiple interruptions from publicists and agents all while I’m trying to get the best possible audio and answers, definitely made things difficult.
This interview was a turning point for me in finding freedom amidst the constraints. Even though I had only about 30 minutes with Michael and we were in a busy and very noisy hotel, I succeeded in connecting with him from the get-go by instituting the time-traveling techniques that I learned at StoryCorps. Always begin with memory/sensory questions: in this case, by asking him to describe what his neighborhood was like growing up in Chicago, and what his memories of being Mexican were as a kid. By placing him in the past, listening to his stories and asking follow-up questions that built upon his life’s narrative, I was able to create a space for Michael to learn new things about himself and his story as he talked. This is the hope that I come to every interview and conversation with and when it happens it feels like magic.
Michael Peña: The New Cesar Chavez
Last Updated: December 14, 2012
We bring you a profile of actor Michael Peña, a Mexican American from the south side of Chicago. Next year, Peña will star in a new film about legendary farmworker advocate Cesar Chavez. Lily Percy reports.