Skip to Content
News

‘Roma’ Actor Denied U.S. Visa to Attend the Oscars

11:03 AM PST on January 24, 2019

[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]lfonso Cuarón's Mexican film Roma is so good it crossed over to the United States to lead the Oscars race with 10 Academy Award nominations. But one of its featured actors, Jorge A. Guerrero, will probably miss out on the U.S. awards season altogether. He can't get a visa.

Guerrero, who skillfully plays the scene-stealing Fermín in the film, says he has been rejected three times in his request for visa to legally travel to the States, despite having recommendation letters from an executive at Netflix and Oscar winner Cuarón. One of the times, the US Embassy in Ciudad de Mexico thought he was applying for a worker's permit. They didn't know he was an actor applying for a travel visa, Guerrero told reporters.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RCDJC_uQKgg

The 31-year-old actor and master of kung fu told Mexican morning variety show De Primera Mano that he hasn't been given a specific reason for the denials. "All they say is that I haven't been approved," Guerrero explained. "The last time I went with the letters, they basically just gave it right back to me and rejected me right away."

"The letters don't really have much of an impact on my application if you refuse to read them," he added. "But I get it. It's part of the process. And maybe I've been getting people that happen to be having a bad day or something."

In the film, Guerrero plays the love interest turned antagonist of Academy Award-nominated actress Yalitza Aparicio. His character Fermín is training to join a paramilitary group known as Los Halcones.

The passive-aggressive Fermín allowed Guerrero to show off some his kung fu training. Guerrero said he’d been studying kung fu for more than seven years before the role.

The Oscars takes place February 24.

RELATED: Review: Roma Immortalizes the Strength of Domestic Workers

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

History for Guanajuato as LAFC Falls to León in the 2023 SCCL Final

LAFC came close to winning it in 2020. A victory would have made them just the fourth Major League Soccer team to win the title, an honor shared by DC United (1998), LA Galaxy (2000), and Seattle Sounders (2022). LAFC fans were left wondering if the third time would be the charm…

June 5, 2023

Photo Essay: Hundreds Gather in Little Tokyo to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots

Big hair and even bigger pride to be pachucos! Here is our photo essay capturing some of our favorite moments from the momentous gathering.

June 5, 2023

Headlines: SoFi Staffer Accused of Dumping Vendors’ Hot Dogs, Making Kids Cry

The owners' three children were left in tears after the SoFi worker targeted the business, while an activist claims one of the children was also physically assaulted by the guard.

June 5, 2023

A ‘Secret’ Thai Seafood Pop-Up With Bangkok-Style Drinking Food and Natural Wine in DTLA

The enticing dishes at the reservation-only pop-up at a food court in DTLA's Historic Core neighborhood include a whole, two-pound rock cod fried until a chicharrón-like crispness, basking in an addictively savory tamarind garlic sauce, curried crab, oysters, and more.

June 2, 2023

Headlines: Saticoy Elementary Parents Protest Assembly and Reading of ‘The Great Big Book of Families’ At Pride Month Event

Parents gathered outside of Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood this morning in protest of a Pride assembly at the school that includes the reading of a book called "The Great Big Book of Families."

June 2, 2023
See all posts