Felix Solis | Sirens & an Isle of Enchantment

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Felix Solis: Some of the Beastie

Boys were like, you know, babysitters

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at my afterschool program.

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And so there's like, literally, I grew

up in wherever I looked, wherever I went.

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My option was always first and foremost.

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Art.

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Announcer: Welcome to Story and Craft.

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Now here's your host, Marc Preston.

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Marc Preston: All right, here we go back

again, another episode of Story and Craft.

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So glad to have you back If this is

your first episode, my name is Marc

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Preston, and, uh, glad to have you.

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Thanks for stopping by, uh,

today, sitting down with the

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very talented actor, Felix Solis.

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Uh, you might know him from Ozark

or the Rookie, or the Rookie Feds.

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Uh, he is now in the new

Netflix series, sirens.

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Uh, very cool show.

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Uh, great, great ensemble cast.

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You got Megan Fahe, uh, Millie Alcock,

Julian Moore, Kevin Bacon, uh, Bly

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Howerton, but uh, Felix's character.

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He alone is worth the watch.

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Uh, really enjoy his

character in the show.

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Uh, great conversation.

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Really enjoy the opportunity to

share a little time with Felix.

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And by the way, don't forget to stop

by story and craft pod.com, everything

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you could possibly want to know

about the show past guest and more.

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It is right there.

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Just check it out anytime.

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Uh, now also, uh, if you would, do me a

little favor, pop open your podcast app.

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Make sure to follow story and craft.

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when a new episode rolls out.

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Also, don't forget to like the show.

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I like the episode.

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You know, of course it helps

people find story and craft,

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which I appreciate greatly.

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Alright, let's jump right into it today.

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It is Felix Solis Day on Story and Craft.

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Where you at today?

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Felix Solis: I'm in, uh, New York City.

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I'm in the city I was born and raised in,

which is always nice to be back here when

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Marc Preston: I'm here.

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When we first connected,

I heard the, uh, sirens.

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It's like, eh, he's gotta be in New York.

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It's like after about a week and

sing in New York When I come home.

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It's so quiet.

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It's hard to sleep, you know,

because you're, so, you're Yeah.

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Yeah, completely.

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Felix Solis: Uh, but yes, I'm

currently in New York City.

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We've been here, uh, for about a

week doing a press junket for sirens.

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And, and, uh, and I, uh,

I am born and raised here.

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My, my, my, I grew up in

Chelsea, in the Greenwich

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Village of, of, of New York City.

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My dad is still here.

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My mom has since, uh, moved on

to probably bigger and better

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things than what we're doing here.

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But, uh, uh, yeah, so, so, uh, so I'm

here and I have a little studio in New

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York City that I can call home whenever

I, I wanna come back and I miss it.

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Where are you living full-time now?

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Where, where do you call home?

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I, I, I bought my first home

ever in, uh, in a small little

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town outside of Decatur, Georgia.

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Marc Preston: They're doing

a lot of filming in Atlanta.

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So that's, that's probably,

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Felix Solis: yeah, I was introduced

to Atlanta when I went there a couple

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years back to do a TV show called Ozark.

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And, and they shot the

entire series there.

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And so at first I was

going back and forth, uh.

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And then when the, my character

was then fully committed into

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the storyline, I had to move.

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And so I, I, uh, I had spent some

time, I spent almost two and a half

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years, almost three years to, uh,

in Atlanta working on that show.

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And so I had a three year, uh, period

of time to know the neighborhoods,

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get to know them, and figure that out.

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Still didn't mean I wanted to buy it

just simply meant I knew it because

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when I was done with the show and I

was able to save up enough money to

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buy my first home, I came back here

to New York looking for something.

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And what I was offered was, you know,

frankly an insult to New York City.

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And then, and then I went to Los

Angeles looking for the same thing.

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'cause I figured I'd work there too.

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And it was also a little tough with

what I was, what I had to offer and

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what was gonna be given in return

were a kind of, uh, not equal.

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And then I went back to Georgia

and they were like, how much

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of this forest do you want?

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And so.

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Marc Preston: I grew up in Dallas

and for me, the Atlanta area is kinda

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like Georgia's Dallas, you know?

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Sure.

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And it's, you know, a

lot of, a lot of driving.

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You get a pretty decent amount

for your money, you know, and it's

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just kind of a nice home base.

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Felix Solis: Yeah.

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It feels a little bit more, yeah.

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It feels more rewarding and,

and, uh, and it's not so far away

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that I can't just, you know, jump

on a quick plane if I have to.

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Although I, I fear flying, but, uh, but,

uh, but I will jump on, especially lately.

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Marc Preston: Huh?

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I don't really fly that much, but now

it's like, just watching the news.

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Is it a function of just getting older?

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You know, it's like, no,

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Felix Solis: no.

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I mean, I think the, I think, I think

the atmosphere up there is changing

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as I look out of my, you know, 15

floor window out into Times Square.

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But like, it, it, it, the atmosphere

up there is different now.

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The, the, the currents and the

cross currents and just the,

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just the, and you know, you can

choose to say global warming.

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You can choose not to.

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I, I, I. You know, I think there's

something, different things have changed

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up there and unfortunately what has

not changed and upgraded and updated

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to accommodate that kind of change up

there are the equipments that they're

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sending up there, you know, so, yeah.

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Marc Preston: And then they got

that whole like, uh, air traffic

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control thing and all that.

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Yeah.

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That

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Felix Solis: glitch, glitch at Newark.

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Oh my goodness.

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Yeah.

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And they went black, like

60 seconds or something.

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I don't know.

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I'm misquoting the timeframe,

but the, but it, like, everything

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went dark for a, a decent.

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Amount of seconds that

I can't even imagine.

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Marc Preston: You know what I think is so

funny is I hear somebody with like a New

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York accent sounding as chill as possible.

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Like yeah.

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You know, Hey, be careful.

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You know, I would be sitting there, my

hair would be on fire, I'd be freaking

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out going, okay, all these planes, it'd

be like John Candy in that, in that movie.

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Yeah.

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Summer rental, you

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Felix Solis (2): know?

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Oh, yes.

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Or the,

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Marc Preston: the, the fly

lens on his radar, you know?

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Yeah.

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But no, you know, I, you know, it's

funny, I went and I did a cursory

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checking around on the Weber Nets,

and I went to your Instagram and I, I

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have a feeling I was like, when I saw

it, I was like, wait a minute, okay.

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This guy, I think he's part of my tribe.

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You got an Anthony Bourdain

quote, you have, and Alan Watts.

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Quote, and then you had a, a few pictures

of, you know, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

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I'm like going, okay, this

guy, I gotta talk to him.

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Big Anthony Bourdain fan.

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So anytime I see somebody

posting, I feel like this is

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tribe of people who like, yeah,

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Felix Solis: I learned a lot

from reading his books initially.

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And then, and then I had the pleasure of,

of having an interaction with him at, uh,

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at la the one, uh, the la down really?

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In the, yeah, I, I went in not expecting

to see him, but I went in to have a steak

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and a glass of wine and I'm sitting there,

uh, just during the season, during the

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baseball season, I was sitting there just

having a glass at the bar, dinner, wine.

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I had to, you know, filet and the.

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Glass of poor dough, and I'm just

sitting there and, uh, these two

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guys sitting next to me, they're,

uh, they're coming from the game.

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They're talking about the game, the Yankee

game, and they're just shooting the shit.

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And so then sure enough, uh, he walks

in, uh, and he walks into the restaurant

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and he, he says hello to his bartender.

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He goes into the kitchen, he comes back

and he's, you know, just saying hello.

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Really cool.

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Is this back when he was working there

or did he just happen to pop yet?

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No, no, it was just, yeah, this was

way, this is after Kitchen Confidential.

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Oh, okay.

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Yeah.

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This is after, uh, the, the, the

travel show, like all of that.

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He just came in and he was saying hello

and, uh, and he said hello and, uh, and

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they, he overheard the two guys talking

about the Yankee game and they started

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talking about sports and they started

mentioning about, you know, they asked

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him about the hot dogs at Yankee Stadium.

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And he said they're great.

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You know, they're great.

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And then he's like, yeah.

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And then one of the guys goes,

yeah, yeah, I love the hotdog.

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They, they're great.

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You know, a little ketchup a little.

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And he went, what?

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Oh,

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he went, what?

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He went, what?

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What did you just say?

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And he goes, yeah, you know,

throw a little ketchup.

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And he goes, lemme tell you something.

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He literally said this.

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I heard him say this with my own ears.

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He said, lemme tell you something.

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Anyone who puts a hot put, anyone who

puts ketchup on their hot dog is a, and I

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think if I concur, allow me to, oh yeah.

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He said, anyone who puts ketchup

on a hotdog is a fucking asshole.

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He said, I literally, I said, I

had three thoughts run through

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my mind at the same time.

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One is, thank you universe for allowing me

to be sitting right here in this moment.

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To watch that man say those words.

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Two, I am never putting ketchup

on my hot dog ever again.

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And three, I thought, there's

a man who knows exactly.

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1. Exactly what he, what he wants

and what he knows and how he is.

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And it was just a beautiful

thing to watch him.

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But yeah, I've learned a lot.

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I've learned a lot from him.

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And, and by watching him

and, and studying him,

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Marc Preston: you know, I think he's

gonna go down as a, uh, I don't mean to

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immediately start grooving on Anthony

Bourdain, but it's like not often.

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He comes up.

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Occasionally I've had an opportunity to

speak with, like, I, I talked to an, uh,

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Andrew Zimmer and he was talking to me.

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Mm-hmm.

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You know, some sharing some

anecdotal things and Sure.

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He had just an interesting and very.

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I don't wanna say simplistic as like

a, a boring look on life, but he appre,

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he always would say his father, he

always would quote his father when

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he said, I'm a man of simple means.

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You know?

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He always would say that.

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Yeah.

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And I kind of, I, I dug that in

other words, that he could be

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just as excited about a hotdog

as he was about like flag ride.

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Absolutely.

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Felix Solis: Yeah.

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Completely.

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Yeah.

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Or walking down an alleyway in the

middle of Vietnam or, you know,

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swanky fucking diamond studded, you

know, rooftop in, in on Park Avenue.

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Like, it was, it, they all were equally as

fascinating and equally as simply, uh, uh,

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engaging to him, which was really cool.

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Yeah.

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Marc Preston: And like I said,

I saw that quote from Alan,

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why are you an Alan Watts fan?

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Yeah.

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Or just happened to run across like

a quote because you know, he has

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Felix Solis: Yeah, I saw the quote and

then I dug him up, you know, 'cause

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I'm a, I'm a, I'm, I'm, I am one of

these guys who is like, if something

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strikes me, and if something moves me

to the point of thought, you know, that

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I, uh, that I go, where is the source?

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What is that source?

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And where does this source come from?

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So I hadn't known him.

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And then I saw that quote and I

thought, let me look into 'em.

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And

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Marc Preston: I used to live

in, uh, the north county of San

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Diego in a city called Encinitas.

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Used to drive up to LA to, you know, I

worked on the radio just briefly up there.

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Yeah.

239

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Whenever I'd drive home after Sure.

240

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My shift, I would kick it on.

241

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I think it'd be like Radio

Pacifica or something like that.

242

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They'd play the old recordings of them.

243

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Yeah.

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And I just, I just got real into, and

back, back, oh God, this is back when,

245

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uh, uh, you know, you, you know, let's

say Limewire or whatever was around,

246

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you know, down you computer, a virus.

247

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And I just.

248

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I just got hours and hours and hours,

and I've got so many of his recordings.

249

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And then fast forward, we're in the

Spotify era where I can just go dig up,

250

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you know, whatever I wanna listen to.

251

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But this is just a cursory skimming of,

uh, a little bit of info, but did you do

252

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work on stage with Philip Seymour Hoffman?

253

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Did y'all have, is that

254

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Felix Solis: Yeah, I'm,

I'm a child of the boards.

255

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Uh, I, you know, I, uh, I grew

up in New York City, in the

256

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Greenwich Village, Chelsea area

of New York City, where you, uh.

257

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Where your first introduction

to performance is on stage.

258

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Uh, you know, there it wasn't Los

Angeles where you have an opportunity

259

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to, you know, start your career or

get your chops in front of camera.

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Uh, uh, New York City is, you

know, as you know, is a, is a

261

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historically theatrical city.

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And so I did a lot of theater growing

up, theater growing up, and one

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of them was actually on the very

street that I'm talking to you from.

264

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On 42nd Street, the, uh, there

was a theater row and I did a

265

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show, a, a, a showcase show, my

first equity showcase show, and

266

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a friend of mine came and saw it.

267

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Uh, dear friend, who's still

my friend to this day, super

268

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accomplished actor, David Zas.

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And he, uh, he pointed my, he pointed

me to the theater company that he was a

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member of the Labyrinth Theater Company.

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And at the time, Philip

Seymour Hoffman was, uh.

272

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Endeavoring into his first director, uh,

piece where he was directing a play that

273

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Steven Atli GGI wrote, calling Arabia.

274

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We'd All Be Kings.

275

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And while they were considering

casting and looking for actors to do

276

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that production, uh, my buddy David

Zas went to them who had been a, a,

277

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a member at the time and said, I,

I just saw this guy on stage and I

278

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think he's, he, I think he's good.

279

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He's great.

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I think we should introduce him.

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And so they brought me in, uh, and uh,

after sitting and talking and having a,

282

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a chat with them and they came and saw

the show, the writer and I. They all

283

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agreed that I should be a part of it.

284

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So I was in the very first

play that, that Phil directed

285

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our friendship started there.

286

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Marc Preston: Where was this in

the arc of he, his career roughly

287

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had, had he already been doing

things on camera that were notable?

288

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Felix Solis: Yeah.

289

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Yeah.

290

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He had think, I think he had ju

he had done sent of a woman and

291

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then, uh, and then, uh, and then

he was moving into more stuff.

292

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Maybe even might have been

shooting or could have just

293

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finished Talented Mr. Ripley.

294

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Ripley.

295

00:12:04,980 --> 00:12:04,981

Yeah.

296

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So he was in that area, is in that era,

uh, before he really started to sort

297

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of come into his own and explode with,

with things like Capote and, and, and.

298

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Boogie nights and things like that.

299

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So, so, uh, so yeah, during that

period, it was all, during that

300

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period we all sort of started really

shining and, and, and stepping up.

301

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And the theater company was very helpful

in that the productions that we did,

302

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that Steven Agi had written and that

Phil Hud directed were, were, were doing

303

00:12:32,475 --> 00:12:35,505

well, they were succeeding, and they were

putting our theater company on the map.

304

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So that also helped.

305

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Uh, and then he, uh, and then he

continued to skyrocket and our

306

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friendship continued to blossom.

307

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And, and we were, we were

very, very close, very,

308

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very

309

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Marc Preston: close.

310

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Uh, I remember watching an interview,

I think it was inside the actor studio.

311

00:12:48,975 --> 00:12:49,065

Mm-hmm.

312

00:12:49,425 --> 00:12:52,695

I think I was watching it just as the

impression I got, and over the years of

313

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seeing interviews, uh, that the stage

thing was, uh, for him it was, uh, it was,

314

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uh, I don't mean to sound highfalutin as

they say, but he, see for him it was art.

315

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You know, for him it was, he took, he is

like, I just got a sense that if you're

316

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gonna do it, you gotta take it seriously.

317

00:13:08,655 --> 00:13:09,645

You know, that kinda thing.

318

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I was speaking with a guest a couple

of episodes ago about him, uh, and.

319

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Uh, those great big roles were awesome.

320

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But, you know, the thing I loved him in

always was these little, just like, along

321

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came Polly, uh, twister to, to one of my

favorites was, uh, uh, uh, almost famous.

322

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You know, just see these, these

little roles, but they just pop.

323

00:13:30,465 --> 00:13:33,495

Or essentially maybe you're a day

player, you know, or a weak player.

324

00:13:33,555 --> 00:13:33,825

Uh, sure.

325

00:13:33,825 --> 00:13:35,535

And something, and you

can bring that to life.

326

00:13:35,565 --> 00:13:36,825

That's, that's also.

327

00:13:37,739 --> 00:13:41,099

Felix Solis: Yeah, I, you know,

Montgomery Cliff was once interviewed

328

00:13:41,099 --> 00:13:45,750

when he was nominated for an Academy

Award for a, a judgment at Nuremberg.

329

00:13:45,869 --> 00:13:50,069

He, he, he played a, a role where

he was on the stand, and I think

330

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it might have been one scene, could

have even possibly been a monologue.

331

00:13:53,339 --> 00:13:56,819

I can't quite remember, but Monty

Cliff was interviewed and they, they

332

00:13:56,819 --> 00:14:00,989

challenged him and they said, you know,

how do you feel about having such a

333

00:14:00,989 --> 00:14:05,069

small part in this film and yet being

acknowledged for an Academy Award for it?

334

00:14:05,069 --> 00:14:07,199

You know, he may have

even won it, I'm not sure.

335

00:14:07,199 --> 00:14:11,880

But, but uh, in the response to that,

he said, you know, that to be an actor

336

00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,709

is to play any part larger, small,

that has something important to say.

337

00:14:17,485 --> 00:14:19,735

And, and I feel like Phil fit that.

338

00:14:19,735 --> 00:14:24,655

You know, I think whenever Phil decided

to do something, it wasn't just to act,

339

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although he was a firm believer that

if you were asked to act, that is the

340

00:14:28,314 --> 00:14:32,545

biggest compliment that one could ever

get as an actor, is to be asked to do

341

00:14:32,545 --> 00:14:36,745

it because it's so difficult for us to

even get hired that when you are asked

342

00:14:36,745 --> 00:14:38,845

to do it, it's a humbling and grateful.

343

00:14:38,845 --> 00:14:39,925

It's a, it's an honor.

344

00:14:40,314 --> 00:14:44,095

And so that, but, but, uh, but I

also believe that he was always, he

345

00:14:44,095 --> 00:14:47,275

told me, you know, he said the most

important thing that you, the biggest

346

00:14:47,275 --> 00:14:50,875

responsibility you have Felix as an

actor is to the character you're playing.

347

00:14:50,875 --> 00:14:53,755

And so it's always gonna be just about

that and what you're doing to the

348

00:14:53,755 --> 00:14:57,745

other person in the scene, which is

how I've lived my career as an actor

349

00:14:57,745 --> 00:14:59,845

ever since he shared that with me.

350

00:15:00,145 --> 00:15:03,564

And, uh, but I think he was, it was

also that it was something important.

351

00:15:04,255 --> 00:15:07,345

The character had something

really important to say, you know?

352

00:15:07,765 --> 00:15:11,845

Uh, and that just drives, that

drives an actor into, uh, into

353

00:15:11,875 --> 00:15:14,575

a, the bigger, the strongest

creative energy you can, you know.

354

00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,210

Marc Preston: I agree when,

especially when it, when it comes

355

00:15:18,210 --> 00:15:21,180

to him, you look at the arc of all

the different things he's done.

356

00:15:21,180 --> 00:15:22,020

It's like he's, yeah.

357

00:15:22,500 --> 00:15:24,180

Been very memorable and everything.

358

00:15:24,180 --> 00:15:27,360

He, he was very memorable and everything

did going, gonna, the theater,

359

00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:28,560

I mean, you grew up in New York.

360

00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:28,650

Mm-hmm.

361

00:15:28,890 --> 00:15:32,940

Was, uh, uh, did you do kind of that

standard New York training, you know,

362

00:15:32,940 --> 00:15:36,570

thing or did, were you sort of a,

on the job training kind of a guy?

363

00:15:36,930 --> 00:15:39,420

Felix Solis: Well, it's interesting

because I got, I got a scholarship

364

00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:43,020

to study, uh, theater at Manhattan,

uh, Marymount Manhattan College

365

00:15:43,020 --> 00:15:44,730

on the Upper East side on 70.

366

00:15:45,150 --> 00:15:46,950

On 71st between second and third.

367

00:15:47,565 --> 00:15:52,155

Uh, I went to study and then I

wanna say maybe a year in, I started

368

00:15:52,155 --> 00:15:54,705

getting cast in regional theater.

369

00:15:54,975 --> 00:16:00,825

Actually, ironically enough, my

very first, uh, regional theater gig

370

00:16:00,975 --> 00:16:02,385

was at the Dallas Theater Center.

371

00:16:02,385 --> 00:16:03,010

1. How did you

372

00:16:03,010 --> 00:16:04,540

Marc Preston: book something

down in Dallas from,

373

00:16:04,660 --> 00:16:07,270

Felix Solis: so the casting directors,

you know, in New York, the casting

374

00:16:07,270 --> 00:16:11,079

directors are always, you know,

hired to try and find, uh, talent

375

00:16:11,079 --> 00:16:13,869

to, to, to go, uh, to those places.

376

00:16:13,869 --> 00:16:17,859

And this one, playwright is name

is Octavio Solis, who's from Texas.

377

00:16:18,130 --> 00:16:21,040

He, uh, he wrote this beautiful

play called Dream Landia.

378

00:16:21,489 --> 00:16:24,520

And, uh, and the casting directors

that they used for the, for the

379

00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:25,839

production were here in New York.

380

00:16:25,839 --> 00:16:28,959

And I came in and I auditioned

for it to play Pepin, who's kind

381

00:16:28,959 --> 00:16:33,400

of like, uh, you know, in the, in

the Italian, uh, tragic comedy.

382

00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:38,380

He's the, he's the fool who's, you

know, sometimes, and in this particular

383

00:16:38,380 --> 00:16:42,609

interpretation of his kind of, uh,

a stereotypical part, he, he was,

384

00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:47,800

he was a, a a, a an, an adult, a a

10-year-old boy in the body of an

385

00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,140

adult, an in a body of a, a full man.

386

00:16:50,140 --> 00:16:54,670

And about how, when you were doing

this, oh my goodness, this was.

387

00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,420

I was in college, so in my twenties.

388

00:16:58,420 --> 00:16:58,569

Right.

389

00:16:58,600 --> 00:16:59,020

Oh, okay.

390

00:16:59,079 --> 00:16:59,319

Okay.

391

00:16:59,860 --> 00:16:59,920

Yeah.

392

00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:00,400

So that's gotta be

393

00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:01,360

Marc Preston: exciting for you.

394

00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,880

Here you are, this New Yorker, now

you're heading down to Dallas, which is a

395

00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,020

Felix Solis: packing my bags.

396

00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:06,819

I'm being flown to Dallas.

397

00:17:06,819 --> 00:17:08,440

I'm giving, getting my own apartment.

398

00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,139

We're hanging out at,

uh, is it Turtle Creek?

399

00:17:11,139 --> 00:17:12,785

Is that what it Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

400

00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:13,450

I'm sure you spent

401

00:17:13,450 --> 00:17:14,530

Marc Preston: some time

on Greenville Avenue.

402

00:17:14,530 --> 00:17:15,220

Also on

403

00:17:15,220 --> 00:17:15,609

Felix Solis: Greenville.

404

00:17:15,639 --> 00:17:18,399

I went straight to Deep Ellum

and was hanging out in Deep

405

00:17:18,399 --> 00:17:19,720

Ellum and going crazy over there.

406

00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,250

You you hit the deep end immediately.

407

00:17:21,254 --> 00:17:21,464

Yeah.

408

00:17:21,470 --> 00:17:21,490

Yeah.

409

00:17:22,389 --> 00:17:23,859

I went straight to the jugular.

410

00:17:24,069 --> 00:17:26,829

But, but, uh, but yeah, that was

the very first thing that I did.

411

00:17:26,980 --> 00:17:30,399

But that, but it, but, but, uh, you

know, it was, it was that I started

412

00:17:30,399 --> 00:17:34,149

just doing a lot of, a lot of theater

and, uh, and, and, and pushing myself.

413

00:17:34,149 --> 00:17:37,180

So, to answer your question

more directly, when I was in

414

00:17:37,180 --> 00:17:39,160

school, this started happening.

415

00:17:39,250 --> 00:17:39,340

Mm-hmm.

416

00:17:39,580 --> 00:17:44,590

And so I, I had to make a choice where I

was like, oh, do I stay in school or do I.

417

00:17:44,889 --> 00:17:48,429

Start doing the thing that I

went to school to do, you know?

418

00:17:48,429 --> 00:17:51,399

And, and I'm getting an a, an

opportunity and I'm being asked

419

00:17:51,399 --> 00:17:52,600

to do it, so I might as well.

420

00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:53,770

So I had to make the choice.

421

00:17:53,770 --> 00:17:56,770

And, and I'm a, I'm a beauty

school dropout sometimes.

422

00:17:56,770 --> 00:17:57,520

I like to joke.

423

00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,010

Uh, I, I, I left school to, to work as

424

00:18:00,010 --> 00:18:00,129

Marc Preston: an

425

00:18:00,129 --> 00:18:02,020

Felix Solis: actor and they didn't,

they weren't too happy with it.

426

00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,239

Marc Preston: It's sort of like

being a college basketball player

427

00:18:04,270 --> 00:18:07,001

and they're like, Hey, you wanna make

millions and millions call you up?

428

00:18:07,005 --> 00:18:08,590

You could al you could

always go back to school.

429

00:18:08,590 --> 00:18:09,520

Yeah, yeah, sure.

430

00:18:09,879 --> 00:18:10,840

Felix Solis: I kind of did.

431

00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,429

I kind of did go back to school.

432

00:18:12,429 --> 00:18:16,120

And so much as that when I became a member

of the, of the Labyrinth Theater Company,

433

00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,080

of which we've been speaking about,

that was, that was for me, a, a study.

434

00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,050

You know, I had at the

time, I wanna say maybe.

435

00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:28,110

60 or so members who were equally

as talented as the next, and, and

436

00:18:28,110 --> 00:18:29,760

equally as more talented than me.

437

00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:34,080

And so I was always in an environment

where I was learning and, and, and

438

00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,210

by observation and by participation.

439

00:18:36,210 --> 00:18:38,730

And, and ultimately I think

that's the way you grow.

440

00:18:38,730 --> 00:18:39,480

Is it, you, you know?

441

00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:39,600

Oh, yeah.

442

00:18:39,690 --> 00:18:41,070

But doing the thing, you know,

443

00:18:41,159 --> 00:18:42,899

Marc Preston: well, who, who's

floating around there with you?

444

00:18:42,899 --> 00:18:44,010

Who's, who's Rockwell.

445

00:18:45,850 --> 00:18:49,780

Felix Solis: Really, Elizabeth

Rodriguez, Liza Lonza, who just

446

00:18:50,439 --> 00:18:53,620

successfully and beautifully and,

and deservedly just won an Emmy

447

00:18:53,620 --> 00:18:55,479

for her interpretation on the bear.

448

00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,689

And uh, uh, she just won an Emmy.

449

00:18:58,689 --> 00:19:02,800

And her husband is David Zaas, who

is my, my dearest and closest friend

450

00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:03,909

who I'm gonna see in a little bit.

451

00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:07,209

We gotta fun poker tournament, we're gonna

play for some money to raise some money

452

00:19:07,719 --> 00:19:09,310

for a theater company here in New York.

453

00:19:09,310 --> 00:19:12,699

And, uh, and, uh, and

we're, yeah, it was them.

454

00:19:12,699 --> 00:19:16,840

It was them and Phil and, and

Steven and Sam Rockwell and oh my

455

00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:18,610

goodness, the list goes on and on.

456

00:19:18,610 --> 00:19:20,800

John Ortiz was artistic

director, you know?

457

00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:20,979

Really?

458

00:19:21,340 --> 00:19:21,760

Yeah.

459

00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,159

He and he and Phil co-artistic directed.

460

00:19:24,639 --> 00:19:29,020

And we had, you know, we had people who

were as, who were already as established,

461

00:19:29,020 --> 00:19:31,179

but then later on became a part of us.

462

00:19:31,330 --> 00:19:35,350

Kara Young, who's currently on Broadway,

who's got her fourth consecutive Tony

463

00:19:35,350 --> 00:19:39,580

nomination, was a, a, a part of our

theater company and just all these

464

00:19:39,580 --> 00:19:41,919

incredible, incredible artists who, uh.

465

00:19:42,540 --> 00:19:46,890

Daphne Rubin Vega, like, these are

all incredible Yule Vasquez, like

466

00:19:46,890 --> 00:19:49,680

all these incredible actors who

were working and continue to work.

467

00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:51,840

Were all members of my theater company,

468

00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:52,710

Marc Preston: Sam Rockwell.

469

00:19:52,710 --> 00:19:55,140

He's, I've got a, I've got

an actor crush on him, man.

470

00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:55,950

Yeah.

471

00:19:56,190 --> 00:19:58,170

Sam, he's kind of on

a Mount Rushmore guys.

472

00:19:58,170 --> 00:19:59,670

Like, I'd love to sit down with him.

473

00:19:59,670 --> 00:20:01,500

He's, uh, he's another one of those guys.

474

00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,570

He shows up and everything.

475

00:20:03,570 --> 00:20:08,010

He shows up and he just, he, yeah, he

just, he just brings it to life, you know?

476

00:20:08,010 --> 00:20:08,340

Yeah.

477

00:20:15,645 --> 00:20:18,764

Growing up in New York though, were you

coming from a artistic family or were you

478

00:20:18,764 --> 00:20:20,264

kind of the odd man out like doing that?

479

00:20:20,264 --> 00:20:20,610

No, no.

480

00:20:20,610 --> 00:20:21,209

Felix Solis: Contrarily.

481

00:20:21,209 --> 00:20:22,365

Yeah, contrarily.

482

00:20:22,365 --> 00:20:25,125

My, my father is still 82 years old.

483

00:20:25,125 --> 00:20:28,754

He's a plumber, carpenter,

an electrician, a handyman.

484

00:20:28,935 --> 00:20:33,165

Uh, I remember him saying to me

affectionately when I said, dad, you

485

00:20:33,165 --> 00:20:35,804

know, I'm, I just got a scholarship

to go study theater, you know?

486

00:20:36,135 --> 00:20:37,605

And then he was like, oh, interesting.

487

00:20:37,605 --> 00:20:41,264

And then right around the same time I got

this gig, like I was saying at the Dallas

488

00:20:41,264 --> 00:20:44,774

Theater, and I said, dad, they're gonna

give me, you know, at the time it was $400

489

00:20:44,774 --> 00:20:49,094

a month or something, you know, to, to,

to, or a week or whatever to do the chau.

490

00:20:49,094 --> 00:20:52,064

But I was like, I'm getting, they're

paying me to do this, you know?

491

00:20:52,395 --> 00:20:52,875

Play.

492

00:20:53,475 --> 00:20:55,365

And I remember my father sitting there.

493

00:20:55,425 --> 00:20:58,245

He's, he, he, he puts Siri to shame.

494

00:20:58,245 --> 00:21:02,535

He, he sat there and he looked at me

and he went, well, I guess if there

495

00:21:02,535 --> 00:21:06,045

are people out there who are willing

to pay you to do that, then you

496

00:21:06,045 --> 00:21:07,455

should be smart enough to take it.

497

00:21:07,455 --> 00:21:08,715

So go ahead, take it.

498

00:21:10,125 --> 00:21:11,745

Like, very pragmatic.

499

00:21:11,745 --> 00:21:12,465

Yeah.

500

00:21:12,465 --> 00:21:12,466

Yeah.

501

00:21:12,471 --> 00:21:15,855

He may, he was kind of that way, you know,

I think he even may have said, you know,

502

00:21:15,855 --> 00:21:19,185

if they're stupid enough to pay you to do

something like that, that you should be

503

00:21:19,185 --> 00:21:20,925

smart enough to take one way or another.

504

00:21:20,925 --> 00:21:21,945

It's like, go do the thing.

505

00:21:21,945 --> 00:21:22,245

Yeah.

506

00:21:22,310 --> 00:21:22,730

Did you?

507

00:21:22,730 --> 00:21:23,090

Yeah, that's my dad.

508

00:21:23,095 --> 00:21:26,085

My dad's a man with, he works with

his hands and builds and still

509

00:21:26,085 --> 00:21:29,295

builds and, you know, and does that,

and my mother was a seamstress.

510

00:21:29,685 --> 00:21:31,905

She was a, she was artistic and crafty.

511

00:21:31,905 --> 00:21:36,225

She would do these really cool little

artistic, uh, side projects for designers.

512

00:21:36,495 --> 00:21:39,315

She once worked with a gentleman, I

can't remember his name, but he was

513

00:21:39,315 --> 00:21:43,635

the one responsible for doing the

Christmas decorations at Sax fifth

514

00:21:43,635 --> 00:21:45,915

Avenue and the windows and all of that.

515

00:21:45,915 --> 00:21:45,975

Yeah.

516

00:21:46,375 --> 00:21:50,275

And my mom would be sort of the, you know,

one of his shop workers, if you will, who

517

00:21:50,275 --> 00:21:55,285

would help him build the, the trees and

the little railroads and the, and the stop

518

00:21:55,285 --> 00:21:56,905

signs and the things she would do that.

519

00:21:56,905 --> 00:21:58,195

So she was creative.

520

00:21:58,555 --> 00:22:02,245

And my brother, who is my full

brother, I, I was the youngest of six.

521

00:22:02,245 --> 00:22:08,035

And, but my brother is the one who is, uh,

my dad and my mom's, the other siblings

522

00:22:08,035 --> 00:22:10,735

that I have, uh, are from another father.

523

00:22:10,945 --> 00:22:15,805

But, uh, but, uh, my closest brother

is a fine, fine visual artist.

524

00:22:15,805 --> 00:22:19,315

He's a drawer and a painter

and a, and a, just a fine.

525

00:22:19,315 --> 00:22:22,375

He at one point, you know, was

even corded by Marvel Comics.

526

00:22:22,375 --> 00:22:26,695

So there's, there's art in the

blood, but I'm kind of the only one

527

00:22:26,695 --> 00:22:28,435

who has continued to actually, uh.

528

00:22:28,885 --> 00:22:30,685

You know, make it a

profession, make it a career.

529

00:22:30,895 --> 00:22:31,075

Marc Preston: Yeah.

530

00:22:31,075 --> 00:22:33,595

But growing up in New York, I

always had this, uh, as a, as a kid

531

00:22:33,595 --> 00:22:35,335

down in the south, uh, in Dallas.

532

00:22:35,335 --> 00:22:35,425

Yeah.

533

00:22:35,425 --> 00:22:38,455

It, for me, New York was always

like, there was always like a buzz.

534

00:22:38,455 --> 00:22:39,325

There's always something.

535

00:22:39,325 --> 00:22:42,235

Our, there's something, it's easy

to get swept into it if you have the

536

00:22:42,235 --> 00:22:43,765

inclination to kind of get into it.

537

00:22:43,855 --> 00:22:44,155

Yeah, well,

538

00:22:44,155 --> 00:22:44,755

Felix Solis: absolutely.

539

00:22:44,755 --> 00:22:44,905

Yeah.

540

00:22:44,905 --> 00:22:50,005

No, when my, when I was born, uh, we lived

on seven 100 West 73rd Street, right on

541

00:22:50,005 --> 00:22:55,045

the Upper West Side in Manhattan, and I

was born, and then when I was eight, we.

542

00:22:55,575 --> 00:22:59,895

The, the owner of the building sold the

building and my mother, my father were

543

00:22:59,895 --> 00:23:01,245

the superintendents of the building.

544

00:23:01,245 --> 00:23:04,245

So the new owners wanted their

own supers, rightfully so.

545

00:23:04,245 --> 00:23:07,695

And so the, uh, owner of the building

who had sold, had two other buildings.

546

00:23:07,695 --> 00:23:12,015

They had one on hundred 10th and

Lennox in Harlem, Spanish, Harlem, and

547

00:23:12,015 --> 00:23:14,775

they had another one on 15th Street

between eighth and ninth and Chelsea.

548

00:23:15,225 --> 00:23:15,345

Mm-hmm.

549

00:23:15,405 --> 00:23:19,275

My father went, took a drive up to hundred

10th and Lennox took a drive down to 15th,

550

00:23:19,275 --> 00:23:21,975

between eighth and ninth, and he, and he

got the sense, he was like, I think I'd

551

00:23:21,975 --> 00:23:25,815

feel safer, I'd feel more comfortable if

my children grew up in this neighborhood.

552

00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,350

And so I had the fortunate pleasure

of having my mom and my dad be a

553

00:23:29,350 --> 00:23:33,310

superintendent of a building in Chelsea,

which allowed for me to grow up in Chelsea

554

00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:37,360

and Greenwich Village, you know, which

is an interesting thing because of course

555

00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:39,070

in hindsight, you know, you never know.

556

00:23:39,070 --> 00:23:40,150

I never knew I was poor.

557

00:23:40,150 --> 00:23:41,860

My mother and my father

never behaved poor.

558

00:23:41,860 --> 00:23:42,820

So I never knew I was poor.

559

00:23:42,820 --> 00:23:44,320

I didn't know what that

was until later on.

560

00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:44,620

Right?

561

00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,530

And it's similar in Greenwich

Village and Chelsea, you know, where

562

00:23:47,710 --> 00:23:51,370

I thought I was in a really cool,

bohemian artistic, creative place.

563

00:23:51,370 --> 00:23:55,780

And now there's this, these studies

shown where like everyone thought that,

564

00:23:55,930 --> 00:23:58,960

you know, the village, that Greenwich

Village was this bohemian thing.

565

00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,590

But in truth, it's still at the

time when I was born in 71 at the

566

00:24:02,590 --> 00:24:05,140

time, 71, 72, 73, early eighties.

567

00:24:05,490 --> 00:24:07,500

It was the most expensive

neighborhood to live in, still.

568

00:24:07,770 --> 00:24:09,000

Really, really, okay.

569

00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:09,660

Absolutely.

570

00:24:09,660 --> 00:24:13,890

You could rented a place for, I don't

know, $34 a month or something up in,

571

00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:15,420

on the Upper West side or something.

572

00:24:15,420 --> 00:24:18,120

And in Greenwich Village, that same space

would be a hundred dollars something.

573

00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:22,980

So there was still a historical,

interesting, uh, misperception that

574

00:24:22,980 --> 00:24:27,090

Greenwich Village was this bohemian,

you know, poor we're all on the

575

00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:28,080

streets and we're hanging out.

576

00:24:28,230 --> 00:24:33,630

It had that, and I grew up in that, but,

uh, but it wasn't, you know, it wasn't,

577

00:24:33,630 --> 00:24:36,870

it was a, there was an interesting

article recently, uh, released about

578

00:24:36,870 --> 00:24:40,020

that that said, you know, people

misunderstand that that Greenwich

579

00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:41,640

Village, Greenwich Village was like that.

580

00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,750

But I will say to your

point, directly, yes.

581

00:24:46,620 --> 00:24:51,000

If you had to, you know, if you

were given, if you were put in an

582

00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,840

environment where your environment

was gonna dictate what you were, end

583

00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,110

up, what you would gravitate to, or

what you would end up having to do

584

00:24:58,110 --> 00:25:00,720

for a career for, for a life study.

585

00:25:02,115 --> 00:25:03,254

It, it was all artistic.

586

00:25:03,285 --> 00:25:05,774

Everywhere I looked, the Urban

Blight movement was there.

587

00:25:05,774 --> 00:25:09,495

Beastie Boys were, some of the Beastie

Boys were like, you know, babysitters

588

00:25:09,495 --> 00:25:11,205

at my afterschool program in PS 41.

589

00:25:12,285 --> 00:25:13,004

You see what I'm saying?

590

00:25:13,004 --> 00:25:16,815

Like, I have a photo of me as a little

boy walking on a, in a swimming pool

591

00:25:16,815 --> 00:25:19,815

on Carmine Street, and there's Keith

Herring sitting on the floor with

592

00:25:19,815 --> 00:25:22,035

his mural having just being done.

593

00:25:22,245 --> 00:25:26,535

And like, so there's like literally, I

grew up in wherever I looked, wherever

594

00:25:26,535 --> 00:25:31,635

I went, my option was always first

and foremost art and creativity.

595

00:25:31,845 --> 00:25:32,235

So

596

00:25:32,385 --> 00:25:34,095

Marc Preston: yeah, well

see, that's, that's the way

597

00:25:34,095 --> 00:25:35,685

I always perceived New York.

598

00:25:35,685 --> 00:25:38,445

It was a little grittier, but he

always had, so there was always a buzz,

599

00:25:38,445 --> 00:25:39,800

always something happening, you know?

600

00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:39,960

Sure.

601

00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:40,240

Yeah.

602

00:25:40,260 --> 00:25:42,645

Uh, I mean I'm a suburban

North Dallas kid.

603

00:25:42,764 --> 00:25:42,825

Yeah.

604

00:25:42,825 --> 00:25:45,105

So for me that was just kind of

exciting, that kind of an idea.

605

00:25:45,105 --> 00:25:45,764

Absolutely.

606

00:25:45,825 --> 00:25:46,004

Go.

607

00:25:46,185 --> 00:25:47,024

But where are your people

608

00:25:47,024 --> 00:25:47,925

Felix Solis: from originally?

609

00:25:48,045 --> 00:25:49,905

Uh, you know, it's interesting

that you should say that.

610

00:25:49,905 --> 00:25:52,754

'cause I was about to mention that one

of the other things that has defined who

611

00:25:52,754 --> 00:25:56,955

I am as a person is in my multicultural

upbringing, my multicultural, uh,

612

00:25:56,955 --> 00:25:58,395

environment that I grew up in, right?

613

00:25:58,395 --> 00:26:00,585

'cause in Grand, I'm, my

parents are from Puerto Rico.

614

00:26:01,050 --> 00:26:01,500

Okay.

615

00:26:01,770 --> 00:26:04,050

My mother was from a town

called Cabo Rojo, which is a

616

00:26:04,050 --> 00:26:05,399

beach town, beautiful town.

617

00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,060

And my father was from a town called

Padillas, which is up in the mountains,

618

00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,250

cows, sheep, that kind of thing.

619

00:26:11,879 --> 00:26:17,580

And, uh, and they, they, they met there,

uh, were, were encouraged not to be

620

00:26:17,580 --> 00:26:21,149

together because my mother is an African

Puerto Rican, so she's dark skinned.

621

00:26:21,209 --> 00:26:23,969

My father was an Italian,

Puerto Rican from more span,

622

00:26:23,969 --> 00:26:25,679

aired Italian European descent.

623

00:26:25,679 --> 00:26:26,909

So he was lighter and skinned.

624

00:26:27,209 --> 00:26:32,669

That didn't do, they didn't, uh, you know,

that didn't, uh, go well with the family.

625

00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:37,860

So, uh, so they sort of broke away from

their, uh, their, their childhood and

626

00:26:37,889 --> 00:26:41,340

their, and their families in Puerto

to come to New York and have children.

627

00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:43,169

And that's where I, I came from.

628

00:26:43,439 --> 00:26:44,340

But they're Puerto Rican.

629

00:26:44,340 --> 00:26:47,610

I was born here of Puerto

Rican de uh, parents.

630

00:26:47,639 --> 00:26:49,709

Uh, so, you know, they call me new Euan.

631

00:26:51,820 --> 00:26:51,910

I'm

632

00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:54,340

Marc Preston: curious, how did

the, how did the Italian thing

633

00:26:54,340 --> 00:26:57,580

and, uh, as far as folks from Italy

find their way to Puerto Rico?

634

00:26:57,580 --> 00:26:59,740

That seems good because I

know there's a good few of

635

00:26:59,740 --> 00:26:59,890

Felix Solis: them.

636

00:27:00,130 --> 00:27:00,670

Yeah.

637

00:27:00,670 --> 00:27:04,870

It's just like all, every, all

so, so Puerto Rico, when you

638

00:27:04,870 --> 00:27:06,460

translate, it means rich port.

639

00:27:07,290 --> 00:27:13,050

And that Port of Puerto Rico was

literally rich in tactiles, in

640

00:27:13,050 --> 00:27:18,480

agriculture, in all kinds of things

that were, that were useful and wanted

641

00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,430

to be wanted by the rest of the world.

642

00:27:20,430 --> 00:27:24,780

And so it's no that they traveled

the distances to get to these places

643

00:27:24,780 --> 00:27:28,470

that where they can, uh, you know,

utilize, take advantage of however you

644

00:27:28,470 --> 00:27:31,830

wanna phrase the history of how that

happened, but that it's, you know,

645

00:27:32,310 --> 00:27:37,200

that it's definitely, uh, it's a draw

that city, you know, they call it Lato,

646

00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,300

which is the island of Enchantment.

647

00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:40,725

So there's a draw.

648

00:27:40,725 --> 00:27:42,585

It's, I've always, I've

always wanted to go there.

649

00:27:42,675 --> 00:27:43,215

Yeah.

650

00:27:43,215 --> 00:27:44,145

There's a draw to the

651

00:27:44,145 --> 00:27:44,565

Marc Preston: island.

652

00:27:44,655 --> 00:27:48,015

You know, I actually, I live now, I

live on, uh, south Padre Island, if you

653

00:27:48,015 --> 00:27:49,995

know now very South Texas tip of Texas.

654

00:27:50,230 --> 00:27:52,845

Felix Solis: I've sw I've gone

to the beach there where you're

655

00:27:52,845 --> 00:27:53,145

Marc Preston: at.

656

00:27:53,145 --> 00:27:53,925

There's a beach there.

657

00:27:53,925 --> 00:27:54,255

No.

658

00:27:54,435 --> 00:27:54,885

Oh yeah, yeah.

659

00:27:54,885 --> 00:27:55,395

Oh yeah.

660

00:27:55,545 --> 00:27:59,655

We're, we're literally, the

island itself is two miles.

661

00:27:59,715 --> 00:28:01,605

You have to take a two mile

bridge across, you know?

662

00:28:01,605 --> 00:28:01,665

Yeah.

663

00:28:01,665 --> 00:28:03,615

The island's only got

like a 3000 full-time.

664

00:28:03,615 --> 00:28:05,200

Re no, right now I got touch.

665

00:28:05,550 --> 00:28:05,840

Yeah.

666

00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:05,960

I

667

00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,445

Felix Solis: got a, I got a buddy,

Raul Castillo, who's a, in, in

668

00:28:08,655 --> 00:28:12,555

and of himself, an accomplished,

uh, uh, writer and, and actor and,

669

00:28:12,555 --> 00:28:14,535

and, and really fine, fine person.

670

00:28:14,535 --> 00:28:16,245

He, he's from Macallen, Texas.

671

00:28:16,365 --> 00:28:16,395

Uhhuh.

672

00:28:17,055 --> 00:28:17,235

Yeah.

673

00:28:17,295 --> 00:28:21,045

So, yeah, we would go and visit him

when he'd go visit his dad and his mom.

674

00:28:21,045 --> 00:28:25,125

And, and we, me, him and his

brother took a drive from Austin.

675

00:28:25,635 --> 00:28:28,935

Uh, which is to me, I feel

like one of my, one of my more.

676

00:28:29,125 --> 00:28:30,895

Dearest held cities in Texas.

677

00:28:31,195 --> 00:28:31,285

Mm-hmm.

678

00:28:31,285 --> 00:28:35,845

And, uh, and, uh, I, we drove from

Austin to to to sub Hydro island.

679

00:28:35,845 --> 00:28:36,415

Marc Preston: Yeah.

680

00:28:36,565 --> 00:28:39,325

You know, I've been wanting, just put

me near the beach and that like, I can

681

00:28:39,325 --> 00:28:41,275

do this job from anywhere, so, you know.

682

00:28:41,275 --> 00:28:41,365

Sure.

683

00:28:41,755 --> 00:28:44,635

Uh, but, but now isn't, uh, John Limo?

684

00:28:44,635 --> 00:28:48,235

Isn't he a Puerto Rican descent,

you know, or is he, um, no,

685

00:28:48,235 --> 00:28:50,155

I believe he's Colombian.

686

00:28:50,215 --> 00:28:50,995

I could be wrong.

687

00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:51,280

Okay.

688

00:28:51,285 --> 00:28:51,715

Okay.

689

00:28:51,715 --> 00:28:51,925

I,

690

00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:53,800

Felix Solis: I just the other

day saw he South American.

691

00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:54,295

He's South American.

692

00:28:54,295 --> 00:28:58,675

He's not Caribbean, he's South American, I

wanna say he's, he's of Colombian descent.

693

00:28:58,915 --> 00:29:01,495

Marc Preston: I, I watched

not too long ago, uh, his, uh.

694

00:29:01,990 --> 00:29:04,899

It's Latin culture for

dummies or something.

695

00:29:04,899 --> 00:29:04,990

Sure.

696

00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:06,639

That one band stage,

oh, that was so great.

697

00:29:06,639 --> 00:29:07,274

But culture.

698

00:29:07,274 --> 00:29:07,276

Yeah.

699

00:29:07,540 --> 00:29:10,750

When he references the New York,

that's kinda what brings me back.

700

00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:14,649

It's, it's just again, made it seem like

such a cool place to grow up, you know?

701

00:29:14,649 --> 00:29:15,596

But it's, uh, you know, he, uh, yeah.

702

00:29:15,879 --> 00:29:19,210

Felix Solis: Multiculturalism

has, has, has fared me well.

703

00:29:19,210 --> 00:29:19,960

Has served me.

704

00:29:20,930 --> 00:29:21,800

Exponentially.

705

00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:26,090

Well, I've been, uh, I've been fortunate

enough and lucky enough and brave enough,

706

00:29:26,390 --> 00:29:30,800

and I was raised, uh, uh, uh, you know,

confidently enough by my parents to be

707

00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:32,330

able to travel anywhere in the world.

708

00:29:32,690 --> 00:29:35,630

And there hasn't been one place in

the world that I haven't visited that,

709

00:29:36,050 --> 00:29:40,070

that, uh, that I haven't recognized

the face of the person I'm looking at

710

00:29:40,070 --> 00:29:41,540

because I grew up in New York City.

711

00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,540

You know, I was in Jamaica and I

see the face of the Jamaicans that I

712

00:29:44,540 --> 00:29:46,010

knew who were right next door to me.

713

00:29:46,010 --> 00:29:46,100

Mm-hmm.

714

00:29:46,340 --> 00:29:46,400

Yeah.

715

00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,490

We were in Vietnam for a little while,

and I would go and I saw the face

716

00:29:49,490 --> 00:29:51,980

of the woman who ran the laundromat

across the street from where I grew up.

717

00:29:51,980 --> 00:29:53,000

On 73rd Street.

718

00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,110

We went, we were in Bulgaria,

and there's a guy who's a plumber

719

00:29:57,115 --> 00:29:58,490

who used to work for my dad.

720

00:29:58,490 --> 00:30:01,820

And I was like, my goodness, you look just

like the guy who used to work with my dad.

721

00:30:01,820 --> 00:30:06,440

So I've been all over the world and have

been able to recognize the faces of the

722

00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:10,550

people in those countries because I grew

up with those faces in my neighborhood.

723

00:30:10,555 --> 00:30:12,955

You know, so I'm really grateful for that.

724

00:30:13,375 --> 00:30:15,685

Marc Preston: Being in New York, you

had the theater thing and the, of

725

00:30:15,685 --> 00:30:17,365

course you had to swing through Dallas.

726

00:30:17,365 --> 00:30:18,745

We mentioned that, but Sure, sure.

727

00:30:18,745 --> 00:30:22,315

What, what was, what was kind of the,

what, what got you to, I'm assuming

728

00:30:22,315 --> 00:30:25,495

you made that trek to la Was it

like, you're like, okay, I gotta go

729

00:30:25,495 --> 00:30:27,760

hit, uh, like pilot season and, and

730

00:30:27,925 --> 00:30:28,285

Felix Solis: do that?

731

00:30:28,285 --> 00:30:33,295

Well, funny, funny you should say that

because I, I, I didn't leave New York

732

00:30:33,295 --> 00:30:34,975

City until I was 43 years old, Marc.

733

00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:35,360

Really?

734

00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,725

I was 43 when I left New

York to go to Los Angeles.

735

00:30:38,725 --> 00:30:38,905

Yeah.

736

00:30:38,905 --> 00:30:42,745

I said I always liked affectionately

saying, I, I, at 43, I decided

737

00:30:42,745 --> 00:30:46,405

to go to LA and try and make

it at 43 years old, right.

738

00:30:46,465 --> 00:30:50,335

Because I was 43 when I got

hired to do a job in Los Angeles.

739

00:30:50,335 --> 00:30:51,385

That was a television job.

740

00:30:51,385 --> 00:30:52,465

It was a TV show.

741

00:30:52,855 --> 00:30:53,305

Uh.

742

00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:55,770

What is the name of it?

743

00:30:55,785 --> 00:30:57,285

I can't remember the name, but Colony.

744

00:30:57,285 --> 00:31:00,165

It was called Colony on TNT and TTNT.

745

00:31:00,165 --> 00:31:02,325

It was an alien overtake

show, and I was hired to play.

746

00:31:03,105 --> 00:31:03,135

Felix Solis (2): Oh

747

00:31:03,135 --> 00:31:03,587

Felix Solis: yeah, yeah, yeah.

748

00:31:03,592 --> 00:31:04,005

That's with, um,

749

00:31:05,445 --> 00:31:06,105

Marc Preston: uh, what's his name?

750

00:31:06,105 --> 00:31:06,795

Good looking dude.

751

00:31:06,885 --> 00:31:07,365

Uh, yes.

752

00:31:07,365 --> 00:31:08,205

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

753

00:31:09,585 --> 00:31:09,945

That guy.

754

00:31:09,945 --> 00:31:10,905

Yes, you're right.

755

00:31:10,905 --> 00:31:11,925

It was so embarrassing.

756

00:31:11,925 --> 00:31:12,855

I tried to think of somebody's

757

00:31:12,855 --> 00:31:15,765

Felix Solis: name and I, and my brain

goes, you can you think of a person, they,

758

00:31:15,765 --> 00:31:18,645

the name flies right out of the head, but

yes, you're, you're in the right place.

759

00:31:18,705 --> 00:31:18,975

Uh,

760

00:31:18,980 --> 00:31:20,235

Marc Preston: that, that was,

that was a great little show.

761

00:31:20,235 --> 00:31:21,255

My, my kids like that lot.

762

00:31:21,255 --> 00:31:22,370

We were, we enjoyed that a lot of fun.

763

00:31:22,710 --> 00:31:24,945

Uh, we weren't you part of the resistance

764

00:31:24,945 --> 00:31:26,325

Felix Solis: or something

in that Yeah, yeah.

765

00:31:27,105 --> 00:31:30,015

Pimo who talked to people

over the radio waves and Yes.

766

00:31:30,045 --> 00:31:30,435

Okay.

767

00:31:30,435 --> 00:31:31,396

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

768

00:31:31,545 --> 00:31:31,995

Okay.

769

00:31:32,070 --> 00:31:36,735

And so, and so I, that was the first

time I had gone to LA with a legit job.

770

00:31:36,765 --> 00:31:40,245

And, uh, and I was supposed to be on

the show a bit longer than I ended

771

00:31:40,245 --> 00:31:43,575

up being, and I don't know, you know,

for reasons, uh, beyond my control.

772

00:31:43,575 --> 00:31:46,425

You rewrite stuff, you think, you

know, a different direction and so

773

00:31:46,425 --> 00:31:49,275

they kind of killed my character

off on the show, but I had already.

774

00:31:49,445 --> 00:31:52,685

Spent the money to be there for the three

months that I had planned to be there.

775

00:31:53,165 --> 00:31:54,425

So I thought I'd stay.

776

00:31:54,665 --> 00:31:58,685

And uh, six, almost six and a half

years later, I was leaving LA to go

777

00:31:58,685 --> 00:32:00,814

to, to come to Atlanta to do Ozark.

778

00:32:00,814 --> 00:32:05,855

So, so I was in New York City for 43 years

doing work in, in New York and going away.

779

00:32:05,855 --> 00:32:09,185

I went to Germany to shoot a film called

The International with Clive Owen.

780

00:32:09,185 --> 00:32:10,145

So I was going away.

781

00:32:10,145 --> 00:32:13,595

I was leaving, but my home base was

New York until I was 43, and then

782

00:32:13,595 --> 00:32:15,215

that's when I moved to Well that's

783

00:32:15,215 --> 00:32:15,395

Marc Preston: cool.

784

00:32:15,875 --> 00:32:17,615

Yeah, I think, you know,

you have different chapters.

785

00:32:17,615 --> 00:32:20,284

We do different things at different

times and you, I don't think you're

786

00:32:20,284 --> 00:32:23,615

ever too old to try something and that's

the moment you stop trying this stuff,

787

00:32:23,615 --> 00:32:25,205

you get, you know, it's Sure, stagnate.

788

00:32:25,205 --> 00:32:25,325

Sure.

789

00:32:25,745 --> 00:32:27,905

Felix Solis: I did that this

very week, this very weak.

790

00:32:27,905 --> 00:32:29,165

I'm 53 now, Marc.

791

00:32:29,165 --> 00:32:31,804

And, and, and, and this very

week was the first time that

792

00:32:31,804 --> 00:32:33,455

I was given a stylist Right.

793

00:32:33,455 --> 00:32:37,054

For the, for the press junket,

for sirens and uh, really?

794

00:32:37,060 --> 00:32:37,250

Okay.

795

00:32:37,250 --> 00:32:37,530

Yeah.

796

00:32:37,530 --> 00:32:38,135

It was the first time.

797

00:32:38,135 --> 00:32:42,365

And I just like, here's a young,

adorable young man, like just full of

798

00:32:42,365 --> 00:32:44,495

life and full of joy for what he does.

799

00:32:44,495 --> 00:32:44,945

And he.

800

00:32:45,885 --> 00:32:49,245

He would bring me these things that

I, I was like, I, I would never wear

801

00:32:49,245 --> 00:32:52,455

a pair of white boots with silver

tips on them, like cowboy boots.

802

00:32:52,755 --> 00:32:54,255

I said, and he said,

why don't you try these?

803

00:32:54,315 --> 00:32:58,755

Then I try and instead of going

53-year-old curmudgeony Felix going,

804

00:32:58,995 --> 00:33:03,105

no, I'm just gonna wear my, you

know, linen suit and, and walk away.

805

00:33:03,555 --> 00:33:04,725

I said, okay, sure.

806

00:33:04,815 --> 00:33:06,945

And it just said, I just kept

saying yes to everything.

807

00:33:06,945 --> 00:33:09,255

It's kind of fun to be

the canvas, you know?

808

00:33:09,495 --> 00:33:10,815

It's kinda fun to be good.

809

00:33:10,815 --> 00:33:11,895

Why not try it on?

810

00:33:11,895 --> 00:33:12,945

Let's see what happens.

811

00:33:12,945 --> 00:33:14,445

And, uh, yeah, I, I, you know, I was

812

00:33:14,445 --> 00:33:16,755

Marc Preston: so when I was

younger, I was, the whole idea.

813

00:33:16,755 --> 00:33:19,155

I mentioned this, you know,

previous episode, so part of

814

00:33:19,155 --> 00:33:20,745

me, if you're listening, you

hear me say this all the time.

815

00:33:20,835 --> 00:33:21,555

Uh, never.

816

00:33:21,645 --> 00:33:25,275

I, you know, whenever I did day or week

player stuff, that was easy 'cause I can

817

00:33:25,275 --> 00:33:27,105

memorize a couple, three pages at a time.

818

00:33:27,105 --> 00:33:28,845

The theater thing always intimidated me.

819

00:33:29,155 --> 00:33:29,485

Felix Solis: Sure.

820

00:33:29,545 --> 00:33:32,305

Marc Preston: Because, you know,

it's like a whole script, but I love

821

00:33:32,695 --> 00:33:35,785

showing up and somebody's choosing

your clo, you know what it is?

822

00:33:35,785 --> 00:33:38,155

You have to make so many

decisions in life all day long.

823

00:33:38,155 --> 00:33:40,705

So now somebody, somebody's like, you're

wearing these shoes, these socks, you

824

00:33:40,705 --> 00:33:44,425

have to wear a wedding ring because

these characters, I was like, just fine.

825

00:33:44,425 --> 00:33:45,955

That's one less thing I gotta think about.

826

00:33:46,465 --> 00:33:47,125

Felix Solis: Absolutely.

827

00:33:47,185 --> 00:33:47,575

Yeah.

828

00:33:47,575 --> 00:33:48,415

And it is fun.

829

00:33:48,415 --> 00:33:52,375

And it's a, and it's a, I I appreciate

that you say that it was, that you're

830

00:33:52,375 --> 00:33:55,225

a canvas, because yeah, there's

something beautiful about that, about

831

00:33:55,225 --> 00:33:57,205

just being like, all right, what do

you, you know, what do you think?

832

00:33:57,715 --> 00:34:01,945

Uh, do, are there times when you have

to go, okay, this is so extreme that

833

00:34:01,945 --> 00:34:06,355

we're on extreme opposite ends of this,

uh, uh, point of view of who we think

834

00:34:06,355 --> 00:34:08,245

this character that I'm portraying is.

835

00:34:08,245 --> 00:34:10,284

And so we should sit down

and have a conversation.

836

00:34:10,284 --> 00:34:10,735

Sure.

837

00:34:11,125 --> 00:34:14,094

But, but for, for the most part,

in regards to these kinds of

838

00:34:14,094 --> 00:34:17,545

things, press junkets and photo

shoots and red carpets and things.

839

00:34:17,545 --> 00:34:18,655

I go, eh, fuck it.

840

00:34:18,655 --> 00:34:19,855

Just, I'll wear

841

00:34:19,855 --> 00:34:20,215

Marc Preston: whatever.

842

00:34:20,215 --> 00:34:20,844

It doesn't matter.

843

00:34:20,980 --> 00:34:22,040

You know what I want,

844

00:34:22,270 --> 00:34:22,975

Felix Solis: want me to wear?

845

00:34:22,975 --> 00:34:23,605

I'll put it on.

846

00:34:24,085 --> 00:34:25,705

Marc Preston: Shepherd me

to where you need me to be.

847

00:34:25,705 --> 00:34:28,045

Tell me what to do and I'll,

I'll, I'll take it from there.

848

00:34:28,045 --> 00:34:30,805

But now did you, do you have any

family, any kids, uh, rolling

849

00:34:30,805 --> 00:34:31,555

Felix Solis: around or?

850

00:34:31,615 --> 00:34:32,965

I don't have kids that I know of.

851

00:34:32,965 --> 00:34:33,265

Marc.

852

00:34:33,265 --> 00:34:38,395

Not that I know of, but, but, uh,

but, but yeah, the, uh, the, the, the

853

00:34:38,425 --> 00:34:41,755

partnership I have, I've been in a 16

year partnership with an incredible woman,

854

00:34:41,755 --> 00:34:45,895

Lisa Fernandez, who's my, I call her

affectionately my, the CEO of my life.

855

00:34:45,895 --> 00:34:46,450

And mm-hmm.

856

00:34:46,615 --> 00:34:48,805

And, uh, and, uh, and that's it.

857

00:34:48,805 --> 00:34:53,665

My mom, like I said, passed my, my

dad is still here and, uh, and uh, and

858

00:34:53,665 --> 00:34:56,725

I'm the youngest of six three of which

are no longer Oh, you're the youngest.

859

00:34:56,730 --> 00:34:56,970

Okay.

860

00:34:56,970 --> 00:34:57,250

Okay.

861

00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:57,970

The youngest of six.

862

00:34:58,255 --> 00:34:58,645

Yeah.

863

00:34:58,645 --> 00:35:00,595

Three of which are no longer

with us, unfortunately.

864

00:35:00,595 --> 00:35:02,605

But my sister is still here.

865

00:35:02,605 --> 00:35:06,445

She's, uh, she works, she's the head

of payroll at Saturday Night Live, so

866

00:35:06,445 --> 00:35:09,415

that's kind of fun for her to be in the

business really, and not be an artist.

867

00:35:09,415 --> 00:35:09,865

Yeah.

868

00:35:10,315 --> 00:35:14,335

And, uh, and, and that, and my brother,

like I said here, an incredible artist

869

00:35:14,335 --> 00:35:16,195

who's raising his little boy Jason now.

870

00:35:16,195 --> 00:35:19,375

And, and, uh, and they're, you

know, they're within arms' reach

871

00:35:19,375 --> 00:35:20,845

of me, which is always nice, but.

872

00:35:20,850 --> 00:35:21,440

That's awesome.

873

00:35:21,884 --> 00:35:22,305

Marc Preston: That's,

874

00:35:22,470 --> 00:35:23,400

Felix Solis: so, you're, so you're able to

875

00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,220

Marc Preston: be fully, you know, mobile

and jump, have you like something, got a

876

00:35:26,220 --> 00:35:26,700

Felix Solis: project?

877

00:35:27,270 --> 00:35:28,080

Yeah, yeah.

878

00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,810

I mean, we're sitting in one little

struggle, literally as we speak.

879

00:35:30,810 --> 00:35:34,259

Before I jumped on with you was,

you know, we have two rescues.

880

00:35:34,305 --> 00:35:37,170

I, I rescue two, we've

since rescued two pit bulls.

881

00:35:37,170 --> 00:35:37,585

One mm-hmm.

882

00:35:38,100 --> 00:35:41,520

In, uh, in Los Angeles, uh, at Downey,

at the rescue center at Downey.

883

00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:45,480

And, uh, and then this one we found

in Atlanta, running across the

884

00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,130

track, a little one jojo dancer.

885

00:35:47,670 --> 00:35:50,910

And, uh, and, uh, and so we're

dealing with, uh, sort of, you

886

00:35:50,910 --> 00:35:54,180

know, my partner is starting to work

more and so she's gonna go away.

887

00:35:54,180 --> 00:35:57,210

She's gonna be doing a show at

the, at a theater in West Virginia.

888

00:35:57,210 --> 00:36:01,140

And I'm gonna be hopefully trying to,

you know, uh, get some work outside.

889

00:36:01,140 --> 00:36:04,710

'cause I, I've been asked to consider

coming back on a show called The Rookie

890

00:36:04,710 --> 00:36:06,540

that I had recurred on for a little bit.

891

00:36:06,540 --> 00:36:09,870

And so, uh, and so we'll both

be out of the house, right?

892

00:36:09,870 --> 00:36:12,779

And then we have these two dogs that

are rescues, that are, you know, just

893

00:36:13,049 --> 00:36:15,900

rescues are different and they're,

they're, they're beautiful and

894

00:36:15,904 --> 00:36:17,400

they're in their way and then own.

895

00:36:17,430 --> 00:36:20,220

Broken complexity, but they're

also, you know, demanding.

896

00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:23,669

So, so we've been trying to struggle

with, so that seems to be the only, the

897

00:36:23,669 --> 00:36:28,259

only thing that seems to be, uh, not

anchoring us, but giving us, you know,

898

00:36:28,259 --> 00:36:32,160

more, uh, we have to figure out how

to, how to maneuver through, you know?

899

00:36:32,549 --> 00:36:32,700

But

900

00:36:32,700 --> 00:36:35,549

Marc Preston: that, other than that, I'm,

I'm the same way when it comes to dogs,

901

00:36:35,549 --> 00:36:38,790

you know, when it comes to dogs, I'm,

like I said, I said, my daughter's gonna

902

00:36:38,790 --> 00:36:40,475

study in Europe, and I'm like, I gotta go.

903

00:36:40,515 --> 00:36:43,799

I go see her and I'm like, ah, yeah,

they've got a year old golden retriever

904

00:36:43,799 --> 00:36:47,100

and I don't know, do I wanna, my favorite

people are the ones that actually came.

905

00:36:47,100 --> 00:36:48,330

What about the, what about the pooch?

906

00:36:48,330 --> 00:36:49,799

What, what's the best thing for the pet?

907

00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:51,540

Yeah, know.

908

00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:51,930

So

909

00:36:52,350 --> 00:36:54,149

Felix Solis: we were literally

just handling it right now.

910

00:36:54,149 --> 00:36:58,529

We were, we're, uh, uh, literally before

I got on the phone, uh, uh, on, on the

911

00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,250

podcast with you, I, I was ordering

her a new harness because she's got a,

912

00:37:02,669 --> 00:37:05,669

she's getting a little reaction to the

other harness, and so I gotta order it

913

00:37:05,669 --> 00:37:07,020

and then, you know, but, but it's, uh.

914

00:37:07,740 --> 00:37:08,970

It's, it's beautiful.

915

00:37:08,970 --> 00:37:11,189

It's all worth it, especially for me.

916

00:37:11,250 --> 00:37:16,049

The, the, the breed that I think that

gets such a bum wrap is, is the breed

917

00:37:16,049 --> 00:37:20,640

that I, you know, just instinctually have

always had a, a draw to, and, and, uh,

918

00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,879

and they're beautiful and they're, and

we're, we're trying to, we're, we're doing

919

00:37:23,879 --> 00:37:28,379

our best to, to learn and teach ourselves

how to best set them up for success

920

00:37:28,379 --> 00:37:29,910

and be ambassadors for their breed.

921

00:37:29,910 --> 00:37:32,790

So it takes, it takes so,

922

00:37:32,790 --> 00:37:34,830

Marc Preston: so not only do

you like Anthony Bourdain,

923

00:37:34,830 --> 00:37:36,060

but you're also dog person.

924

00:37:36,060 --> 00:37:37,290

I'm like, I'm falling in love here.

925

00:37:37,290 --> 00:37:37,470

No.

926

00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,089

Speaking of the, speaking of

the rookie, uh, you're the.

927

00:37:42,185 --> 00:37:45,365

Third CC uh, Michael Beach

has been on, of course.

928

00:37:45,395 --> 00:37:47,285

Uh, but Melissa O'Neill,

929

00:37:47,290 --> 00:37:47,630

Felix Solis (2): Uhhuh

930

00:37:47,795 --> 00:37:49,715

Marc Preston: one of the most

popular episodes I've ever had.

931

00:37:49,715 --> 00:37:52,654

Like she is still consistently, people are

still wanting to go back and check out.

932

00:37:52,654 --> 00:37:52,715

Yeah.

933

00:37:53,315 --> 00:37:54,335

She's such a charmer.

934

00:37:55,625 --> 00:37:55,895

Felix Solis: I'm a fan.

935

00:37:55,895 --> 00:37:57,185

I'm, I'm a super fan of hers.

936

00:37:57,215 --> 00:37:57,755

Super fan.

937

00:37:57,755 --> 00:37:59,225

She's, she's very zen.

938

00:38:00,215 --> 00:38:00,216

Marc Preston: Yeah.

939

00:38:00,221 --> 00:38:00,630

She's cool.

940

00:38:00,904 --> 00:38:01,055

Yeah.

941

00:38:01,055 --> 00:38:02,975

We actually meditate

together, which is great.

942

00:38:02,980 --> 00:38:03,230

Yeah.

943

00:38:03,575 --> 00:38:03,695

Yeah.

944

00:38:03,695 --> 00:38:06,515

We, we had a, she was telling me

about a trip she had made down,

945

00:38:06,515 --> 00:38:09,395

I think it's somewhere Central or

South America with her brother.

946

00:38:09,395 --> 00:38:12,245

And she was telling me these, you

know, she's just so, so charming.

947

00:38:12,275 --> 00:38:16,025

Um, my kids, it's our, one of our family

shows, you know, we watch, we have, I've

948

00:38:16,025 --> 00:38:17,255

watched the Rookie at all this year.

949

00:38:17,255 --> 00:38:18,275

Rookie Feds.

950

00:38:18,275 --> 00:38:18,335

Yeah.

951

00:38:18,395 --> 00:38:22,745

Uh, well I know this no longer on,

but, uh, my two oldest, uh, one my

952

00:38:22,745 --> 00:38:25,805

daughter's teaching school in New

Orleans, and my son's, uh, gonna graduate.

953

00:38:25,865 --> 00:38:28,085

Uh, but when they get down here,

we're gonna power through the season.

954

00:38:28,085 --> 00:38:29,255

But yeah, you gotta get back on there.

955

00:38:29,255 --> 00:38:30,335

Well, that's, that's our show.

956

00:38:30,335 --> 00:38:30,545

That's, yeah.

957

00:38:30,695 --> 00:38:30,845

Yeah.

958

00:38:30,845 --> 00:38:30,904

I'm

959

00:38:31,310 --> 00:38:33,215

Felix Solis: hoping, I'm

hoping, I'm hoping that I, uh.

960

00:38:33,470 --> 00:38:36,260

That, uh, that things go well

and, and, and that, uh, and

961

00:38:36,260 --> 00:38:37,340

that I can get back on there.

962

00:38:37,340 --> 00:38:40,250

But, you know, that would be, that

would, again, that shoots in Los Angeles.

963

00:38:40,250 --> 00:38:43,580

So again, we have to do the sort

of negotiation of who's gonna stay.

964

00:38:43,580 --> 00:38:47,690

And we have this incredible team of, of

dog sitters who come to the home and stay.

965

00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:48,860

'cause again, they're rescue.

966

00:38:48,860 --> 00:38:53,990

So I don't, I, I shy away as much as

I can to boarding and, and, uh, and

967

00:38:53,990 --> 00:38:56,990

just, and just let them stay in their

home, which is their forever home.

968

00:38:56,990 --> 00:38:59,930

And just have people come and stay with

them and visit and take care of them.

969

00:38:59,990 --> 00:39:00,170

Yeah.

970

00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:01,220

Marc Preston: I, I'm the same way.

971

00:39:01,220 --> 00:39:02,270

I don't, I don't like boarding.

972

00:39:02,270 --> 00:39:03,110

I'm sure they're wonderful.

973

00:39:03,110 --> 00:39:03,920

People do boarding.

974

00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:03,980

Yeah.

975

00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:06,890

But I just, you know, when we went

on a, I went on a cruise with my

976

00:39:06,890 --> 00:39:09,260

kids and I'm like, you know, I

was thinking about the dog a lot.

977

00:39:09,260 --> 00:39:10,310

I was, ah, little guys.

978

00:39:10,310 --> 00:39:13,490

Like, you know, we were trying to think

of ways to bring 'em with us, you know?

979

00:39:13,490 --> 00:39:14,000

Oh, yeah.

980

00:39:14,065 --> 00:39:14,355

Felix Solis (2): Yeah.

981

00:39:14,570 --> 00:39:17,990

Marc Preston: But you, in working

on the, uh, the, uh, on Ozark, how

982

00:39:17,990 --> 00:39:19,100

did that come together for you?

983

00:39:19,100 --> 00:39:22,490

'cause uh, that was a big fan of

Jason Bateman and, you know, the Yeah.

984

00:39:22,490 --> 00:39:24,260

Creative vibe he's got going on, but Yeah.

985

00:39:24,260 --> 00:39:25,430

How did that come together for you?

986

00:39:25,490 --> 00:39:28,670

Felix Solis: Uh, you know, uh, the

literal answer was a simple, the, the

987

00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:30,590

basic simple process of auditioning.

988

00:39:30,980 --> 00:39:32,150

But, but, uh.

989

00:39:32,775 --> 00:39:36,915

But, but the, but the interesting thing

about that particular audition was that

990

00:39:36,915 --> 00:39:43,005

up until that point, uh, I was, uh, you

know, shying away, uh, to put it politely

991

00:39:43,035 --> 00:39:47,955

of from playing roles like the one that

I play on Ozark, you know, uh, some that

992

00:39:47,955 --> 00:39:49,904

may consider it a negative stereotype.

993

00:39:49,904 --> 00:39:50,475

Mm-hmm.

994

00:39:50,745 --> 00:39:54,375

And, uh, and I just couldn't, I just

didn't want to do it because I had had a

995

00:39:54,375 --> 00:39:58,185

couple experiences earlier in my career

as an actor where I was auditioning for

996

00:39:58,185 --> 00:40:03,585

things that if I had gotten them and said

yes, I, I don't know how I would've been

997

00:40:03,585 --> 00:40:07,785

able to explain it to my children after

they were old enough to see it, you know?

998

00:40:07,785 --> 00:40:07,786

Mm-hmm.

999

00:40:07,787 --> 00:40:11,715

Because I think about that and,

uh, and so, and so, I was shying

1000

00:40:11,715 --> 00:40:13,005

away, shying away, shying away.

1001

00:40:14,295 --> 00:40:16,545

The universe was not sending

me what I wanted to do.

1002

00:40:16,905 --> 00:40:19,875

I was sitting in my car, I'm staring

at the Venice Pier on Washington

1003

00:40:19,875 --> 00:40:23,265

Boulevard, and uh, and I just

went, okay, universe, I get it.

1004

00:40:23,265 --> 00:40:28,005

You're not giving me what I'm asking

for, so I will humbly, humbly accept

1005

00:40:28,005 --> 00:40:29,415

whatever it is you think I should do.

1006

00:40:30,105 --> 00:40:33,195

Uh, and then a couple of days

later, I got the audition for Ozark.

1007

00:40:33,705 --> 00:40:38,865

And so I looked at that character and I

said, okay, if this is what you are asking

1008

00:40:38,865 --> 00:40:44,235

me to do, then I am gonna try my hardest

to do it with the highest of integrity,

1009

00:40:44,235 --> 00:40:49,065

the highest of, of groundedness, the,

the, the humanistic element of whoever

1010

00:40:49,065 --> 00:40:51,495

these characters are usually portrayed as.

1011

00:40:51,495 --> 00:40:54,345

I want to get them straight,

straight down to earth.

1012

00:40:54,735 --> 00:40:58,785

And so I put together a self

tape that presented, uh, what.

1013

00:41:00,015 --> 00:41:03,765

Uh, I am very proud to say is

what ended up being on the show.

1014

00:41:04,005 --> 00:41:08,925

Uh, so they chose me, you know, Jason

chose me and I think that the network was

1015

00:41:08,925 --> 00:41:10,665

also very happy, the streaming network.

1016

00:41:10,665 --> 00:41:13,635

Netflix was really happy with

what, with, with what I had done.

1017

00:41:13,935 --> 00:41:17,145

But it was Jason who really was

just like, you guys really just, you

1018

00:41:17,145 --> 00:41:19,275

gotta, you gotta let this guy be on.

1019

00:41:20,055 --> 00:41:23,865

Now, does he direct every episode or He

directed the one that I was introduced in.

1020

00:41:24,195 --> 00:41:24,225

Okay.

1021

00:41:24,225 --> 00:41:27,885

So, yeah, he took it on and he had taken

on, I think maybe might've directed

1022

00:41:27,885 --> 00:41:31,155

every episode in the first season,

and then realized it was gonna be a

1023

00:41:31,155 --> 00:41:32,505

little more difficult as he moved on.

1024

00:41:32,505 --> 00:41:35,925

So he pushed away a little bit,

uh, after season one, but he had

1025

00:41:35,925 --> 00:41:39,465

initially got into, uh, I think it

was an agreement that they had there.

1026

00:41:39,465 --> 00:41:42,075

He said he'd do the show, the show

if he could direct the season.

1027

00:41:42,555 --> 00:41:46,305

And, uh, and then, uh, and then, uh,

and then yeah, they, you know, it was

1028

00:41:46,305 --> 00:41:50,385

the first job Again, I'm so 27 years

professionally into it, and this is

1029

00:41:50,925 --> 00:41:54,525

the, this was the first job four years

ago or some odd, four or five years ago

1030

00:41:54,525 --> 00:41:56,025

where they asked me what I thought, man.

1031

00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,250

Well, they asked me what I

thought and I was like, what?

1032

00:42:02,490 --> 00:42:06,600

Marc Preston: What you're,

uh, a year older than I am.

1033

00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:08,615

So we grew up, but we were eight

kids in the eighties, you know?

1034

00:42:08,615 --> 00:42:08,854

Yeah.

1035

00:42:08,854 --> 00:42:10,709

And you look back at, uh, silver Spoons.

1036

00:42:10,709 --> 00:42:12,450

Remember that show with,

uh, Rick Schroeder?

1037

00:42:12,509 --> 00:42:12,779

Absolutely.

1038

00:42:12,779 --> 00:42:15,330

You look at us like charting of

where Jason Bateman was going.

1039

00:42:15,330 --> 00:42:15,720

Cool.

1040

00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:17,729

He's one of those guys

that really made that.

1041

00:42:17,870 --> 00:42:19,850

Like a great transition

and really, absolutely.

1042

00:42:19,850 --> 00:42:22,009

I mean, the fact, you

know, he, he surprised me.

1043

00:42:22,009 --> 00:42:25,759

You know, I, I will say I have

seen, I have seen one episode of the

1044

00:42:25,759 --> 00:42:27,230

show, I think the very first one.

1045

00:42:27,230 --> 00:42:30,140

So I'm still not quite into

the context of the full series

1046

00:42:30,140 --> 00:42:31,189

yet, but I'm gonna get into it.

1047

00:42:31,580 --> 00:42:33,560

But it's just like comedy.

1048

00:42:33,620 --> 00:42:37,009

That guy is a wordsmith and

can riff, but it, but the drama

1049

00:42:37,009 --> 00:42:38,509

thing, he, he's on it as well.

1050

00:42:38,509 --> 00:42:41,480

You know, he's, you know, I just

really enjoy, uh, stuff he's in.

1051

00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:44,959

So that's another reason why it's on my,

it's in my queue as they say, you know?

1052

00:42:44,990 --> 00:42:45,500

Yeah.

1053

00:42:45,500 --> 00:42:46,250

Um, yeah.

1054

00:42:46,370 --> 00:42:48,740

Well you said that, you know, you

didn't wanna portray a negative

1055

00:42:48,740 --> 00:42:52,160

stereotype, I'm assuming it's la you

know, you know, uh, he's head of a drug.

1056

00:42:52,970 --> 00:42:53,419

Yeah.

1057

00:42:53,419 --> 00:42:54,589

He's head of a drug cartel.

1058

00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:55,040

Felix Solis: Yeah.

1059

00:42:55,189 --> 00:42:57,200

Marc Preston: As far as like, you

know, 'cause you mentioned that,

1060

00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:00,290

and just as a side note, especially

what we're living through right now.

1061

00:43:00,470 --> 00:43:00,680

Sure.

1062

00:43:00,950 --> 00:43:03,290

Representation wise, uh, yeah.

1063

00:43:04,310 --> 00:43:07,580

Do you, do you feel it's going in the

right direction or do you feel it's, you

1064

00:43:07,580 --> 00:43:10,549

know, I, I'm just kind of curious since

I have, you're, you're, uh, you know,

1065

00:43:10,549 --> 00:43:13,940

somebody that I can think, speak to that

I'm, no, I, it's something I'm noticing

1066

00:43:13,940 --> 00:43:17,090

now with all this stuff going well, I say

stuff, I don't mean you sound reductive,

1067

00:43:17,150 --> 00:43:18,590

but all the nonsense that's going on.

1068

00:43:18,590 --> 00:43:19,055

No, I, no, no.

1069

00:43:19,340 --> 00:43:22,190

And, uh, you know, taking people of a

certain culture, I'm like, wait a minute.

1070

00:43:22,190 --> 00:43:24,500

That's, that's integral

to, to assume that is

1071

00:43:24,500 --> 00:43:25,615

Felix Solis: very integral.

1072

00:43:25,645 --> 00:43:25,935

Yeah.

1073

00:43:26,090 --> 00:43:31,670

I mean, I think that the struggle

has always been to, to see a lawyer.

1074

00:43:31,670 --> 00:43:35,490

1. Instead of seeing a,

a Latino lawyer, right?

1075

00:43:35,610 --> 00:43:35,730

Mm-hmm.

1076

00:43:36,060 --> 00:43:40,140

That we see a cop instead

of a Puerto Rican cop.

1077

00:43:40,650 --> 00:43:41,130

We see.

1078

00:43:41,130 --> 00:43:41,850

You see what I mean?

1079

00:43:41,850 --> 00:43:46,890

And then it, that, that once we allow for

it to just be the character and not the

1080

00:43:46,890 --> 00:43:50,910

character associated with it ethnicity,

then I think that's the, that's the

1081

00:43:50,910 --> 00:43:54,779

ultimate goal I think in my, in my eyes,

is to just be like, he's just, he is he

1082

00:43:54,779 --> 00:43:59,940

or she or just they're actors who are

playing characters as opposed to ethnic

1083

00:43:59,970 --> 00:44:01,740

actors who are playing characters.

1084

00:44:02,130 --> 00:44:05,940

And uh, and that seems to be, you

know, for me will always be the case.

1085

00:44:05,940 --> 00:44:09,210

And so when I'm asked to play it in

ethnic, and that's part of what I had

1086

00:44:09,660 --> 00:44:13,620

decided I was gonna do when I presented

what I presented as far as Omar Navarro

1087

00:44:13,620 --> 00:44:20,400

and Ozark, is that I thought, okay, let

me take away what might be perceived as

1088

00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:25,590

the ethnic part of this character, and

let's insert in its place the human.

1089

00:44:27,015 --> 00:44:29,235

That is the character,

the humanistic quality.

1090

00:44:29,235 --> 00:44:30,405

He's a hardworking man.

1091

00:44:30,405 --> 00:44:32,445

He has a family, he loves his children.

1092

00:44:32,715 --> 00:44:35,205

It's a business he's

trying to be successful in.

1093

00:44:35,205 --> 00:44:40,695

Let's try and let's try and keep it

in that world and less of a world

1094

00:44:40,725 --> 00:44:46,215

of, you know, in my culture, the

we do that, you know, and, and not

1095

00:44:46,215 --> 00:44:47,745

allowing that to be a part of it.

1096

00:44:47,745 --> 00:44:53,895

So, so for me, the thing that'll, that'll

always, that'll always want us all as,

1097

00:44:54,225 --> 00:44:59,895

as actors, uh, of, of, of culture and of,

of ethnicity is to, is to work towards

1098

00:44:59,895 --> 00:45:04,035

that where we work towards just being

the, being the actor in the role and

1099

00:45:04,035 --> 00:45:06,105

not a, and not an ethnicity in a role.

1100

00:45:06,255 --> 00:45:06,675

You know?

1101

00:45:07,515 --> 00:45:07,845

Yeah.

1102

00:45:07,845 --> 00:45:08,025

Marc Preston: Yeah.

1103

00:45:08,025 --> 00:45:10,095

That's, that's, that to

me is the way I've always.

1104

00:45:10,700 --> 00:45:14,240

Perceived it, but I've always, they

say, you know, people say, don't see

1105

00:45:14,240 --> 00:45:15,680

color, you don't see culture, whatever.

1106

00:45:15,890 --> 00:45:15,980

Sure.

1107

00:45:15,980 --> 00:45:18,770

I'm like, absolutely see it, because I

want to, I wanna know about the food.

1108

00:45:18,770 --> 00:45:22,940

I wanna know about how the first time

I'm a fungo, the first time I was like,

1109

00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:25,790

where has this been my whole life?

1110

00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:26,210

You know what?

1111

00:45:26,625 --> 00:45:28,190

Felix Solis: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1112

00:45:28,190 --> 00:45:29,540

It's been right there the whole time.

1113

00:45:29,540 --> 00:45:29,900

Sure.

1114

00:45:30,110 --> 00:45:32,870

But that's also, you know,

that's part of, uh, that's part

1115

00:45:32,870 --> 00:45:33,920

of what you're talking about.

1116

00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:36,800

We were talking about before, like

you've been born in New York City,

1117

00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:39,200

you would've known what more fungo

was when you were three, you know,

1118

00:45:39,230 --> 00:45:42,680

but being born in a certain part of a

country or certain part of the areas,

1119

00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:45,440

you, you are what you have around you.

1120

00:45:45,470 --> 00:45:47,780

Those are your immediate

references, you know?

1121

00:45:48,230 --> 00:45:51,350

Uh, and then those of us who

are brave enough go, all right,

1122

00:45:51,350 --> 00:45:52,340

well I want more than that.

1123

00:45:52,340 --> 00:45:54,980

Like you said, I want more than

just what's around me immediately.

1124

00:45:54,980 --> 00:45:58,100

That feels all the same, for lack

of a better way of saying it.

1125

00:45:58,100 --> 00:45:59,510

And I wanna go and see something else.

1126

00:45:59,540 --> 00:46:00,440

Lemme go see what that is.

1127

00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,810

Let me introduce myself to that

and let me learn what that is.

1128

00:46:02,810 --> 00:46:04,160

And that's, you know,

1129

00:46:04,220 --> 00:46:04,940

Marc Preston: that's legit.

1130

00:46:04,945 --> 00:46:08,305

Well, I mean, I gotta ask, I mean, Puerto

Rican lineage, you gotta know what's,

1131

00:46:08,335 --> 00:46:10,885

what's your kind of, your go-to, uh, dish?

1132

00:46:10,885 --> 00:46:13,015

What, what is something

that is like home for you?

1133

00:46:13,015 --> 00:46:13,315

Kind of?

1134

00:46:13,825 --> 00:46:13,975

Felix Solis: Yeah.

1135

00:46:13,975 --> 00:46:16,525

My mother used to make these

things called pastels, which

1136

00:46:16,525 --> 00:46:18,565

were like, uh, green banana.

1137

00:46:18,565 --> 00:46:19,070

Banana, banana.

1138

00:46:19,315 --> 00:46:19,765

Yeah.

1139

00:46:19,765 --> 00:46:22,495

Well, there's pastels in other

different countries, but in Puerto

1140

00:46:22,495 --> 00:46:25,405

Rico these are like, these are banana.

1141

00:46:25,654 --> 00:46:30,154

Uh, blended mushed meat pies that

are wrapped in, yeah, sometimes

1142

00:46:30,154 --> 00:46:33,185

wrapped in banana leaves, sometimes

wrapped in, uh, wax paper.

1143

00:46:33,185 --> 00:46:34,985

Or not wax paper, but like cooking paper.

1144

00:46:35,195 --> 00:46:38,225

And then you boil them and there's

a meat inside, there's a pork

1145

00:46:38,225 --> 00:46:42,305

and kind of a, a stewy, kind of

a mixture that goes inside of it.

1146

00:46:42,305 --> 00:46:43,295

And there's softer ones.

1147

00:46:43,295 --> 00:46:47,675

And then there are those, uh, uh,

pastels that are the ones that are fried

1148

00:46:47,675 --> 00:46:51,665

with the kind of Yeah, kinda like the

Jamaican, uh, the Jamaican patties.

1149

00:46:51,670 --> 00:46:51,700

Exactly.

1150

00:46:52,865 --> 00:46:53,259

Pat, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

1151

00:46:53,615 --> 00:46:56,105

But to me, those were the things

that I, that, and when I, when

1152

00:46:56,105 --> 00:46:58,565

I think Puerto Rican food, I

think that because that, that I.

1153

00:46:59,145 --> 00:47:03,075

I, I see that, and I see myself in

the kitchen with my mother helping her

1154

00:47:03,075 --> 00:47:05,025

scrape and cut and peel the bananas.

1155

00:47:05,325 --> 00:47:08,775

I'm there watching her put the, you

know, the seasoning inside of it.

1156

00:47:08,985 --> 00:47:12,465

I'm there helping her tie the, the,

the meat pies, the, the pastels when

1157

00:47:12,465 --> 00:47:15,195

we're done with, uh, uh, making them.

1158

00:47:15,195 --> 00:47:16,065

And I was in the kitchen.

1159

00:47:16,065 --> 00:47:17,025

That's how I learned how to cook.

1160

00:47:17,025 --> 00:47:22,245

I, I, I, I, I became a cook because

I didn't have a babysitter, right?

1161

00:47:22,635 --> 00:47:25,785

I became the, I became the cook because

my mother couldn't afford a babysitter.

1162

00:47:25,785 --> 00:47:28,905

So instead of me putting me with a

babysitter somewhere so she could

1163

00:47:28,905 --> 00:47:31,905

cook, I was standing right next to

her in the kitchen helping her cook.

1164

00:47:31,905 --> 00:47:32,835

And that's how I know how to cook.

1165

00:47:39,885 --> 00:47:42,615

Marc Preston: Last thing we do here,

uh, I always do my seven questions.

1166

00:47:42,675 --> 00:47:42,975

Sure.

1167

00:47:43,005 --> 00:47:47,325

Uh, and, uh, you know, a little fun,

uh, I always ask the first one, which

1168

00:47:47,325 --> 00:47:49,455

I always task ask, always talk food.

1169

00:47:49,545 --> 00:47:53,745

Um, what is your favorite comfort food?

1170

00:47:53,925 --> 00:47:57,105

That thing that just, you know, good

day, bad day doesn't make a difference.

1171

00:47:57,105 --> 00:47:58,665

It just brings you right

where you wanna be.

1172

00:47:59,235 --> 00:48:02,535

Slice of pizza, I gotta know what,

what's going on the pizza and

1173

00:48:02,535 --> 00:48:04,005

maybe is there a specific place?

1174

00:48:04,005 --> 00:48:06,464

'cause all New Yorkers I know

got their place they go to.

1175

00:48:06,705 --> 00:48:08,745

Felix Solis: Well, here's an

interesting thing that I've decided.

1176

00:48:08,745 --> 00:48:11,535

I'm just, I, I've been doing for

the last maybe 10 or 12 years

1177

00:48:11,535 --> 00:48:14,295

or so, uh, before that I used to

say, this is where you gotta go to

1178

00:48:14,295 --> 00:48:15,554

get a slice of pizza in New York.

1179

00:48:15,585 --> 00:48:15,674

Mm-hmm.

1180

00:48:16,755 --> 00:48:21,435

And then I realized it from a,

from a Buddhist perspective, if

1181

00:48:21,435 --> 00:48:27,134

you will, the best pizza in New

York is the one you choose to make

1182

00:48:27,134 --> 00:48:28,575

the best pizza in New York, right?

1183

00:48:28,575 --> 00:48:28,665

Mm-hmm.

1184

00:48:28,904 --> 00:48:32,654

Because tope to pizza, pizza for me

in New York is like a cigar, right?

1185

00:48:33,255 --> 00:48:36,045

I can smoke a cigar, you can

smoke this, the same cigar, you'll

1186

00:48:36,045 --> 00:48:37,995

have a different experience Yeah.

1187

00:48:38,115 --> 00:48:38,444

To go out.

1188

00:48:38,444 --> 00:48:38,745

Right?

1189

00:48:38,985 --> 00:48:43,185

So, so, so for me, my favorite

pizza is the one that I like

1190

00:48:43,185 --> 00:48:44,505

when I'm having it in the moment.

1191

00:48:44,505 --> 00:48:45,855

And I like Joe's Pizza.

1192

00:48:46,275 --> 00:48:47,235

Down in the village.

1193

00:48:47,355 --> 00:48:48,375

I like Joe's Pizza.

1194

00:48:48,765 --> 00:48:50,595

And Joe's Pizza for me is thin crust.

1195

00:48:50,595 --> 00:48:53,565

It's got a slight, slight

sweetness to the sauce.

1196

00:48:53,745 --> 00:48:57,255

And I'm able, so Joe's Pizza for

me is like, if I had to let go, all

1197

00:48:57,255 --> 00:49:01,035

right, let me get into Uber and go

get a slice of pizza, I'm going there.

1198

00:49:01,545 --> 00:49:05,654

Uh, but, but I, I love telling people

who come to New York who say, well, well,

1199

00:49:05,654 --> 00:49:07,185

you know, what's the best pizza to go to?

1200

00:49:07,185 --> 00:49:10,154

And I go, it's gonna be the one that you

find that you're gonna say, you know what?

1201

00:49:10,154 --> 00:49:12,285

Slice, you know, what is the

best pizza for me in New York?

1202

00:49:12,465 --> 00:49:15,345

It's the one on 18th Street and

ninth Avenue where the guy's from

1203

00:49:15,345 --> 00:49:18,404

Mexico and he makes this great sauce

and they play great music and the.

1204

00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:20,910

That's your experience

with pizza in New York.

1205

00:49:20,910 --> 00:49:21,180

You know,

1206

00:49:22,170 --> 00:49:24,210

Marc Preston: see, you said

the experience, it's not just

1207

00:49:24,210 --> 00:49:25,470

the, it's, it's everything.

1208

00:49:25,470 --> 00:49:26,665

It's, it's, uh, everything around it.

1209

00:49:26,705 --> 00:49:27,464

Absolute, sometimes a journey.

1210

00:49:27,464 --> 00:49:28,065

Getting to it.

1211

00:49:28,415 --> 00:49:29,339

It's that thing when you're

1212

00:49:29,339 --> 00:49:29,759

Felix Solis: there.

1213

00:49:29,790 --> 00:49:30,660

Sure.

1214

00:49:30,660 --> 00:49:31,020

Yeah.

1215

00:49:31,020 --> 00:49:34,200

It's the one that's open till two in the

morning that you can always go to when

1216

00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:38,220

you're done, you know, having beers or

something, or you're like, it's, it's your

1217

00:49:38,220 --> 00:49:42,420

slice, your, the, the best slice in New

York City is your slice in New York City,

1218

00:49:42,630 --> 00:49:42,900

Marc Preston: you know?

1219

00:49:42,930 --> 00:49:43,020

Yeah.

1220

00:49:43,020 --> 00:49:47,069

I think there's a, a, a place in

Santa Monica where somebody had

1221

00:49:47,069 --> 00:49:50,549

gone and, and reverse engineered,

they actually brought in a chemist.

1222

00:49:50,549 --> 00:49:50,610

Yeah.

1223

00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,569

And they, they, they, I know minerals

or something with the water to make

1224

00:49:54,569 --> 00:49:58,560

a, just the same formulation is like

the water in New York as they say it.

1225

00:49:58,560 --> 00:49:59,310

It's Joe Pizza.

1226

00:49:59,700 --> 00:50:01,950

Felix Solis: That, that one is

actually called Joe's Pizza.

1227

00:50:02,279 --> 00:50:02,790

Marc Preston: Really?

1228

00:50:02,794 --> 00:50:02,955

Okay.

1229

00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:03,720

Okay.

1230

00:50:03,720 --> 00:50:03,810

It's

1231

00:50:03,810 --> 00:50:06,285

Felix Solis: affiliated to the Joe's

Pizza that I'm talking about in New

1232

00:50:06,285 --> 00:50:07,859

York and the one on Carmont Street.

1233

00:50:07,859 --> 00:50:08,069

Yeah.

1234

00:50:08,310 --> 00:50:10,859

Marc Preston: I always do this when,

uh, before I've had lunch and I'm,

1235

00:50:10,859 --> 00:50:12,180

or about, I haven't had lunch yet.

1236

00:50:12,180 --> 00:50:13,799

I'm going, God, that

sounds so good right now.

1237

00:50:13,890 --> 00:50:14,640

That sounds wonderful.

1238

00:50:15,149 --> 00:50:17,910

Um, now the next question I got for

you, if you're gonna sit down, talk

1239

00:50:17,910 --> 00:50:21,000

story, you're gonna be sitting down

having coffee with three people, so four

1240

00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,279

of y'all at the table, living or not.

1241

00:50:23,279 --> 00:50:24,450

Who would those three people be?

1242

00:50:24,450 --> 00:50:25,919

Would you would wanna sit down with

1243

00:50:27,060 --> 00:50:30,180

Felix Solis: Albert

Kaus, Charles Bukowski.

1244

00:50:30,810 --> 00:50:31,319

Albert Kaus.

1245

00:50:31,589 --> 00:50:35,069

Charles Charles Bukowski, and, and my mom.

1246

00:50:35,310 --> 00:50:35,910

I love that.

1247

00:50:35,910 --> 00:50:36,180

Yeah.

1248

00:50:36,180 --> 00:50:40,080

I, yeah, my mother and my mother and

I would, we, we were really good at

1249

00:50:40,080 --> 00:50:44,460

shooting the shit together, so, so I

can only imagine what, what, uh, what

1250

00:50:44,460 --> 00:50:48,000

kind of fun, thought provoking things

my mother would be able to offer.

1251

00:50:48,060 --> 00:50:48,990

Uh, you know, camo.

1252

00:50:50,009 --> 00:50:50,339

Marc Preston: Yeah, boss.

1253

00:50:50,339 --> 00:50:51,660

As you get, as you get older, don't you?

1254

00:50:51,660 --> 00:50:55,259

I've been doing this thing lately

where I just for a micro split.

1255

00:50:55,545 --> 00:50:56,595

Fraction of a second.

1256

00:50:56,595 --> 00:50:59,295

I, I experienced something

with one of my kids, or in life

1257

00:50:59,295 --> 00:51:00,315

or in business or something.

1258

00:51:00,315 --> 00:51:01,575

I'm like, man, I'd love to.

1259

00:51:01,635 --> 00:51:05,205

It's like just my, like my grandfather

had a wonderful relationship with.

1260

00:51:05,340 --> 00:51:05,630

Sure.

1261

00:51:05,925 --> 00:51:08,745

Uh, he's not with us anymore,

been over 20 years, but it's

1262

00:51:08,745 --> 00:51:09,495

like, I want to talk to him.

1263

00:51:09,495 --> 00:51:10,425

I'm always, Hey, hey, what do you think?

1264

00:51:10,425 --> 00:51:10,485

Yeah.

1265

00:51:10,905 --> 00:51:12,585

And it just a fraction of a second.

1266

00:51:12,585 --> 00:51:16,065

'cause you know that it's, I wish

had the presence of mine when I

1267

00:51:16,065 --> 00:51:20,265

wish, when I was younger I knew the

questions that now I would like to ask.

1268

00:51:20,265 --> 00:51:20,355

Sure.

1269

00:51:20,355 --> 00:51:22,755

You know, that kinda so that

that would be wonderful.

1270

00:51:23,295 --> 00:51:25,965

In fact, it's funny I mentioned

to Alan Watts, Anthony Bourdain.

1271

00:51:26,115 --> 00:51:26,325

Yeah.

1272

00:51:26,325 --> 00:51:27,525

I would have them and my grandfather.

1273

00:51:27,525 --> 00:51:28,335

That would be my tip.

1274

00:51:28,340 --> 00:51:28,470

Totally.

1275

00:51:28,875 --> 00:51:29,325

Totally.

1276

00:51:29,325 --> 00:51:30,315

Absolutely.

1277

00:51:30,525 --> 00:51:30,705

Yeah.

1278

00:51:30,705 --> 00:51:33,710

I'm cotting the fact you had a chance

to talk hot dogs with uh, yeah.

1279

00:51:33,710 --> 00:51:33,711

Yeah.

1280

00:51:35,565 --> 00:51:36,585

Hey man, I just listened.

1281

00:51:36,585 --> 00:51:39,165

I just overheard the fucking

conversation, but it was amazing.

1282

00:51:39,165 --> 00:51:39,975

It was amazing.

1283

00:51:40,065 --> 00:51:40,905

That is awesome.

1284

00:51:40,905 --> 00:51:41,745

But no, that's wonderful.

1285

00:51:41,745 --> 00:51:43,725

Now let's go back to when you were young.

1286

00:51:43,725 --> 00:51:44,505

Next question.

1287

00:51:44,535 --> 00:51:47,985

Uh, who was the first celebrity

crush you had when you were a kid?

1288

00:51:49,170 --> 00:51:50,100

So the first movie

1289

00:51:50,100 --> 00:51:55,529

Felix Solis: that I saw as a child

was, uh, the, the, uh, the King

1290

00:51:55,529 --> 00:51:57,359

Kong, the, the, the, uh mm-hmm.

1291

00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:00,569

Jeff Ridges and, and uh, and

Jessica Lang version of King Kong.

1292

00:52:00,569 --> 00:52:01,230

Right, okay.

1293

00:52:01,290 --> 00:52:02,130

That was the first movie I saw.

1294

00:52:02,549 --> 00:52:03,480

Super traumatized.

1295

00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:05,370

I saw it at the Greenwich

Village Theaters, a one screen

1296

00:52:05,370 --> 00:52:06,330

theater on Greenwich Village.

1297

00:52:06,330 --> 00:52:06,990

It's no longer there.

1298

00:52:06,990 --> 00:52:08,490

I think it's an Equinox now or something.

1299

00:52:08,910 --> 00:52:13,980

But, uh, but, uh, my dad, my dad took

me to see that and I was like, whoa.

1300

00:52:14,339 --> 00:52:15,150

Pretty cool.

1301

00:52:15,240 --> 00:52:16,920

So I was in love with King Kong.

1302

00:52:16,935 --> 00:52:17,145

King Kong

1303

00:52:17,145 --> 00:52:17,235

Felix Solis (2): was

1304

00:52:18,435 --> 00:52:21,765

Felix Solis: my first, like,

I want to be King Kong.

1305

00:52:21,765 --> 00:52:22,035

Right.

1306

00:52:22,035 --> 00:52:24,465

But I didn't wanna be King Kong because

I watched and I was like, wait, he

1307

00:52:24,465 --> 00:52:27,285

climbs to the top of the Empire State

Building or the, the World Trade Center

1308

00:52:27,285 --> 00:52:32,775

in that, in that, uh, version of it, of

which I used to skate, uh, my skateboard

1309

00:52:32,775 --> 00:52:35,750

around the, uh, you know, uh, world

Trade Center Plaza is what I would do.

1310

00:52:35,750 --> 00:52:36,029

Mm-hmm.

1311

00:52:36,115 --> 00:52:38,325

My mom would take me and I would

skateboard around there to learn how to

1312

00:52:38,325 --> 00:52:39,855

skateboard and stuff when I was a kid.

1313

00:52:39,884 --> 00:52:41,025

'cause it's super smooth.

1314

00:52:41,025 --> 00:52:41,415

Super.

1315

00:52:41,415 --> 00:52:44,445

Uh, it was a marble floor, the plaza

in the middle between the two towers.

1316

00:52:44,805 --> 00:52:45,105

Right.

1317

00:52:45,105 --> 00:52:48,315

And so I saw that and uh,

and I was like, no shit.

1318

00:52:48,555 --> 00:52:50,745

And then the next thing

I saw was Scarface.

1319

00:52:50,745 --> 00:52:52,605

My dad went, took me to say Scarface.

1320

00:52:52,845 --> 00:52:53,355

Okay.

1321

00:52:53,384 --> 00:52:53,595

He, wow.

1322

00:52:54,045 --> 00:52:54,345

Okay.

1323

00:52:54,345 --> 00:52:56,775

So yeah, he about ratings or whatever.

1324

00:52:57,105 --> 00:53:00,195

Oh, neither my parents, they

were like, fuck it, I can smoke

1325

00:53:00,195 --> 00:53:01,095

a cigarette in this theater.

1326

00:53:01,095 --> 00:53:08,265

I'm bringing my kid to C So, so, so, uh,

so we saw, we saw Scarface and uh, and

1327

00:53:08,265 --> 00:53:10,665

then I was like, that guy's incredible.

1328

00:53:10,665 --> 00:53:12,105

1. Who is that guy?

1329

00:53:12,165 --> 00:53:15,735

So I started, you know, getting

into and learning about the much as

1330

00:53:15,735 --> 00:53:18,315

much as I could about Al Pacino and.

1331

00:53:19,065 --> 00:53:23,685

And as much as I have always honored

and loved him and have learned

1332

00:53:23,685 --> 00:53:28,305

so much, and I had the honor, the

honor and the, and the privilege of

1333

00:53:28,305 --> 00:53:30,015

sharing some theater space with him.

1334

00:53:30,015 --> 00:53:33,435

We worked on, I'm a member of the Actor

Studio, and there was a moment where

1335

00:53:33,435 --> 00:53:37,455

they asked me to become a member of the

staged readings that he was doing of

1336

00:53:37,455 --> 00:53:40,185

Sole of Oscar Wild Solame at the studio.

1337

00:53:40,455 --> 00:53:42,195

And, uh, and I was, I

had a chance to do it.

1338

00:53:42,220 --> 00:53:44,205

I did it for almost six months

or something in the studio.

1339

00:53:44,205 --> 00:53:45,105

It was fantastic.

1340

00:53:45,555 --> 00:53:48,615

But when I was seeing him and I was

like, I just, something about me,

1341

00:53:48,615 --> 00:53:51,435

again, going back to the beginning

of our conversation where I am

1342

00:53:51,435 --> 00:53:53,085

somebody who is addicted to origin.

1343

00:53:53,085 --> 00:53:54,975

I, I, I wanna know where shit comes from.

1344

00:53:55,395 --> 00:53:56,266

And so, right, right.

1345

00:53:56,295 --> 00:53:59,355

And so I, I was like, well, he

can't be the guy who invented

1346

00:53:59,355 --> 00:54:01,095

this amazing way of acting.

1347

00:54:01,365 --> 00:54:02,715

So who taught him?

1348

00:54:03,405 --> 00:54:03,705

Right?

1349

00:54:03,710 --> 00:54:03,740

Mm-hmm.

1350

00:54:03,825 --> 00:54:07,065

And where did he get it and where did he

get it and where he and it land for me.

1351

00:54:07,065 --> 00:54:08,745

It landed at Montgomery Cliff.

1352

00:54:10,015 --> 00:54:10,315

Marc Preston: Yeah.

1353

00:54:10,315 --> 00:54:11,845

Isn't that the beautiful

thing about acting?

1354

00:54:11,845 --> 00:54:13,585

It's, it's, it, people say stealing.

1355

00:54:13,585 --> 00:54:14,365

It's not stealing.

1356

00:54:14,365 --> 00:54:15,865

It's like you're carrying on a tradition.

1357

00:54:15,865 --> 00:54:17,995

You're getting your stuff from

fired from somewhere else.

1358

00:54:17,995 --> 00:54:19,135

Felix Solis: Honoring

You're paying homage too.

1359

00:54:19,135 --> 00:54:19,885

Absolutely.

1360

00:54:20,245 --> 00:54:23,815

And and for me, it landed at

Montgomery Cliff, I think before money.

1361

00:54:24,205 --> 00:54:25,165

Before money.

1362

00:54:25,165 --> 00:54:27,625

And, and, and I'm a huge bogey fan.

1363

00:54:27,625 --> 00:54:30,265

Like fucking Humphrey Bogart is my dude.

1364

00:54:30,895 --> 00:54:31,825

So I know that.

1365

00:54:31,975 --> 00:54:34,435

'cause no one knew his light

better than any other person

1366

00:54:34,435 --> 00:54:35,545

in Hollywood was Humphrey Ball.

1367

00:54:35,545 --> 00:54:36,330

Really, really, really.

1368

00:54:36,335 --> 00:54:38,035

No one knew where his

light was better than him.

1369

00:54:38,615 --> 00:54:42,725

And no one knew how to forget where their

light was better than Montgomery Cliff.

1370

00:54:42,995 --> 00:54:46,865

So from, from, from from Humphrey

Bogart, in my eyes, personal

1371

00:54:46,865 --> 00:54:50,795

opinion, I'm sure there's differs,

differing, uh, uh, opinions out there.

1372

00:54:50,795 --> 00:54:55,925

But for me, the shift became, it, it

went from Humphrey Bogart to Montgomery

1373

00:54:55,925 --> 00:54:59,615

Cliff, where Humphrey Bogart knew where

his light was, where to stand, where to

1374

00:54:59,615 --> 00:55:01,385

put his face, where to get the best shot.

1375

00:55:01,745 --> 00:55:04,385

And Montgomery Cliff didn't give a

shit about where the camera was, where

1376

00:55:04,385 --> 00:55:07,790

the light was, and he wanted to just

be in a scene with a person, right?

1377

00:55:07,805 --> 00:55:07,895

Right.

1378

00:55:07,895 --> 00:55:09,485

Just talking to that person.

1379

00:55:09,545 --> 00:55:12,995

And what was most important is what he

was trying to do to the other person.

1380

00:55:13,955 --> 00:55:16,175

The action is what we call it, his actors.

1381

00:55:16,175 --> 00:55:17,015

What's your action?

1382

00:55:17,015 --> 00:55:19,145

What are you doing to the

other person in a scene?

1383

00:55:19,145 --> 00:55:24,275

Because that's what drove me and that's

what clicked me into my creative.

1384

00:55:24,870 --> 00:55:25,950

Engine, if you will.

1385

00:55:25,950 --> 00:55:29,310

I was always struggling early

on in an acting class with, with

1386

00:55:29,310 --> 00:55:30,689

what we call the objective, right?

1387

00:55:30,689 --> 00:55:32,250

You know, is what's your objective?

1388

00:55:32,250 --> 00:55:33,240

What's your character's objective, right?

1389

00:55:33,779 --> 00:55:37,259

Which ultimately what you're asking is

what does my character want in this scene?

1390

00:55:37,529 --> 00:55:39,390

And I was always having trouble with that.

1391

00:55:39,509 --> 00:55:40,470

I was always having trouble.

1392

00:55:40,470 --> 00:55:42,540

I didn't know why, but I

was always having trouble.

1393

00:55:42,839 --> 00:55:46,140

And then I talked to my mom, and this

is why I said I'd have her sitting there

1394

00:55:46,140 --> 00:55:50,040

with Bukowski and Kaus because I asked my

mom, I was like, what is going on here?

1395

00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:50,970

This is ridiculous.

1396

00:55:50,970 --> 00:55:52,200

I'm like having such a hard time.

1397

00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:55,799

And she said, well, to quote

Shakespeare to the known self be true.

1398

00:55:55,799 --> 00:55:59,580

And she said, well, the problem you are

having is that you are not a selfish

1399

00:55:59,580 --> 00:56:05,939

person, Felix, you, you the person

are not selfish and an objective.

1400

00:56:05,939 --> 00:56:06,210

So did you

1401

00:56:06,210 --> 00:56:09,990

Marc Preston: flip it and ask, think about

it in terms of like, what do they want?

1402

00:56:10,380 --> 00:56:12,000

What, what do, what can, what am

1403

00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:13,230

Felix Solis: I doing to them?

1404

00:56:13,590 --> 00:56:14,910

What am I doing to them?

1405

00:56:14,940 --> 00:56:17,759

Because still a want is

still for me, a selfish act.

1406

00:56:18,030 --> 00:56:21,360

And so I say to myself, so, so

she said, you're going against,

1407

00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:22,470

it's going against your grain.

1408

00:56:22,470 --> 00:56:26,190

You are naturally a selfless

person, not a selfish person.

1409

00:56:26,310 --> 00:56:30,930

And so therefore you have to figure out

a way to act for something, for someone

1410

00:56:30,930 --> 00:56:33,180

else doing it to the other person.

1411

00:56:33,180 --> 00:56:35,100

So what is it that you're doing to them?

1412

00:56:35,100 --> 00:56:35,759

For them?

1413

00:56:35,759 --> 00:56:35,850

Mm-hmm.

1414

00:56:36,090 --> 00:56:36,660

Of service?

1415

00:56:36,660 --> 00:56:37,920

You are of service, Felix.

1416

00:56:38,070 --> 00:56:43,440

And when she said that, and it shifted in

my mind, I saw that, I saw that clearly

1417

00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:48,450

when I started watching Montgomery Cliffs,

uh, movies and his work where he didn't

1418

00:56:48,450 --> 00:56:49,680

give a shit about what he looked like.

1419

00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:53,670

He didn't give, yes, he was Hollywood in

that regard, but I meant in movies, in

1420

00:56:53,670 --> 00:56:57,600

scenes, he was always about what's going,

what he's doing to the other person,

1421

00:56:57,600 --> 00:56:59,340

affecting the other person in the scene.

1422

00:56:59,340 --> 00:57:04,680

And that, so to me, uh, to answer your

question directly, Montgomery Cliff.

1423

00:57:05,205 --> 00:57:05,505

Marc Preston: Yeah.

1424

00:57:05,595 --> 00:57:08,475

Well, what is okay, quintessential

movie to say somebody, Montgomery Cliff,

1425

00:57:08,745 --> 00:57:12,225

this is gonna be the thing you gotta

see to be able to see him at his best.

1426

00:57:12,435 --> 00:57:16,305

To see him when his with, you know, what

would you, what film would you recommend?

1427

00:57:16,305 --> 00:57:16,335

I,

1428

00:57:16,410 --> 00:57:19,395

Felix Solis: I, I'd say, I'd say

anything that he did with, with,

1429

00:57:19,455 --> 00:57:24,675

uh, uh, Elizabeth Taylor, he, and he

did a, he did a, a Place in the sun.

1430

00:57:25,365 --> 00:57:27,405

He did, uh, from here to Eternity

1431

00:57:28,065 --> 00:57:28,755

Marc Preston: Giant.

1432

00:57:29,055 --> 00:57:30,975

I, that's one of my

favorite movies of all time.

1433

00:57:30,975 --> 00:57:33,075

That's just like everybody was in that,

1434

00:57:33,135 --> 00:57:33,435

Felix Solis: you know?

1435

00:57:33,440 --> 00:57:34,155

Yeah, yeah.

1436

00:57:34,155 --> 00:57:35,805

Frank Sinatra's performance was.

1437

00:57:36,404 --> 00:57:37,545

Ridiculous in that.

1438

00:57:38,115 --> 00:57:40,609

Uh, and Ernest Bine was,

was a really nice guy.

1439

00:57:40,609 --> 00:57:40,890

Yeah.

1440

00:57:41,710 --> 00:57:43,634

You know, and he was so

strong as the meanie.

1441

00:57:43,634 --> 00:57:44,415

Absolutely.

1442

00:57:44,415 --> 00:57:45,134

It was tough.

1443

00:57:45,555 --> 00:57:48,435

But, uh, you know, that's, that's

pushing, that's pushing in the world

1444

00:57:48,435 --> 00:57:53,085

of, after Montgomery Cliff had a very

life altering car accident in his career

1445

00:57:53,384 --> 00:57:54,915

and, uh, in the middle of his career.

1446

00:57:54,915 --> 00:57:59,535

So he, so there was a shift there, but

before the accident, he would do, he, you

1447

00:57:59,535 --> 00:58:03,495

know, I think I wanna say a place in the

sun might be the one where you just go,

1448

00:58:04,035 --> 00:58:06,525

what is, what is happening right here?

1449

00:58:06,615 --> 00:58:08,085

Like this guy?

1450

00:58:08,205 --> 00:58:11,654

And to the point where you literally,

he's like, you know, here's the camera.

1451

00:58:11,654 --> 00:58:14,210

And he's, he's invading

the space, like mm-hmm.

1452

00:58:14,415 --> 00:58:15,765

You have to wait for him to move.

1453

00:58:15,884 --> 00:58:20,055

If you watch a scene that Montgomery

Cliff is in, the, the thing that I always

1454

00:58:20,055 --> 00:58:23,805

like to tell people to, to, to kind of

bug them out a bit, is you pull up a

1455

00:58:23,805 --> 00:58:26,535

scene that Montgomery Cliff is doing

with someone, and then don't look at mon,

1456

00:58:26,924 --> 00:58:30,254

look at the actor or actress that he's

working with, and you'll see the light

1457

00:58:30,734 --> 00:58:33,555

fade off face on her face into her face.

1458

00:58:33,645 --> 00:58:33,825

Really?

1459

00:58:33,825 --> 00:58:35,025

It was literally not.

1460

00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:39,490

Aware, and I don't wanna say not aware,

like he was dumb, but just didn't care.

1461

00:58:39,490 --> 00:58:42,220

Like the technical wasn't the

thing he was dialed into at the

1462

00:58:42,225 --> 00:58:44,350

moment, didn't care about what was

happening to the other person and

1463

00:58:44,350 --> 00:58:45,400

what they were doing in the scene.

1464

00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:46,990

He was a storyteller in that regard.

1465

00:58:46,990 --> 00:58:50,830

And to me that was that, that,

that's, uh, I still carry

1466

00:58:50,830 --> 00:58:51,940

that with me today, you know?

1467

00:58:51,970 --> 00:58:52,090

Marc Preston: Yeah.

1468

00:58:52,090 --> 00:58:52,930

My guy was carried.

1469

00:58:52,930 --> 00:58:58,090

Grant, I, that's like, you know, um,

I, I, I once did this old narrative

1470

00:58:58,090 --> 00:59:00,790

thing, and I remember one of the

lines, he said, the greatest part Kerry

1471

00:59:00,790 --> 00:59:02,620

Grant ever played was Kerry Grant.

1472

00:59:02,620 --> 00:59:02,740

You know,

1473

00:59:03,640 --> 00:59:04,330

Felix Solis: because it was Sure.

1474

00:59:04,390 --> 00:59:06,100

That's, uh, yeah, that was the thing.

1475

00:59:06,220 --> 00:59:09,220

And I think that, and you liken that to

Humphrey, although, although Humphrey

1476

00:59:09,220 --> 00:59:14,080

Bogart also did, he, he, he, he pulled

and stretched in places that he, you

1477

00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:18,220

know, that were, were, he was somewhat

different, you know, but he's still in

1478

00:59:18,220 --> 00:59:20,290

that era of this is who this man was.

1479

00:59:20,290 --> 00:59:22,210

He knew exactly how to stand, you know?

1480

00:59:22,570 --> 00:59:25,300

And I think, uh, and there were

moments, uh, you know, where

1481

00:59:25,330 --> 00:59:28,270

towards the end of his career where

he, uh, where he shifted a bit.

1482

00:59:28,935 --> 00:59:31,215

But yeah, Montgomery Cliff

for me will always be,

1483

00:59:31,305 --> 00:59:31,515

Marc Preston: yeah.

1484

00:59:31,515 --> 00:59:33,465

Well, since my daughter is out

tonight, I probably, I'm gonna

1485

00:59:33,465 --> 00:59:34,815

go jump on to the streamers.

1486

00:59:34,815 --> 00:59:36,975

I, I'm gonna have a little movie

night with myself, a little

1487

00:59:36,975 --> 00:59:38,145

date night with me in the car.

1488

00:59:38,205 --> 00:59:38,595

Oh yeah.

1489

00:59:38,620 --> 00:59:39,315

Felix Solis (2): Good, good, good.

1490

00:59:39,675 --> 00:59:42,645

Marc Preston: Now the next question I

got for you, uh, I, if you're gonna be

1491

00:59:42,645 --> 00:59:46,095

living on an exotic island somewhere, you

want to be somewhere that's beautiful,

1492

00:59:46,125 --> 00:59:47,565

gonna be there a whole year, right?

1493

00:59:47,565 --> 00:59:50,925

There's no streaming, so you're

gonna have to bring one CD with you.

1494

00:59:50,925 --> 00:59:54,705

If you wanna listen to music,

just one CD and 1D VDA movie you

1495

00:59:54,705 --> 00:59:56,175

can watch over and over again.

1496

00:59:56,625 --> 00:59:58,245

Uh, what would that cd be?

1497

00:59:58,365 --> 01:00:00,825

What would that DVD be for

you for the whole year?

1498

01:00:01,845 --> 01:00:05,415

Felix Solis: I, I could

watch, um, Miller's Crossing.

1499

01:00:06,210 --> 01:00:07,530

Over and over and over again.

1500

01:00:07,530 --> 01:00:13,320

Miller's Crossing is in Ethan and,

uh, uh, it's, uh, Cohen Brothers Coen.

1501

01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:13,830

Okay.

1502

01:00:13,890 --> 01:00:14,100

Yeah.

1503

01:00:14,100 --> 01:00:15,420

The Cohen Brothers film.

1504

01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:19,590

It, it's, it's affectionately the,

the Irish version of The Godfather.

1505

01:00:20,310 --> 01:00:20,880

Uh, okay.

1506

01:00:21,180 --> 01:00:23,130

It takes place inside of the Irish Mafia.

1507

01:00:23,580 --> 01:00:26,610

Uh, uh, and it's a struggle.

1508

01:00:26,610 --> 01:00:28,230

Albert Finney plays the head.

1509

01:00:28,650 --> 01:00:29,370

Okay.

1510

01:00:29,460 --> 01:00:31,830

Um, there's so many fine actors.

1511

01:00:31,830 --> 01:00:33,210

Steve Bohemi is in it.

1512

01:00:33,210 --> 01:00:35,100

Gabriel Byrne is our lead.

1513

01:00:35,580 --> 01:00:39,840

Uh, and they're just, it's just

a Fanta, John Tarro is in it,

1514

01:00:40,110 --> 01:00:43,320

and it's just this power struggle

between two families in a mafia.

1515

01:00:43,320 --> 01:00:48,270

But it takes place inside of, in

and around a, uh, uh, the, the

1516

01:00:48,270 --> 01:00:51,300

sort of world of, you know, Ethan,

uh, the, the world of the Cohen

1517

01:00:51,300 --> 01:00:53,880

brothers, where, where it's, uh, uh.

1518

01:00:55,140 --> 01:00:56,370

The language is theirs.

1519

01:00:56,370 --> 01:00:57,360

You know, Joel, right?

1520

01:00:57,840 --> 01:01:02,340

Ethan, write these incredible, uh,

dialogue pieces that are, that are just

1521

01:01:02,340 --> 01:01:05,970

music to my ears, so I could sit and

watch that over and over and over again.

1522

01:01:07,500 --> 01:01:10,230

And as far as music goes,

you know, I'm such a fan.

1523

01:01:10,230 --> 01:01:14,250

I have close to 5,000 records vinyl

records in my collection today.

1524

01:01:14,370 --> 01:01:14,910

Marc Preston: Really?

1525

01:01:14,940 --> 01:01:15,600

Yeah.

1526

01:01:15,600 --> 01:01:16,680

Isn't it great to know?

1527

01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:19,650

Like, I, I, I, I remember there's a

friend of mine who worked in tv uh, in

1528

01:01:19,650 --> 01:01:21,750

Dallas and he worked, went to work at WGN.

1529

01:01:21,750 --> 01:01:23,220

He's like, listen, I know you love music.

1530

01:01:23,730 --> 01:01:24,930

I'm tired of schlepping all these things.

1531

01:01:24,930 --> 01:01:27,990

He had these two boxes

moving book boxes Yeah.

1532

01:01:27,990 --> 01:01:29,010

Of albums.

1533

01:01:29,070 --> 01:01:29,280

Yeah.

1534

01:01:29,310 --> 01:01:30,330

Which have traveled with me.

1535

01:01:30,330 --> 01:01:33,750

'cause he, he's basically, it's to where

he didn't just want to give him away,

1536

01:01:33,750 --> 01:01:35,370

want somebody who would take care of them.

1537

01:01:35,370 --> 01:01:35,790

Even if Sure.

1538

01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:39,780

I'm sitting there going, I need to go into

storage and find out what vinyl I got.

1539

01:01:39,810 --> 01:01:41,460

'cause that's like, you know.

1540

01:01:41,465 --> 01:01:41,515

Yeah.

1541

01:01:42,090 --> 01:01:42,540

Yeah.

1542

01:01:42,840 --> 01:01:45,210

I gotta get a, I got a

beautiful studio set up here.

1543

01:01:45,240 --> 01:01:47,130

Uh, and I'm like, I

don't have a turntable.

1544

01:01:47,220 --> 01:01:47,610

Yeah.

1545

01:01:47,610 --> 01:01:48,540

It's like, it's coming back.

1546

01:01:48,540 --> 01:01:49,470

I gotta do that thing,

1547

01:01:49,650 --> 01:01:49,890

Felix Solis: you know?

1548

01:01:49,890 --> 01:01:50,370

Yeah.

1549

01:01:50,370 --> 01:01:52,830

I mean, I think if I

had to, I could listen.

1550

01:01:52,830 --> 01:01:57,030

There's a, there's a group that,

uh, very few people know about.

1551

01:01:57,090 --> 01:01:58,620

It's a group called Danny Wilson.

1552

01:01:58,620 --> 01:02:03,795

1. Uh, and Danny Wilson is a group

that came out of, uh, Dublin, Ireland.

1553

01:02:03,795 --> 01:02:06,735

They're, they're Irish, but they

don't, they don't sing in a, in a

1554

01:02:06,795 --> 01:02:11,265

very traditional Irish way, but,

uh, but there's a, there's a, their

1555

01:02:11,265 --> 01:02:14,655

first album, one of two that they

released was called Meet Danny Wilson.

1556

01:02:15,285 --> 01:02:19,095

And, uh, and I know every lyric

to every song on that record,

1557

01:02:19,575 --> 01:02:22,635

uh, and I could listen to that,

uh, over and over and over again.

1558

01:02:23,025 --> 01:02:27,555

And, uh, and they were famously, they

were, uh, uh, not famously, but you pop

1559

01:02:27,555 --> 01:02:31,755

culturally connected to something about

Mary, because in the film something about

1560

01:02:31,755 --> 01:02:36,735

Mary, they used a song that, that Danny

Wilson, the band is called Danny Wilson.

1561

01:02:36,735 --> 01:02:37,785

Mm-hmm.

1562

01:02:37,786 --> 01:02:41,745

Uh, the, the leader and songwriters,

Gary Clark and Gary Clark wrote

1563

01:02:41,745 --> 01:02:45,105

this song called, uh, Mary's Prayer.

1564

01:02:45,840 --> 01:02:49,650

And it was a, uh, it was used in

something about Mary and so it kind

1565

01:02:49,650 --> 01:02:53,190

of resurrected the band's like,

you know, work for a little bit.

1566

01:02:53,190 --> 01:02:53,760

But yeah.

1567

01:02:54,180 --> 01:02:56,130

Marc Preston: Wait, was that

the song at the very beginning?

1568

01:02:56,130 --> 01:02:57,120

Kind of towards the beginning?

1569

01:02:57,120 --> 01:02:59,310

The guys is playing of the

guitar and the Correct Canberra

1570

01:02:59,310 --> 01:03:01,050

pushes in past them to the open.

1571

01:03:01,080 --> 01:03:02,070

Okay, sure.

1572

01:03:02,310 --> 01:03:02,460

Yeah.

1573

01:03:02,465 --> 01:03:03,215

And, uh, yeah.

1574

01:03:03,215 --> 01:03:03,415

Okay.

1575

01:03:03,840 --> 01:03:07,050

Felix Solis: And, and it's the, the, and

the album's called Meet Danny Wilson.

1576

01:03:07,440 --> 01:03:09,810

And it's just, you know, it's, it's.

1577

01:03:10,485 --> 01:03:10,785

I don't know.

1578

01:03:10,845 --> 01:03:14,655

It was, it was the music, it was the

album that I was listening to when I was

1579

01:03:14,655 --> 01:03:17,925

lying to my friends growing up in New

York saying that I was listening to hip

1580

01:03:17,925 --> 01:03:22,995

hop and I was listening to the cool, cool

in music that was happening at the time.

1581

01:03:22,995 --> 01:03:25,305

And then, and then Little did

they know that I was listening

1582

01:03:25,305 --> 01:03:26,535

to Danny Wilson in my headset.

1583

01:03:26,625 --> 01:03:26,925

Yeah.

1584

01:03:26,955 --> 01:03:27,855

Beastie Boys.

1585

01:03:27,855 --> 01:03:29,060

The, the other rap, the Beastie.

1586

01:03:29,280 --> 01:03:30,135

And I know them all.

1587

01:03:30,135 --> 01:03:30,885

I got them all.

1588

01:03:30,885 --> 01:03:31,665

I love them all.

1589

01:03:31,665 --> 01:03:34,485

I've listened to them all, but it

was, but it, when it was time for

1590

01:03:34,485 --> 01:03:36,435

me to just be for myself mm-hmm.

1591

01:03:36,675 --> 01:03:39,795

And, and just have the music that

was just for me, the what is have,

1592

01:03:39,795 --> 01:03:43,665

I guess, eventually became called

the Guilty Pleasure, uh, stuff.

1593

01:03:43,665 --> 01:03:45,675

Is, is, is, uh, Danny Wilson.

1594

01:03:45,735 --> 01:03:46,245

I love them.

1595

01:03:46,335 --> 01:03:47,085

I love that band.

1596

01:03:47,595 --> 01:03:48,225

Marc Preston: Very nice.

1597

01:03:48,225 --> 01:03:48,645

Very nice.

1598

01:03:48,645 --> 01:03:49,905

So you're set for the whole year there.

1599

01:03:49,905 --> 01:03:49,965

Yeah.

1600

01:03:49,965 --> 01:03:53,565

Now the next question I got, uh, if

you're gonna be defining beginning

1601

01:03:53,565 --> 01:03:58,905

to end stem to stern, uh, what is the

definition of a, like the component

1602

01:03:58,905 --> 01:04:01,035

parts of a perfect day for you?

1603

01:04:01,455 --> 01:04:02,925

Uh, from the time you get

up, time you go to bed?

1604

01:04:02,925 --> 01:04:05,745

What if you'd like, okay, this is

a perfect day, these things happen.

1605

01:04:05,775 --> 01:04:06,885

I got to do this stuff.

1606

01:04:06,885 --> 01:04:07,605

What would that be?

1607

01:04:08,835 --> 01:04:09,075

Right

1608

01:04:09,075 --> 01:04:12,105

Felix Solis: off the bat, not

being, uh, forced to wake up.

1609

01:04:12,390 --> 01:04:14,130

But waking up when I wake up,

1610

01:04:14,759 --> 01:04:16,140

Marc Preston: you don't

know how often I hear that.

1611

01:04:16,799 --> 01:04:16,859

No.

1612

01:04:17,009 --> 01:04:17,339

Yeah.

1613

01:04:17,339 --> 01:04:18,690

The slow start to your day.

1614

01:04:18,690 --> 01:04:18,930

Yeah, yeah.

1615

01:04:18,930 --> 01:04:19,080

When

1616

01:04:19,080 --> 01:04:22,290

Felix Solis: you're forced to wake up,

there's a jarring effect to, to it.

1617

01:04:22,295 --> 01:04:23,460

And, and I'm a meditator.

1618

01:04:23,460 --> 01:04:24,660

I meditate twice a day.

1619

01:04:25,170 --> 01:04:26,970

I do vedic meditation twice a day.

1620

01:04:26,970 --> 01:04:29,339

And so, so for me, it's harder.

1621

01:04:29,640 --> 01:04:33,540

Uh, I've, I've, I've experienced the

being jolted out of a meditation and

1622

01:04:33,540 --> 01:04:36,450

it's hard, is kind of like getting the,

uh, you know, when you're coming out of

1623

01:04:36,450 --> 01:04:38,730

the, if you're scuba diving and you're

coming outta the water too fast, you

1624

01:04:38,730 --> 01:04:39,960

get the bends or whatever they call it.

1625

01:04:39,960 --> 01:04:44,400

But, but, uh, so, so, so being able to

wake up when I wake up, not because I have

1626

01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:49,680

to wake up, but when I wake up, uh, having

the quiet of, of my, uh, of my meditation

1627

01:04:49,680 --> 01:04:51,870

there, I do meditate with my dogs.

1628

01:04:51,870 --> 01:04:54,240

I let them out of their room

and I let them into the bed.

1629

01:04:54,240 --> 01:04:57,450

So they come and they sit with me and they

meditate with me, which is always nice.

1630

01:04:57,779 --> 01:04:59,940

The younger one's a little

noisy, but that's okay.

1631

01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:00,660

She's just always,

1632

01:05:02,785 --> 01:05:06,600

uh, but, uh, while we meditate, but,

but, so I meditate with the dogs.

1633

01:05:07,525 --> 01:05:09,955

And then I walk, I, I, I move my body.

1634

01:05:09,955 --> 01:05:11,005

I go for a walk.

1635

01:05:11,485 --> 01:05:14,395

My partner and I, when we're, when

we're lucky enough to be together,

1636

01:05:14,425 --> 01:05:18,565

uh, at, at certain stretches, we will

walk them together and you go for a

1637

01:05:18,565 --> 01:05:23,335

walk and then you come back and you,

and you, and you don't have to do.

1638

01:05:24,435 --> 01:05:28,214

Anything you don't want to, that's,

that's from start to finish.

1639

01:05:28,214 --> 01:05:33,134

When, when you are able to live a

day where you can do, uh, everything

1640

01:05:33,134 --> 01:05:37,904

you do is not 'cause you have to, but

because you choose to, to me is, is

1641

01:05:37,904 --> 01:05:42,795

my, is a, is a perfect day, you know,

ending, I think in general, you know?

1642

01:05:43,095 --> 01:05:43,214

Yeah.

1643

01:05:43,245 --> 01:05:43,515

That's

1644

01:05:43,515 --> 01:05:44,384

Marc Preston: the same way I am.

1645

01:05:44,415 --> 01:05:44,714

Yeah.

1646

01:05:44,714 --> 01:05:46,935

It's like that vibe where you're

like, when I know I've got

1647

01:05:46,935 --> 01:05:50,205

something I have to do and it's not

necessarily exactly what I wanna do.

1648

01:05:50,240 --> 01:05:50,529

Felix Solis: Yeah.

1649

01:05:50,745 --> 01:05:51,015

And it's

1650

01:05:51,015 --> 01:05:52,154

Marc Preston: coming up later in the day.

1651

01:05:52,154 --> 01:05:53,085

That's on my mind all day.

1652

01:05:53,085 --> 01:05:53,595

I'm like, yeah,

1653

01:05:53,770 --> 01:05:54,615

Felix Solis: yeah, yeah.

1654

01:05:54,615 --> 01:05:57,975

I mean, going for like, I, I just

wanna be clear about it, like going

1655

01:05:57,975 --> 01:06:02,265

to work is, is to, you know, if I'm

gonna go and shoot a scene with.

1656

01:06:02,295 --> 01:06:06,015

You know, Kevin Bacon or Julianne

Moore or any of my favorite actors

1657

01:06:06,075 --> 01:06:10,125

who have, who I've been lucky enough

to stand and hang out with recently,

1658

01:06:10,335 --> 01:06:14,085

that, uh, that you, that you, that

that's not something you have to do.

1659

01:06:14,085 --> 01:06:17,595

That's something you wanna do, and that's

something you, you, you get to do, right?

1660

01:06:17,595 --> 01:06:18,975

And so and so, it's different.

1661

01:06:18,975 --> 01:06:22,425

Like, that's not that, I just mean

like, when you go, I don't why

1662

01:06:22,575 --> 01:06:25,305

I'm being forced to do something

I don't wanna do, you know?

1663

01:06:25,785 --> 01:06:29,685

So, so for me, a good day start to

finish is doing that, having that quiet

1664

01:06:29,685 --> 01:06:34,455

moment, that gentle bring in allows you

to, you know, be grateful for waking up

1665

01:06:34,455 --> 01:06:37,725

and being grateful for having another

moment to try this all over again.

1666

01:06:38,145 --> 01:06:38,655

Uh.

1667

01:06:39,045 --> 01:06:41,565

And then, and then, you know,

living a day where, where the day

1668

01:06:41,565 --> 01:06:45,225

takes you, you know, and the best

way possible going with the flow.

1669

01:06:45,310 --> 01:06:45,600

Yeah.

1670

01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:45,601

Yeah.

1671

01:06:46,590 --> 01:06:47,505

When the day takes you.

1672

01:06:47,925 --> 01:06:49,605

Marc Preston: Now, uh,

last couple questions.

1673

01:06:49,665 --> 01:06:53,025

If you weren't doing this, uh, for

a living, this was not available

1674

01:06:53,025 --> 01:06:56,355

to you, this is just not, there's

no more tv, no more theater.

1675

01:06:56,775 --> 01:07:00,975

What's the number two choice career-wise

that would bring you joy, you think?

1676

01:07:01,425 --> 01:07:01,785

Being of

1677

01:07:01,785 --> 01:07:02,415

Felix Solis: service?

1678

01:07:03,255 --> 01:07:04,575

Being of service in some way?

1679

01:07:05,085 --> 01:07:08,175

As long as I can be of service in

some way, I think I'll be okay.

1680

01:07:08,175 --> 01:07:13,515

I think I will, I will still feel, uh,

uh, like I am, uh, contributing in,

1681

01:07:13,515 --> 01:07:18,225

in a way that, uh, I. That, that, that

one should, that every one of us should

1682

01:07:18,345 --> 01:07:21,255

in, in the world that we're living in

the, in the existence that we have.

1683

01:07:21,495 --> 01:07:27,555

So some kind of servitude, whether it's

teaching, uh, cooking for people, uh, you

1684

01:07:27,555 --> 01:07:32,355

know, doing something of service, being

of service to, to our, to our society.

1685

01:07:32,505 --> 01:07:32,625

Felix Solis (2): Yeah.

1686

01:07:32,805 --> 01:07:36,075

Marc Preston: Uh, the last question I got,

let's say you got that DeLorean, you could

1687

01:07:36,075 --> 01:07:39,705

pop back into time when you were, you can

meet up with yourself at 16 years old.

1688

01:07:39,705 --> 01:07:42,885

You got a piece of advice to, to

give yourself for a few minutes.

1689

01:07:43,305 --> 01:07:46,215

Uh, you've got a moment to either give

yourself advice to make that moment a

1690

01:07:46,215 --> 01:07:49,725

little easier, better, whatever, or put

yourself on a little bit different track.

1691

01:07:50,025 --> 01:07:50,205

Felix Solis (2): Yeah.

1692

01:07:50,205 --> 01:07:52,605

Marc Preston: What would that piece

of advice be to 16-year-old you?

1693

01:07:53,835 --> 01:07:57,645

Felix Solis: Um, so this is always,

it's interesting, I've, I've been

1694

01:07:57,645 --> 01:08:00,975

asked this before and I, and, and I've

given this one a lot of thought since

1695

01:08:00,975 --> 01:08:02,505

that last time I've been asked this.

1696

01:08:02,775 --> 01:08:07,395

My initial answer was always, uh, to.

1697

01:08:08,325 --> 01:08:11,475

To, to, to be okay with

however the thing goes.

1698

01:08:11,475 --> 01:08:14,595

Like whatever, however it

goes, man, you, you'd be okay.

1699

01:08:14,595 --> 01:08:15,375

Everything will be okay.

1700

01:08:15,375 --> 01:08:16,904

This too shall pass, right?

1701

01:08:16,965 --> 01:08:17,835

This too shall pass.

1702

01:08:18,615 --> 01:08:23,415

Uh, but also you're talking to a man,

Marc, who every day before he went to

1703

01:08:23,415 --> 01:08:26,564

bed, his mother would say three things

to him before he closed his eyes in bed.

1704

01:08:26,564 --> 01:08:29,055

He'd say, she'd say to me, you're the

best thing that ever happened to me.

1705

01:08:30,375 --> 01:08:34,484

She'd say to me, there's not a thing in

this world that you cannot accomplish.

1706

01:08:34,484 --> 01:08:37,455

If you can think it, it's possible,

and remind yourself of that.

1707

01:08:37,934 --> 01:08:44,774

And then she would say to me that whenever

I feel out of place, unwanted, weird,

1708

01:08:44,925 --> 01:08:51,314

different outlier, unique, strange, nerdy,

all these words that you think are outside

1709

01:08:51,314 --> 01:08:56,234

of what you're supposed to be doing, that

I needed to always remind myself that.

1710

01:08:56,774 --> 01:08:58,394

And she said this to me verbatim.

1711

01:08:58,394 --> 01:09:01,694

She said, remember, your

father and I made you.

1712

01:09:02,219 --> 01:09:07,500

We chose you, we decided to go into a room

and make you so you came into this world

1713

01:09:07,500 --> 01:09:11,609

wanted, you, were wanted in this world.

1714

01:09:12,569 --> 01:09:14,549

And that always that

beautiful way of Yeah.

1715

01:09:14,639 --> 01:09:15,029

Right?

1716

01:09:15,149 --> 01:09:19,139

And that should always, always

allow for you, whenever you're in

1717

01:09:19,139 --> 01:09:24,240

a moment of, of, of insecurity or

of doubt or whatever, just remind

1718

01:09:24,240 --> 01:09:27,420

yourself, I was wanted in this world.

1719

01:09:27,719 --> 01:09:29,040

I'm wanted in this world.

1720

01:09:29,040 --> 01:09:32,160

I was brought into this world

because I was wanted, I wasn't a

1721

01:09:32,160 --> 01:09:34,799

mistake, I wasn't a, you know, fluke.

1722

01:09:34,799 --> 01:09:36,809

I wasn't a a a, an accident.

1723

01:09:37,049 --> 01:09:38,189

I, I was wanted.

1724

01:09:38,339 --> 01:09:40,649

And so I'm, I'm, I'm of value.

1725

01:09:41,355 --> 01:09:44,565

No matter what, I'm, I will always

be of value because I was wanted.

1726

01:09:44,655 --> 01:09:45,795

And so, and so.

1727

01:09:45,795 --> 01:09:52,035

That being said, my, I would go back

to my 16-year-old self and, and I just

1728

01:09:52,035 --> 01:09:56,205

recently watched the scene in a, in a,

in a show, uh, that somebody sent me.

1729

01:09:56,205 --> 01:09:58,965

'cause they said, this is, this

is who we think you are, Felix.

1730

01:09:58,965 --> 01:09:59,955

And so we wanted to see it.

1731

01:09:59,955 --> 01:10:03,735

I can't remember the name of the show, but

it's a great, a great, a great question

1732

01:10:03,735 --> 01:10:10,365

is asked of a character and he says,

you know, uh, uh, it's not that easy.