Interview with Freddy Rodriguez
Buzz Interview: Freddy Rodriguez at the Premiere of Bottle Shock
When I traveled to Napa to attend the premiere of Bottle Shock, one of the stars I was most excited to speak with was Gio! Freddy Rodriguez. I've always admired his work on shows like Six Feet Under and of course Ugly Betty, and I'm excited to see that he'll still take part in an independent movie now and again.
His character in the movie, Gustavo Brambila, is a person in real life, and Rodriguez appeared to have a good relationship with him at the premiere. Gustavo is supposed to have an incredible palate and winemaking abilities, and though he's portrayed as an intense dude in the movie, Rodriguez told me he's actually very shy in person.
To read about how much Freddy really knows about wine and even some clues about Gio's feelings for Betty, read more.
Why fit a little movie like Bottle Shock in your busy schedule?
Well, I shot this right after I finished Grindhouse, which was so incredibly demanding, physically and mentally, I just needed a change of pace. So this came up — right elements, great script, I loved the character. It just fit right.
How much did you know about wine before you started filming?
I didn't know much about wine! It wasn't until I got here that I started to learn about what to look for when you’re tasting wine, but I learned a lot more. I'm not a good drinker though! We were drinking wine earlier today and I said, "Man, I can’t drink wine at like one in the afternoon or I’ll fall asleep!"
I wanted to make sure and tell you that I'm on Team Gio.
What? That’s funny! What does that mean?
You've never heard "Team Gio?" It's like, who are you rooting for Betty to be with — Henry or Gio? So, what does Gio see in Betty? Why does he like her?
(laughs) What does Gio see in Betty? Wow, you know, I think he just sees her for who she is, you know? It isn’t about physicality at all. I think he just sees what's inside, you know?
