Gael García Bernal Talks Exploring His Sexuality & Getting Paid To Play His Favorite Pastime, Wrestling, In ‘Cassandro’
deadline.comA chance meeting at a New York City hotel brought together multi-award-winning actor Gael García Bernal and Roger Ross Williams, an Academy Award-winning director who wanted to discuss Mexico’s Luchadores Exóticos, specifically trailblazer Saúl Armendáriz, better known as Cassandro.
Luchadores Exóticos are male wrestlers who performed in drag in the ring, who at the start of the movement in the 1940s were just a form of entertainment and didn’t necessarily reflect the performer’s sexual orientation.
They would usually fight with macho male wrestlers who were closer to heels than heroes who would most often win the match. The film, currently available to stream via Prime Video, tells the courageous story of real-life wrestler Cassandro and his journey of self-love and acceptance while breaking barriers for wrestlers everywhere.
But back to how the story came to be begins with García Bernal and Williams chatting in the Big Apple. “I grew up with the hype of Lucha Libre and there were a few wrestlers like Atlantis and Octagon, Rayo de Jalisco, Perro Aguayo, Conan and Los Porkys—there were so many.
