Geekscape Interviews: ‘Fear The Walking Dead’s Rubén Blades and Mercedes Mason Talk East LA, Snipers, And More!

It’s been a few weeks now since the always-incredible (and always exhausting), events of San Diego Comic-Con, and I’m beyond excited that I’m just now able to talk about one of the highlights of this year’s week in San Diego.

If you’re a long-time reader of Geekscape, you’ll know how huge of a fan of The Walking Dead I am. I’ve been keeping up with the comic book since I was in high school, passionately wrote Geekscape’s Walking Dead Weekly column before life got in the way, and of course, ate up every single second of Telltale’s incredible The Walking Dead video game.

So of course, I jumped at the opportunity to speak with the cast and producers of the new, mysterious companion series, Fear the Walking Dead.

Now, that being said, I’d felt a little iffy about Fear The Walking Dead since the companion series was first revealed. Sure, the world wants as much The Walking Dead as it can get (again, you do know that there’s both a comic book and incredible video game too, right?), but would this series simply be the same show in a different location, and without the survivors we already know and love? How could it differentiate itself from what’s essentially the most popular television series on the planet?

After having an opportunity to speak with the cast and producers of the series last month, any concerns that I had about Fear the Walking Dead disappeared, and I’m now simply excited to see where East Los Angeles, and the beginnings of the infection, take this dysfunctional blended family.

And that was all before that awesome trailer was released.

The interviews were run in a round-table format, and had journalists speaking to a few of the actors (or producers) at the same time. As it was a round-table, not all questions were mine, but all of them are definitely worth reading. It wasn’t the fantastic trailer or meeting these actors that made me really excited for Fear The Walking Dead, but the passion, excitement, and chemistry that all of its talent have with the project and each other.

First up, Rubén Blades and Mercedes Mason, who play Daniel and Ofelia Salazar.

Question: Hey, so what can you tell us about your characters?

Rubén Blades: Nothing! There are snipers. They’re reading your mouth. You go like, what do you think about…. No it’s interesting because they said we are going to talk to the media and I said, about what? [laughs]

Rubén Blades: You can’t say anything other than you know… yeah, well, yeah I…

Question : What can you not say?

Mercedes Mason: [laughs] Smart! Wow.

Rubén Blades: I have a relationship with a camel. But… [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rubén Blades: That would be the development…

Question: So, yeah…

Mercedes Mason: Episode 5, Episode 5. Yeah. [laughs]

Rubén Blades: I shouldn’t have said that but…

Question: Yeah.

Rubén Blades: What the hell?

Mercedes Mason: Now we have to kill him I think. That’s what happens.

I play Ofelia, Daniel’s daughter. I’m a daughter of immigrant parents. So, she’s very sort of ambitious but a naïve girl who is very Americanized. She’s you know… been an American now for her whole sort of conscious life. So she’s very protective of her parents and when all of this happens her instinct is to protect them. And little by little, she starts realizing, one, she doesn’t know who her parents are at all, which really has to dictate how she figures herself out, and two, she realizes she can start relying on them and there’s strength there. And it’s almost like they have to weaken to know each other all over again.

Rubén Blades: I’m Daniel Salazar… and Ofelia’s father, and Patricia Reyes Spíndola from Mexico plays my wife. She’s a wonderful actress, really solid. And we come from a Central American country to start a new life in Los Angeles. This scenario… this situation happens, and as this season develops you start realizing that my character has a background that no one knew.

Mercedes Mason: And that includes his daughter. I read the episode where Ofelia discovers something about Daniel. Literally emailed him in a panic. I was like, oh my God, please tell me that you read it. And he’s like no, not yet. And then every day I’m like bugging him I’m like, did you, have you read it?”

Question: [laughs] What kind of background?

Mercedes Mason: Look at you, you’re good. You’re good.

Rubén Blades: It’s interesting because as the story develops his background ends up being helpful. [laughs] It’s interesting, it’s just everyone has a secret. We all do, all of us. And under certain conditions these things can end up being interpreted differently.

Mercedes Mason: But it’s also revealed to us as we go along so… Daniel’s secrets have been revealed to him, mine hasn’t been revealed to me yet so I’m dying to figure out…

Rubén Blades: And that’s like one category… that’s one of the things that…

[Crash in background]

Mercedes Mason: Ooooohhhh, Party foul!

Rubén Blades: Not my drinking. [laughs] I like that about this show though. It also…

Mercedes Mason: It keeps us on our toes.

Rubén Blades: Yeah, you don’t know. You can be anybody. You think, well, I’m a main character. No, [Sound] Fschwhip. [laughs] Not anymore.

I mean somebody bites your ass and you’re dead. I don’t care if you’re Meryl Streep, you’re going. You know they’ll kill you. You don’t know. My band is rooting – I’m a musician,  so my band wants me dead. As soon as possible. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: [laughs] They’re writing anonymous letters…

Rubén Blades: As soon as possible. Why don’t you kill this guy, as soon as he comes in have somebody bite him. Because we want to work, you know?  I’m the singer so…

Mercedes Mason: [laughs] They’re just waiting.

Question: So is that what happens when you’re getting the script and every week you’re like, am I dead, am I dead? Is that how it can happen?

Rubén Blades: You don’t know what’s going to happen.

Mercedes Mason: [laughs] We read it backwards.

Rubén Blades: Not a joke. Really, we don’t know. Nobody knows. It’s very interesting.

Question: Do we see any of your musical talents on the show?

Rubén Blades: No, thank God. [laughs]

Rubén Blades: My life is very complicated as it is and… but it’s interesting because it’s not like stereotypical Latino. All of a sudden I’m going to start singing “La Malagueña.” [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: [laughs] He plays… he’s going to do the Polka just to mix it up.

Rubén Blades: So it’s interesting. I don’t know, I hope not.

Question: But if you die, “La vida te da sorpresas” is a really good song.

Rubén Blades: And die with that t-shirt on. [laughs] And have a little plug for myself. When did Salazar start doing that, he knows that song? [laughs] What year is that song? I have a t-shirt actually. I have it there. [laughs] No, I’m serious. “La vida te da sorpresas.”

Question: So LA is the background. I mean there’s a lot of Latin community, especially in LA, so can we expect a lot of, you know thinking on the Latin audience like because…

Rubén Blades: No. Not like that because it’s about people. That’s what I like about this. It’s not a token thing. The thing begins to fall apart and all of a sudden because of the situation a family is thrust upon another family basically.

Mercedes Mason: For survival.

Rubén Blades: For survival reasons and all of a sudden, very happily they end up together. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: And your culture doesn’t mean anything at that point.

Rubén Blades: It doesn’t mean anything. And they don’t care. I used to say this with friends of mine…

Mercedes Mason: Except there’s some respect things.

Rubén Blades: Yeah, absolutely.

Mercedes Mason: You know there are a few cultural things like that, yeah…

Rubén Blades: Cultural things that are different. That are…

Mercedes Mason: …make it difficult to live together, you know co-habitat.

Rubén Blades: You know, right… So it’s an outlook. It’s a way of looking at things. But I tell people, it’s an interesting thing, you go to a museum, right? When you walk in, you see a painting. You react to the painting. You don’t ask…

Mercedes Mason: Who was the painter?

Rubén Blades: Did a black person paint this, a gay person painted this? You know, you don’t ask those stupid questions. You’re touched by the thing. Okay, so, recently some watercolors by Hitler were sold for like $400,000. I looked at them. They were nice. But, dammit Hitler painted them… [laughs] So you go, oh no, I don’t want to have this, you know… so it’s very hard. So you get two families together because of the situation. And then you’re going to react to each other as human beings. Not as these are Latino people. You don’t give a shit, if you’re drowning, you’re like, excuse me, are you Christian? [laughs] No? Okay, but will you throw me that thing anyway?

Mercedes Mason: I’ll drown. [laughs]

Rubén Blades: I need to survive. That’s what happens here. So the Latino scenario is just we are Latins. It doesn’t dictate… no I like that, because it’s about people.

Mercedes Mason: It’s the human condition. It’s about right and wrong. Yeah it has nothing to do with…

Rubén Blades: What do you do in a situation like that?

Question: But I think that’s the best part of this presentation of Latinos because you are not a stereotype…

Mercedes Mason: It’s not a stereotype.

Question: Yes, exactly and that feels great because as a Latina I can relate to that instead of if you were wearing like a Mariachi suit. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well Episode 2… No, I’m kidding… [laughs] But, let me show you pictures…

Question: How do you feel working… uh, it is a different culture. It’s not a stereotype. It is a different culture. We know Latino families are completely different from…

Mercedes Mason: There is a little bit of that. There’s some warmth, there’s some, you know… a little bit of difference there but it doesn’t dictate our behavior. Do you know what I mean? Whereas, traditionally a certain culture would dictate like… if you’re Latin, well you know I’m being stereotypical. You have to wear hoop earrings, you have to say this you have to eat that.

Rubén Blades: I would never permit that to begin with.

Mercedes Mason: I mean he wears hoop earrings in every episode, but that’s his choice. [laughs]

Rubén Blades: It’s like oh… like you said, the big mariachi hat. That has nothing to do with anything.

Question: You’re not Speedy Gonzales. You are your own person.

Rubén Blades: No, and on top of everything the other aspect that I thought was interesting was that the family is from Central America. So that’s unusual, you know… and it’s again more real because you have a lot of Central Americans here in Los Angeles.

Mercedes Mason: Yes.

Rubén Blades: The pupuseria’s and you have all those Koreans you know, also. It’s not like everybody’s Chinese.

Mercedes Mason: Yeah, I was going to say it’s not Asian it’s… right.

Rubén Blades: So, but it was interesting. The way that they came about this was interesting.

Mercedes Mason: And it adds the layers. Especially the fact that Salazar’s left El Salvador because of political reasons. That adds another layer, especially as an actor. You get to add so much into that. That knowledge really colors how you perceive things.

Rubén Blades: Yeah, and it was an interesting thing to do as an actor. If you’re going to be in a series you want something that will be surprising and something that will be challenging. And not this linear kind of, Ricky Ricardo… [laughs] You never know where it’s going and it has a background that is complicated. There are going to be moral judgements. It’s going to be very, very, very interesting to see what your reactions will be. Because, nothing is what it seems to be.

Mercedes Mason: Right, it keeps turning. I have to say I commend AMC as well because it’s quite recent that ethnic leads are even in shows. And again, as human beings not as African American, Latin, Asian, whatever the situation may be. It’s refreshing. It’s especially because the show’s shown in LA, we’re sort of a melting pot of all these cultures. And it’s really – you see all of us we’re sort of every flavor and color of United Benetton so everything’s represented.

Rubén Blades: How can you do a show in New York and not have Latinos in it, for instance, and there’s so many of them. There are so many shows. Right now in, for instance in ‘74 when I got to New York… I think there were two Mexicans in New York. [laughs] Maybe. Never saw a Paraguayan. I met a Paraguayan once and I asked for his autograph because I had never met a Paraguayan. But I’m not important. I said, oh yes you are. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: Yes you are.

Rubén Blades: Sign this. Because now I know you exist. You know? And there are shows in New York where you don’t see a Latino. Not one, not one. Not even a cab driver. You don’t see them… so now in Mexico… in New York… there are many. So the city has yet another added element. You have Puerto Ricans, of course. Dominicans, of course. And they’re contributing. We’re all contributing to the city. Now we have our Mexicans, we have Ecuadorians, now all of a sudden now there are more groups represented. And I know that… and maybe they think that we’re all the same. We all sing La Cucaracha and we all go bull fighting and have arroz. [laughs] But all that is different you know. The difference between a Mexican, and a Cuban, and a Paraguayan, and Ecuadorian is obvious to us. Not to others. But it creates complexity and they are respecting that in this one because they have a Central American presence. And it’s a very refreshing thing.

Mercedes Mason: But, hopefully if we’ll get to the point where, like AMC, it’s not even talked about. At this point it’s just a family. We’re becoming such an amalgam of different cultures in the world. I mean you know, in 2030 there’s so many mixes there really isn’t a clear line between cultures and the fact that we’re still deviating between well these are the Latins and these… It shouldn’t be like that. We should just all… and that’s what I love about this. One of the things I loved is none of this matters.

When the world is about to end, now what? It becomes a human condition. It becomes, oh my God, who do you rely on? What’s wrong? What’s right? If we were having coffee yesterday as my neighbor now you’re trying to eat my face, am I allowed to kill you? [laughs] I saw you…

Rubén Blades: Not this beautiful. That happens to be my daughter dammit. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: Not the face, Not the face!

Question: He’s your dad, I wouldn’t do that.

Mercedes Mason: Thank you. Yes. He is.

Question: He looks dangerous.

Mercedes Mason: I cannot wait for you guys to see all… you’re going to die…

Rubén Blades: It’s very interesting you see. It’s going to be very interesting. I wish you…

Mercedes Mason: Hang on, when I read it, I literally emailed him in such a panic. I was so excited.

Rubén Blades: I wish I could see your… the faces of everyone here.

Mercedes Mason: Yes, yes, yes. Quick guys, give me all your numbers we’re going to Skype. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: When it comes out…

Question: I noticed that also that all the characters are blue collar or social workers but they’re kind of real. Does that add to the show or there’s no entertainment lawyer or artist. They would die first, no? [laughter]

Mercedes Mason: But it’s also East LA. Like to me, when you come to LA you’d want to be in the entertainment business. You go to Hollywood, you go you know… there’s a different vibe. For us, it’s survival. Again, like Ofelia’s parents came to create a new life. To survive. It had nothing to do with Hollywood.

Rubén Blades: I’m a barber.

Mercedes Mason: Yeah. It had to do with creating a new life. And I think, you know you go to East LA, you go to some other areas of Los Angeles, it’s real. You know people have this impression of glossy LA. And, I love that they’re presenting the gritty aspect of it.

Rubén Blades: And I’m a barber, and that’s it. That’s not what I used to do. But all of a sudden that’s what I need to do to survive. So, it’s interesting.

Question: Do you use a blade on one of the zombies? [laughs]

Rubén Blades: We’re going to get shot. [laughs]

Question: They can’t see me…

Rubén Blades: No, they’re over there.

Mercedes Mason: You know what we should do? They are recording we should just sign language and you know…

Question: [laughs] She said yes.

Question: [laughs] Were you fans of the show before-hand?

Rubén Blades: I read the… I’m a contrarian so if everybody talks about something I immediately suspect. [laughs]

So I’ve become suspicious immediately and my first reaction is, I don’t want to see this. But you know what I did though? I have all the comics I collect comic books. So, for many people here, this is the first time they’ve come to Comic-Con? I’ve been coming since ‘85 so… I have like 15,000 comic books.

Question: Do you come to Comic-Con?

Rubén Blades: I used to come more before because what is happening now is that it’s not anymore about comics. It’s more about other things and you go and you walk a block and you step on nine Wookies. You know? [laughs] And when it started getting like that I said it can’t really.

Mercedes Mason: He dresses as a Wookie in the privacy of his own home.

Rubén Blades: So, I’ve been coming here and buying comics and whatnot. So, I’m familiar.

Question: So, do you read comics?

Rubén Blades: Yeah.

Male Speaker 3: What are you reading right now?  What do you like?

Rubén Blades: I think, well right now… and you know I call it “Golden Age” but right now los hermanos Hernandez.  Do you know them? “Love and Rockets?” Boy, you have to read that.

Question: That’s the name?

Rubén Blades: “Love and Rockets” yeah, los hermanos Hermandez they’re Mexican, the best. Some of the best stories. [inaudible] And Frank… the new take on Batman. Frank Miller? Moore. Alan Moore. So I… the writing has become very, very advanced, I mean it’s pretty good. It’s really good. And I like it because it’s like storyboards so you know you get to develop also a way of looking at things.

Question: So as a fan-boy, a lot of for example Peter Jackson came dressed up.  Daniel Radcliffe dressed as Spiderman. So if you could dress up as something you know to blend with the main hall, which character would you choose?

Mercedes Mason: Good question!

Rubén Blades: I would like to be the Invisible Man. [laughs]

Mercedes Mason: I mean you have to do a little Wonder Woman. You have to have a little female power in there. 

Fear The Walking Dead premieres on August 23rd! Looking for more conversations with the talent? Here you go:

-Kim Dickens and Alycia Debnam-Carey
-Frank Dillane and Creator Dave Erickson
-Cliff Curtis and Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd
-Elizabeth Rodriguez and Lorenzo James Henrie