“When I read the script, it was one of the few accurate portrayals of the community I come from,” says “Flamin’ Hot” star Annie Gonzalez. She plays Judy Montañez, the wife of janitor-turned-Frito Lay executive Richard Montañez (played by Jesse Garcia). “I’m born and raised in SoCal, six generations. The border crossed us, we didn’t cross the border. It wasn’t hard to see myself because I saw my tias, I saw my mom, I saw my grandma. Every woman in my community who’s seen the best in their culture and wanted to bring that out of their partners. It was easy to sink my teeth into something like this.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The inspiring movie directed by Eva Longoria tells the true story of Richard Montañez, a Frito Lay janitor who disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.
While much of Richard’s story has been made public, Judy’s remained private. “When I sat with her she looked at me teary-eyed and said, ‘I’m scared. I’ve worked so hard to absolve this past, to be the woman you see in front of you today,'” Gonzales says. “That really hit me because I feel like that’s such a generational thing. The older generation that has gone through tumultuous times thinks they need to erase it to become who they are, but I think that informs the growth that we get to have. It also informs a culture that is going through those same struggles that there are other options. Not better options, just other options should you so choose and want to. I sat her down and told her how important her story is, especially that part of her story.”
“Flamin’ Hot” is currently available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
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