Arturo Hilario
El Observador
The holidays are here, and with that comes cooler temperatures, warm clothes and spending time with loved ones to celebrate the special days of the season. For Latino families, this time of the year brings forth memories of specific traditions and experiences like the posadas, music and late-night food preparations, aka probably tamales.
How the Gringo Stole Christmas is a new Christmas comedy which takes place in a largely Latino neighborhood of Los Angeles, where a Mexican family man named Bennie, played by the comedic titan George Lopez, gets the surprise news that his beloved daughter Claudia is coming to visit the family from the East Coast for Navidad. To the proud and protective father, this seems like a perfect surprise, until it’s revealed his daughter brought her white boyfriend, Leif, who no one in the family has met yet.
Starring Emily Tosta, George Lopez, Mariana Treviño, Jack Kilmer and Romy Peniche, the comedy is a story that provides laughs as a chaotic Latino Christmas, but also reinforces what it means to be part of a family who sticks together regardless of what or who comes around.
Playing the daughter, Claudia, Emily Tosta is a Dominican actress who has had recent success with roles in FX’s Mayans, as well as Freeform’s Party of Five. As the holiday season is in full swing, we had a chance to speak to the actress about her most recent role in How the Gringo Stole Christmas.
A fan of Christmas movies and vibes, Tosta reveals what attracted her to the role, what it was like working with the close-knit cast, as well as her top tips on what it takes to host a memorable Christmas party.
How the Gringo Stole Christmas is now available to rent and own on major streaming platforms.
[To start the interview, Emily Tosta has a poster of How the Gringo Stole Christmas behind her, as well as Christmas lights hung up.]
I love this vibe you’ve got going on.
I know. I was, like, trying to get in the mood for Christmas time.
Are you a fan of the Christmas season, the movies, the feeling of it?
I totally, totally am. My mom and I take Christmas very seriously in our household.
That’s great. To start off, I wanted to ask what attracted you to this role of Claudia in How the Gringo Stole Christmas.
Of course, I would say that something that really drew me to Claudia were all of these traits of her being such a strong woman. She dropped everything in LA, I mean, even left her family in LA to go to New York and pursue her dream. And I think that’s something that I really related to. And at the same time, she’s independent and she has a dream and she’s working hard for it. And I think all of those traits were things that really attracted me from her. There’s, like, not a weak bone in her body. She is such a strong girl.
What aspects of the story and or the character do you relate to in your own life? Is there anything else besides the strength and perseverance of your character?
Yeah, of course. I think that for Claudia, her family is so important, and I think that it’s also part of the message of the film. It’s like family values and that family love and your family staying together, and I think that’s something that has been instilled in me since I was a little girl.
My family is everything to me. Even though my parents divorced at a very young age, I still was able to keep such a close relationship to both of them. And, like, my mom is everything to me. So I think that whole idea of your family strength and the nucleus of your family being important, which is something that George Lopez’s character is always saying throughout the film, is something that I can really relate to.
Can you set up the story of How the Gringo Stole Christmas and what sets off the shenanigans of the movie?
Well, what sets up the shenanigans of the movie is truly Bennie, which is George Lopez’s character. I think fathers sometimes have a certain vision for their daughters of what, ideally, they would want them to do, especially when it comes to dating, and especially in a Latino household. So I think that once Bennie saw that I’m bringing a guy home that is a white man that was not in his plans whatsoever, so that unfolds a whole series of unfortunate events that creates the whole entire shenanigan that is How the Gringo Stole Christmas.
Since you are a fan of the Christmas season, what was it like working on a holiday movie, especially one that’s so Latino and family focused?
I loved it. I had such a great time. I was so excited to show up to work every day with our Christmas decorations and our little Christmas outfits and just feeling like we were in the vibe of what Christmas is. And it was exciting, too, being able to see some of the traditions that we keep as Latinos and being able to bring that onto the screen and portray that on the screen and show people kind of like, a glimpse of how we celebrate the holidays was really important to me.
And what would you say was a favorite memory of working on set for you? Was there something that comes to mind specifically?
Yes, it was any time that we were waiting around in between takes, and George would crack a joke and make all of us laugh so much to the point where our bellies would hurt.
I would say that some of my favorite memories off screen were part of the relationship that I was able to develop with my fellow cast members. Any conversations that I had about life with Mariana, any conversations that I had with Jack about dating and about things that were going on in our lives as people growing up in the industry, and any conversations that I had with George about his travels, about his experiences, about his anecdotes from being in Hollywood for such a long time. I just feel like there’s so many things that I’m definitely going to hold so dear to my heart.
The film is funny, but it’s also heartfelt in its messaging. What do you hope that people will take away from the movie as a whole?
Of course. Well, I obviously hope that people take away a lot of laughter and a lot of enjoyment. And I hope that this can bring a time of you being together with your family and watching something that’s enjoyable for everybody.
But aside from that, I really want people to take away the fact that, first of all, family is so important. And at the end of the day, your family is everything you have, but also the message of, it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter what your skin color is, it doesn’t matter what you look like. We’re all human beings at the end of the day, and love is always the most powerful, powerful force.
And I think that’s something that’s really important here, it’s understanding that we shouldn’t be judging people based off of the color of their skin. We shouldn’t be judging people based off of their traditions. We shouldn’t be judging others based off of where they come from or what their language is. We’re all human beings, and we all exist in this world under the same circumstances, and I think that’s what’s really important here.
One last question. Emily, do you have any tips for a successful holiday gathering with family?
Yes. Keep politics outside of it! Don’t talk about politics. Keep it outside of the family conversations these holidays. I’m just kidding. But I think just being able to sit with your family and enjoy yourself, obviously make sure that there’s enough food for everybody. That is a mistake I have made before. Don’t let the food run out this holiday season!
Make sure to play some Christmas jams, because that always gets everybody in the holiday mood. And also, make sure to hug your loved ones and make sure to tell them how much you love them.
