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PROFILE ON THE RISE Demián Bichir Words by Marla E. Schwartz Demián Bichir is a gentleman in every sense of the word but he certainly doesn’t play one on TV. Demián portrays the dastardly Major of Tijuana, Esteban Reyes, who is the love interest of the lead character Nancy Botwin, played by the effervescent Mary-Louise Parker, on the Showtime hit WEEDS. Basically, it’s the story of a woman who gets into financial trouble after the sudden death of her husband and becomes the neighborhood pot dealer in her idyllic community. The highly anticipated sixth season began this past August. This extraordinarily gifted actor reminiscences about one particular scene he had with Mary-Louise. This scene involves Nancy telling Esteban that she wants a cut of his next WEEDS shipment and he refuses. He feels she’s breaking the chain of command, the conversation ensues and Nancy gets punished. A spanking takes place. Well, a majorly sexy spanking, that is. This scene is even a favorite among celebrities. “It’s Benicio Del Toro’s (they appeared together in Steven Soderberg’s two-part film Ché) favorite scene. He was really thrilled by it and a lot of people talk about that scene,” Demián said. “It was really hard to do because we did that scene the first week of work. Every scene I’ve had with her is really great because she takes you to a higher level and invites you to be on the top of your game.” Demián is Latin America’s most beloved actor and has made significant inroads into making a mark for himself as an up and coming legendary actor, who will no doubt make a significant impact on the American cinema landscape. He became famous in his home country of Mexico by appearing in a myriad of theatrical productions. In America he has appeared in Choices of the Heart, The Penitent and In the Time of the Butterflies with Salma Hayek. Additionally, Demián has received a multitude of awards in Mexico, including the Best Actor award, the equivalent of an Academy Award. His smoldering good looks combined with his wonderful sense of humor will keep him working for years to come. The Bichir side of the family, originally hailing from Lebanon, has made a major impact in the entertainment business in Mexico. His father, Alejandro Bichir is a renowned director and his mother Maricuz Nájera and brothers Odiseo and Bruno are all celebs. In fact, the Mexican “MTV Movie Awards” created a category called El Mejor Bichir en Una Pelicula or Best Bichir in a Movie. Demián won. Most recently, Demián wrapped up three films, The Gardner, The Runway and Hidalgo. “The Gardner, with Chris Weitz directing, is my first lead role in a studio movie and I couldn’t have been luckier because the script was fantastic and Chris is absolutely a fantastic director,” Demián said. It has also been reported that Demián is attached to a film about a young Colombian woman named Leona who becomes a powerful gang leader in South Florida. “I heard of this project almost a year ago, but I haven’t heard anything back,” Demián said. “I don’t know if the project is still on.” It would be great to have Demián attached to a film that’s shot in South Florida. “I’ve been to Miami plenty of times,” he said. “I love the architecture along the beach, the great Cuban restaurants, the feel of the city and the people are really great,” he said. There’s no doubt that Demián Bichir will again make an appearance in Miami and while his star continues to rise, you most certainly shouldn’t miss his ride. ML MIAMI LIVING 29