Michael Pena adds Mexican dash to ‘Fantasy Island’

Actor Michael Pena says he took inspiration from late Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban for his upcoming movie ‘Fantasy Island’.

‘Fantasy Island’ is a horror reimagination of the hit 1970s American fantasy television series of the same name. Montalban was famous for his portrayal of Mr Roarke in the series.

“That performance is so cemented in my imagination, in my recollection, my memories,” Pena said.

“I did it just a little bit like he did — it’s not an imitation, it’s a personalisation of things that he did. Number one was the accent, with Montalban being Mexican. I had just finished doing ‘Narcos’, where I spent eight months in Mexico City; it’s a very distinct accent that they have — a Spanish accent when they speak English — that I found fascinating,” he added.

Directed by Jeff Wadlow, the film also stars Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Jimmy O Yang, Portia Doubleday, Ryan Hansen and Michael Rooker. It releases in the UAE on February 13.