By Al Carlos Hernandez
Few things can beat the experience of working on the set with acclaimed director Clint Eastwood, says actress Natalia Traven. She should know. The Mexican actress met multiple Academy Award-winning filmmaker during the shooting of his latest film Cry Macho.
“He (Eastwood) is so funny, so warm, a great human being,” says Traven.
The tireless Eastwood made Cry Macho at the age of 91 during the pandemic, the 39th movie directed by the San Francisco-born filmmaker. The film tells the story of Mike Milo, a retired horse breeder and former rodeo star who drowns his sorrows in alcohol after losing his wife and son. Milo accepts a job to bring his former boss’s son back home from Mexico and away from the young man’s alcoholic mother.
However, the two men’s journey turns out to be more challenging than expected, being forced to take the back roads on their way to Texas. Mike, who was involved in the illegal business of cockfighting, must now decide if he takes a new path to redemption.
The movie is playing in movie theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
In Cry Macho, Traven plays the role of Marta, a widow who raises her extended family in a small Mexican town near the Texas border. The grandmother tries to help her grandson Mike, and herself, recover from a personal tragedy.
In the middle of the pandemic, Traven made an audition tape for the role of Marta. “They liked it and sent it to Clint Eastwood,” she says. The director liked the recorded performance and requested that Traven meet him in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the actress. The film was shot in nearby Belen and Polvadera, south of the Land of Enchantment’s most populous city. The actress adds she got to know Eastwood more personally. “He is one of the best directors in the history of cinema and also a great human being,” says Traven.
Eastwood’s biggest films include Oscar winners Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven and Academy Award-nominees American Sniper, Letters from Iwo Jima and Mystic River.
Cry Macho’s central theme of self-redemption appealed to the actress. “It is a story about life, when we get to a certain age we are concerned about getting lost and getting found,” Traven says. “In life sometimes we get lost during a crisis and then we must reinvent ourselves. The older you get the better the insight you have about life. Sometimes you must adjust to find true joy and contentment.”
While the film’s story takes place in and on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border, the actress makes clear it isn’t about the current border crisis. She notes the film is set in the late 1970s. “The story was more about being strong, but we can be vulnerable and warm as well,” she says. “I see the story in terms of soul evolution. I drew from this philosophy to portray this strong woman. We tried to convey this empathy and sympathy for this human condition.” She adds that Cry Macho is a life story and not necessarily a commentary on our times. “(It’s) rather a commentary on the human condition which is universal,” states Traven.
Cry Macho’s Marta may be the biggest film role of the past few years for the Mexican actress, who has a prolific career in theatre.
Traven has performed in more than 35 plays, including The Orphan Muses and A Pornographic Relationship. She was responsible for the assembly and direction in Mexico of the Spanish-language version of the musical Spring Awakening, the winner of eight Tony Awards on Broadway. Her film credits include Bedtime Fairy Tales for Crocodiles, Collateral Damage and Trade. She has also appeared in the AMC series Soulmates and the Mexican series La Familia P. Luche and Mujer: Casos de la Vida Real.
Traven got started in acting in her teens while seriously considering a career as a lawyer.
“I got into acting when I was in high school although I wanted to get into law,” she says. A school theatre workshop led to winning some awards in a school competition. “This is when I fell in love with acting,” states Traven. “I did go to law school first but then dropped law and started taking acting classes.” After studying acting for a few years, the actress went to the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles. “I am a method actor and believe every actor needs to have technique, because in Mexico that is not emphasized.”
She also decided to pursue another career.
“I like to keep well rounded,” says Traven. After studying acting, she went back to college to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology and later earned a master’s in natural linguistic programming and another in psychotherapy. “I have a private practice,” she states with pride, adding she doesn’t mix her different careers.
Featured Photo: Cry Macho (Credit: Warner Bros.)