Diego Luna is feeling the impact of his presence in box office hit Rogue One: A Star Wars Story after a fan shared a heartfelt post online.
“I took my father to see Rogue One today. I’ve wanted to take him for a while. I wanted my Mexican father, with his thick Mexican accent, to experience what it was like to see a hero in a blockbuster film, speak the way he does,” Tumblr user riveralwaysknew wrote.
Moved by Luna’s performance as Captain Cassian Andor, the fan’s father reveled in the Mexican actor’s decision to keep his accent intact throughout the movie, which beat out Captain America: Civil War to become the second-highest grossing film of 2016.
I got emotional reading this! #RogueOneStarWars pic.twitter.com/kfNXxYxWWI
— diego luna (@diegoluna_) January 4, 2017
“He then asked me why Diego Luna hadn’t changed his accent and I told him that Diego has openly talked about keeping his accent and how proud he is of it,” the letter continued. “And my dad was silent for a while and then he said, ‘And he was a main character.’ And I said, ‘He was.’ And my dad was so happy. As we drove home he started telling me about other Mexican actors that he thinks should be in movies in America. Representation matters.”
Ahead of Rogue One‘s premiere in December, VIBE caught up with Luna to discuss the making of the film. While the actor admitted that he simply felt lucky to be apart of a legendary franchise, he shared a vital lesson he hoped his eight-year-old son would take away from the film. “When you celebrate the diversity around you, you become stronger and richer,” he expressed.
It’s clear to see that his message is felt beyond his home.