Luis Gerardo Méndez, who plays Ramon in Ben Affleck’s new Netflix film Animals, addressed his views on immigration in an interview with Variety, tying his comments to the current climate around immigration enforcement in the United States. Méndez, who landed the role after Affleck saw his work on Narcos: Mexico, used the conversation to discuss both how he got cast and why he felt compelled to speak publicly about the treatment of immigrants.
“I feel like no matter what your immigration status is, no one should lose their dignity. It’s as simple as that,” Méndez told Variety.
How Méndez Landed The Animals Role
Méndez first became a star in Mexico through the 2013 comedy The Noble Family, according to Variety. He later took on the role of corrupt cop Victor Tapia in the third season of Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico in 2021.
That performance caught Affleck’s attention. According to Variety, Affleck told Matt Damon he wanted to cast “the cop” from Narcos: Mexico in his new project. Affleck then sent Méndez a script along with a note saying he wanted him for the film and that he planned to rewrite the character specifically for him. Affleck told Méndez he intended to call around Christmas to discuss the part further, Variety reported.
Affleck followed through on that promise. He revised the Ramon character after talking with Méndez about representation and how the character should speak, according to Variety.
The Film’s Story And Cast
Animals is directed by Affleck, who also co-wrote the script with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray and stars as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles businessman running for mayor. The film is based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, according to the Associated Press.
In the plot, Kimball’s son is kidnapped, but the kidnappers mistakenly take the son of Kimball’s chauffeur instead, the AP reported. Kerry Washington plays Mark’s wife, and Christopher Woodley plays his son, Denny. The film carries an R rating from the Motion Picture Association for language, some violence and sexual references, with a running time of 106 minutes, according to the AP. The AP also noted that Affleck sold an artificial intelligence company to Netflix for more than $500 million earlier in 2026 and has said he used AI in making Animals.
Méndez On Immigration And Dignity
Beyond discussing the role, Méndez used the interview to speak about immigration enforcement, referencing the recent shooting of 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in New York. Variety described Méndez as speaking emotionally on the subject, and he said it was difficult for him to talk about families being separated by ICE.
Méndez offered a broader view of why he believes the issue extends beyond any one group. “We’re going to see massive amounts of people moving, leaving. We’re seeing it already in California.
We don’t know if tomorrow we’re going to be the ones migrating. No one has any certainty about that. We must understand that.
We must be welcoming because we don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 20 or 30 years. It’s about empathy and also about you could be next, we could be next,” he told Variety.
What’s Next
Animals is now streaming on Netflix. Méndez’s comments on immigration came as part of his press rounds for the film, and no further public remarks from him on the topic were included in the reporting.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
