Movies

Actor Diego Boneta is creating his own stories. Tom Cruise would be proud

BBG News

The most impactful career guidance that Diego Boneta was given didn’t come from learning how to skydive, but instead, it was shared by Tom Cruise.

During our recent conversation, Diego Boneta shared that Tom Cruise once advised him, “Diego, don’t limit yourself to being just an actor.” This interaction took place while they were working on the 2012 musical comedy “Rock of Ages”. For Diego, this film marked a significant turning point in his career. He is deeply appreciative that such a movie legend invested his time to guide him as he was striving to establish himself in Hollywood.

Prior to attempting to break into the English-speaking market, Boneta had already established himself with various roles in Mexican soap operas and even released two pop albums as a singer. However, securing acting roles in American productions, despite his previous experience, presented an unusual set of challenges for him as a Mexican actor.

Boneta explains that in the industry, results are mostly out of your hands and it’s not a system where success is based solely on merit. As an actor, you’re limited by what roles are offered. However, Tom’s advice was for him to develop his own narratives instead.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve reached a milestone. Alongside my trusted partner and friend, Josh Glick, we formed our own production company – Three Amigos – back in 2017. Together, we nurtured, produced, and even starred in the Netflix series “Luis Miguel: The Series”, a captivating tale inspired by the legendary singer’s life.

On Thursday, you can find his first book, “The Unraveling of Alejandro Velasco,” a modern-day whodunit unfolding among Mexico’s elite society in the charming town of San Miguel de Allende, available through Amazon Crossing.

Originally conceived as a script based on roles he didn’t get, Boneta’s work morphed from what he initially imagined. During this period, his sister, Natalia González Boneta, became part of the Three Amigos team and proposed an unexpected idea.

Boneta remembers laughing as she recalled the suggestion: “Why not try writing a novel instead of a script?” She replied, thinking it was absurd since she was struggling with the script itself.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’ve been immersed in a unique creative journey for the past three years. My company has been fortunate enough to secure an overarching deal with Amazon, which has shown keen interest not only in our publishing division but also our television arm. Simultaneously, my partners and I have been meticulously crafting both the novel and a limited series adaptation, striving to bring a compelling story to life on multiple platforms.

In his words, as a production company, it’s frequently stressed that one must possess intellectual properties (IP). His aim, however, was to generate our own unique intellectual properties. To help navigate this process, he brought on board the media and content development firm, Glasstown Entertainment.

Television

For the portrayal of Luis Miguel, actor Diego Boneta not only underwent extensive training and study but also cultivated a deep understanding or rapport with his subject.

Boneta’s original idea sparked narratives reminiscent of captivating impostors, like the characters from Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and the modern black comedy “Saltburn.

In many of these tales, it’s often the reserved, introverted individual who plays the role of the trickster, he notes. However, an intriguing idea that crossed our minds was to reverse this stereotype and portray the con artist as a charismatic, extroverted figure, much like Jude Law – the bon vivant. This was one of our initial thoughts.

Right from the start, Boneta planned to portray the captivating main character, Julian Villareal, in the upcoming film version.

He expresses his desire for Julian to experience the thrill of portraying characters that are contrasting and intricate, as acting such roles is incredibly enjoyable for him.

The protagonist, Alejandro Velasco, took his own life prior to the narrative’s start. The story unfolds around Julian, who, concealing his true intentions, pays a visit to the affluent Velasco family residing in San Miguel de Allende. His ultimate goal is to stealthily insinuate himself into their polished existence.

Boneta notes that Mexico operates under a form of oligarchy, and these prominent families are deeply invested in maintaining their social status. This dynamic, he claims, is unique compared to other parts of the world, and can only truly be understood through personal experience in Mexico.

Books

Krysten Ritter, the author of a newly released second book, particularly enjoys crafting characters that are unanticipated, possessing a hint of mischief and carrying a touch of vulnerability.

The story of Alejandro and Julian’s friendship, two Mexican students in the U.S. who share a love for tennis, will eventually be the focus. Along this journey, Julian encounters a formidable challenge: Sofia, Alejandro’s clever sister, a captivating character that Boneta claims he developed with help from his own sister.

Born into a bicultural family, with a Mexican father and an American mother, the ability for Boneta to grasp the intricacies of two cultures and languages flowed effortlessly. In his capacity, he narrated the audiobook for the novel in both English and Spanish.

At every level, the novel mirrors various aspects of Boneta’s life. Having spent his childhood visiting relatives in San Miguel de Allende, a town now predominantly populated by American immigrants, he harbored dreams of someday creating a project on its narrow, cobblestone streets. Boneta often refers to it as “Mexico’s Florence.

Regarding tennis, Boneta feels that he wouldn’t exist in his current form without this sport. His dad was a player throughout college and earned a scholarship to Texas A&M University, where he crossed paths with Boneta’s mom during engineering studies. Interestingly enough, Boneta has also taken part in tennis matches over the years.

As a cinephile, I find that watching tennis matches on screen is not just about physical competition, but also an intriguing mental game. In crafting this narrative, I aimed to seamlessly integrate the sport into the story in a symbolic manner, allowing the unique playing styles of each character to reveal their true selves.

Books

In her autobiography titled ‘Uptown Girl,’ Christie Brinkley narrates the alarming event which ultimately caused her to end her marriage with Billy Joel.

At the outset of his initial venture into lengthy compositions, Boneta felt troubled by the empty page. To seek guidance, he turned to his fellow writers for suggestions. Their common counsel was to take time with the outline, emphasizing the importance of a strong base for the story’s structure and characters.

Boneta noted that they invested considerable effort in that specific step of the procedure. However, when we finally mastered it, the writing flowed more naturally and intuitively, though I wouldn’t say it became effortless.

Additionally, Boneta sought feedback on both his novel’s development and the production of the limited series from acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón, who has recently transformed Renee Knight’s book “Disclaimer” into a limited series for Apple TV+.

Boneta shares that Alfonso’s advice which proved beneficial was, “Diego, ensure each format is its optimal form for that medium. It’s unrealistic for the series to mirror the book entirely, and attempting to do so would be misguided.” He continued, “You must embrace the possibility that certain aspects might evolve in the TV adaptation because it’s a distinct format.

Approaching problem-solving by seeking advice from respected industry veterans demonstrates a humble eagerness to learn along the way, one step at a time.

Boneta humbly admits, “I’m not claiming to be an author just yet,” he says with genuine emotion. “This is my first book, and it required a great deal of effort and heart from me. However, I see myself as a storyteller more than anything else, and I came to understand that the only way I could bring my dream characters to life was by crafting my own projects.

Asked if there’s more writing in his future, Boneta enthusiastically suggests he’s willing.

Boneta laughs as he shares that there have been discussions about a sequel, but his initial response was surprise since the book has not been released yet.

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2025-04-30 13:31

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