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American politics are critical on the world stage, according to Professor Angelika von Wahl, chairwoman of the International Affairs Program and moderator of last weeks panel entitled The Impact of US Elections on Global Politics.

The panel was composed of professors Ilan Peleg, Seo-Hyun Park, Christopher Lee, Hannah Stewart-Gambino and Mathieu Perrot, each of whom discussed a different facet of Americas involvement in global politics and how the outcome of the election will affect them.

There have been many important elections in the past, Peleg, a member of the Government and Law department, said. I think that this particular electionreally will determine the role of the United States in the world for many yearsand possibly generationsto come.

He argued that there is no longer a bipartisan consensus on the role America should play in the world and how president Trump has worked to widen the divide between the two major parties, noting that Trumps 2016 campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, implies the end of [American] internationalist commitment.

Peleg continued, explaining how unilateralism has dominated US foreign policy, breaking with the norms of past administrations and isolating America on issues of climate change, arms control and trade. Furthermore, he said that international institutions have been either demoted in importance or abandoned by the Trump administration and that the United States no longer promotes its values around the world.

[This] election is about one thing and one thing alone, Peleg said. Restoration.

Park, also a Government and Law professor, discussed the effect the election could have with respect to regional security in East Asia.

Many of the problems that we saw throughout the Trump administration, as they relate to East Asian issues, were not new problems, Park said. The combination of the administrations policies with the pandemic have accelerated, or made more explicit, some of these foreign policy issues.

Park criticized Trumps unashamed recognition of Taiwan, an island nation home to defectors of mainland China, for openly recognizing its sovereignty and selling larger amounts of weapons.

Its not factually wrong, Park clarified. But the consequence of his actions was to break apart the longstanding policy of the US: to maintain a strategically ambiguous position.

This resulted in sanctions by the Chinese government against American arms manufacturers.

A third area where weve seen a lot of banter between the US and China is over the South China Sea, Park continued.

Pointing to a map of the area, Park explained that Chinas claims to small islands in the South China Sea have led to conflict with other nations in the region. In response, the Trump administration sent aircraft carriers to the area, and Park said that such an action might further raise tensions between the United States and China.

In addition to the aircraft carriers, America has a continuous military presence in East Asia, and President Trump has expressed a desire to expand that presence. Additionally, Trump has been attacking allies in this area, leading regional allies to begin to see America as an unreliable ally.

Park then went on to point out that the United States withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) led to China increasing its presence and influence in Americas absence.

Without American participation, argued Park, the US no longer has institutional leverage. It can demand things of China, but without being in that institution, it cannot enforce its rules.

Echoing Pelegs theme of restoration, Park concluded that the upcoming election will decide whether the United States can return to its former authoritative position in East Asia or continue conceding ground to China.

Lee, a history professor, agreed with Parks sentiment that America was beginning to fall behind China, especially in the scope of Sub-Saharan Africa. He stated that although the Trump administration has continued its military presence there that began in the early 2000s, China has built up infrastructure in the region that the US has yet to compete with. Channeling Pelegs idea that the United States has failed to promote ideals of freedom and democracy, Lee detailed Trumps tendency to cozy up to authoritarian leaders.

I think that the fact that the United Stateshas moved away from some of its principles has emboldened certain African leaders to embrace a disregard for human rights concerns, Lee said, citing unrest in Nigeria due to recent killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). There has been a lack of international supervision or pressure on certain governments to follow through with certain reforms.

The Trump administration has not presented a role model, Lee concluded. This election is an opportunity to change that.

Stewart-Gambino, International Affairs professor, compared Americas pre-Trump approach in Africa to that of Latin America. She noted that there was general bipartisan consensus in regards to foreign policy in both these regions, and that the United States has historically had a harder military approach in South America because its affairs are key to the USs economic interests.

Alluding to the historically bipartisan approach to Latin America, Stewart-Gambino stated that despite the broad similarities she saw between Trumps approach to Latin America and that of a possible Biden presidency, there are key differences between the two, namely with regards to immigration, human rights, regional democracy and climate.

A Biden administration, argued Stewart-Gambino, would take a softer approach to immigration, ending child separation, extending Temporary Protected Status to more Latin Americans, expand aid to Latin American countries to prevent the need to immigrate to America and ease restrictions on visas and asylum seekers.

Stewart-Gambino proposed that where Trump disregarded Latin American countries, Biden would place a greater emphasis on them, most notably by rejoining the Pan American Health Organization. Additionally, a Biden administration would push for more democracy in Latin America, especially in light of recent vulnerabilities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, by tying aid money to anti-corruption and election monitoring.

Where we might expect some of the sharpest differences [between Trump and Biden]is on climate, Stewart-Gambino said, highlighting Bidens opposition to anti-climate policies like the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest endorsed by Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is often referred to as the Trump of the tropics, as a key distinction between him and the current President.

Trumps approach to Latin America, concluded Stewart-Gambino, is both foolhardy and shortsighted and is extraordinarily misguided.

Perrot, Foreign Languages and Literatures professor, compared the opposing approaches to climate policy examining how Trump abruptly severed the US from the Paris Climate accord, which Biden has said he would promptly rejoin.

If you watched the debates, Peleg told The Lafayette after the panel, the debates did not deal with foreign policy.

The role of the United States in the world, today, is very very importantprobably more important than any other single country, continued Peleg. Foreign policy decisions will really shape over the world tomorrow.

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How will the future of global politics be shaped by the next president?: Panel of experts discuss impact of US elections - The Lafayette

Well, we are into November and it all seems a bit sad and not the best of times. My happy hour seems to have extended somewhat and we are back into a sort of lockdown but never fear, Paul is here, with a weekly ramble to the past.

Incidentally, thank you to the lady who stopped me on my visit to the corner shop and said these columns cheer her up. Not sure how I was recognised beneath my face mask but it was a very kind comment.

Of course, I cannot let this week pass without commenting on the death of Sir Sean Connery at the grand age of 90. I imagine it was a welcome relief insofar as I understand he had been suffering from dementia and that can be cruel. To me, as cinemagoer of the 1960s, he will always be my favourite James Bond and I have only seen one since he retired from the role. I know some readers will feel his 007 movies were sexist but they were of a different time. I cannot imagine producers calling the leading female actress Pussy Galore today, but having chatted with Honor Blackman, I know she never felt insulted but went along with the joke.

Columnist Paul Welsh

I suspect Sean will have shrugged in despair about his obituaries focusing on his Bond movies. I know, having talked to Christopher Lee and Alec Guinness, they hated the thought of the obits concentrating on Dracula and Star Wars but that is what happened.

I never thought of Sean as a great actor but certainly he had that star quality to light up the silver screen, which is rare. My personal favourite of his films was the Untouchables, but of course I like his Elstree movies such as Murder On The Orient Express and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. It was pleasure to have met him on the latter and a true film star.

Alas, Sad to know we have lost Bobby Ball from this damn virus. I met Cannon and Ball on the set of their movie Boys In Blue, shot at Elstree Studios during their most famous days, I think about 1982. I was meant to be interviewing them but I got distracted by chatting with the veteran director Val Guest about his past films. Look up his credits and you will understand why, but Bobby was a really genuine guy.

I was sad to read that that great comedy actor Stanley Baxter, now aged 94, has been a recluse for a number of years. I only met him once when he agreed to attend the plaque unveiling for Barbara Windsor at Elstree in 2008, which I hosted. After the event, I walked him to his car and he noticed I was still wearing my radio mike. He said: Be careful that is not still live. I replied by saying I would not give a damn and then told him I thought he was our greatest television impersonator ever. He had a tear in his eye as I felt he felt a bit forgotten. If you want to watch perfection, watch his send up of Upstairs Downstairs characters in one of his 70s or 80s shows. If you get to read this Stanley, I and many others bless you for the laughter you gave us and salute your superb talent. Boy, do we need some laughs these days.

Until next time, please obey the rules and then good times will lay ahead and I will arrange for anybody interested to join arms and stroll with me down memory lane via dead mans gulch and lovers lane to a picnic spot by a babbling brook, and that is a promise.

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Sean Connery will always be my favourite James Bond - Harrow Times

To date, sixteen feature films have been adapted from Roald Dahls work to varying degrees of success; heres how they all rank from worst to best.

To date, and including Robert Zemeckis' The Witches, sixteen feature films have been adapted from Roald Dahls work to varying degrees of success, but which is best? Including several repeat adaptations, some of the beloved author's poetry and short stories, and of course his dark but charming children's stories, there is a real spectrum in those adaptations.

Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahls books are popular worldwide and he is known for his darkly comic childrens stories that never fail to delight. Traditionally accompanied by Quentin Blakes gorgeous illustrations, Dahls work lends itself to film very well. In fact, he even worked on a number of screenplays - including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the James Bond film You Only Live Twice - but like Stephen King, tended to dislike adaptations of his own work, aside from a few notable exceptions.

Related:The Witches Cast & Character Guide

Given Dahls extensive bibliography, its a wonder that more movie adaptations havent manifested over the years - though Netflix are due to produce a string of animated Dahl projects in the near future, including Taika Waititis take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its lesser-known sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. As they currently stand, heres every Roald Dahl movie adaptation ranked from worst to best.

The most insulting Dahl adaptation by a country-mile, Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory manages to butcher both properties - its dedication to the late Gene Wilder (who played Wonka in the 1971 classic) feeling like a slap in the face to the great actors memory. Its basically an animated remake of the original film, but with Tom and Jerry added for seemingly no reason at all. Essentially, its a feature-length meme - and feels like something the animators pitched when they were high, only to regret their choices during the actual production of the movie.

Esio Trot is one of Dahls lesser-known works, about a lonely old man (Dustin Hoffman) falling in love with his tortoise-keeping neighbor (Judi Dench) and hatching a plan to win her affection. While that might be an unusual plot for a childrens story (it totally is), Dahl made it work - with a heightened, comic tone and snappy pacing throughout. The TV movie, adapted by Richard Curtis, is a by-the-numbers rom-com that pads out the plot with cliche, unnecessary conflict, and offers little kid-appeal while simultaneously patronizing older viewers. That said, Judi Dench does her best - while Hoffman is frightfully bland in the lead role.

36 Hours is an adaptation of Dahls WWII short story Beware of the Dog, about an RAF pilot who wakes up in a British hospital but begins to suspect that his caregivers have ulterior motives. Its a great premise, one of Dahls best, but the film doesnt really go anywhere with it - building tension and suspense in the first half, before tossing every cliche at its audience in the second. Breaking Point, a TV movie, re-tells the same story - but in a cheaper, more theatrical manner. Neither is good enough to recommend, nor bad enough to laugh at, which is mostly all that can be said for both.

Related:The Witches: How The 2020 Remake Compares To The Book & 1990 Movie

A toothless adaptation of Dahls classic novel, Robert Zemeckiss The Witches re-locates the story to the American south, with Jahzir Kadeem Bruno playing an orphan who is turned into a mouse by the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway) and her minions. Teaming up with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer), the boy-mouse races to overthrow the witches plans to rid the world of children. Sadly, the film is more concerned with CGI spectacle than storytelling and ends up falling extremely flat. Though it retains most of Dahls plot, the film lacks his heart and feels cheaply-made: a cash-grab, looking to ride on Nicolas Roegs coattails and the cult status of his 1990 adaptation.

Four Rooms - an anthology film, with segments directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino (among others) - is likely the strangest adaptation in the Dahl canon; inspired by his adult short stories and starring Tim Roth as a bellhop who cant catch a break. Each director wrote their own chunk of the script, with Roth encountering a variety of strange guests in the hotel from Hell. As is often the case with anthology films, some of the segments are more effective than others, leading to a disjointed feature that might be of interest to Tarantino fans, but will likely alienate general audiences. At the very least, its bold - with an outsized, comedic performance from Roth, a questionable cameo from QT, and a fun, animated title sequence that recalls the work of Saul Bass and Chuck Jones.

The weirdest of the straight adaptations, Tim Burtons Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an ill-advised mess - with Johnny Depps performance as Wonka clearly (and regrettably) based on Michael Jackson. Intellectually, this connection makes sense, with Wonka portrayed as psychologically stunted in some way as a result of childhood trauma, but - in practice - hes unlikeable and creepy and, largely, insufferable. The rest of the film also feels off; like Dahls book, its sinister, but not in the right way, and (in a bizarre sequence) explores Wonkas childhood under the iron fist of his dentist father (Christopher Lee). The whole thing is like a parody of a Tim Burton film, steeped in Gothicism whether it suits the material or not, and - for that reason- is almost worth seeing. While Depp has jumped the shark many a time, Willy Wonka might be his greatest acting sin yet.

The BFG, based on Roald Dahls novel about a young girl being whisked away to the land of giants, is one of director Steven Spielbergs biggest box-office failures - a harsh indictment of what is, by most accounts, a perfectly okay movie. Stacked with CGI and whimsy (in that order), the film sanitizes Dahls vision somewhat, though Mark Rylance delivers in the title role. Spielberg certainly attempts to imbue the proceedings with a sense of wonder, but things tend to feel pretty forced - like someone whos become bored re-telling the same bedtime story, over and over again. Its not bad, but its definitely not great either - which actually makes it far less interesting than some of the lower entries in this list.

Related:All The Images Seen In Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory's Tunnel Scene

Revolting Rhymes, loosely based on Dahls poetry collection of the same name, is an animated TV movie that riffs on classic fairytales with a darkly comic twist. Aimed primarily at young children, it feels understandably cutesy but manages to link the stories well - something that the book doesnt really attempt. Re-telling classic fairytales with a subversive twist has become a subgenre unto itself and, while Revolting Rhymes is entertaining enough, Dahls poems are shorter and funnier than the film is ultimately able to muster.

One of the few adaptations that Dahl actively endorsed, Danny, the Champion of the World is an underrated gem. Based on the novel of the same name, the TV movie tells the story of Danny and his father William (Jeremy Irons) who plot to overturn a millionaires plans to buy their land by poaching his pheasants. Like Dahls book, its understated and charming, with a wonderful father/son relationship at its heart - played by real-life father/son duo Jeremy and Samuel Irons. Robbie Coltrane is menacing as the despotic millionaire, and the Oxfordshire scenery shines in every frame - though the pacing is a little slow at times.

When orphan James drops a bag of crocodile tongues in his back garden, they cause a tree to bear giant fruit. Climbing inside, James discovers a group of talking insects who unmoor the peach - whisking them away on a grand adventure. Thus is the plot of James and the Giant Peach - adapted using a combination of the same stop-motion animation as The Nightmare Before Christmasand live-action footage by director Henry Selick. A box-office bomb on release, it has since become a cult hit - though the film is pretty disjointed and Randy Newmans musical numbers are, largely, uninspired. Its stylish, sure, and the stop-motion portions have a certain charm, but the narrative is pretty ropey (Dahls novel is guilty of this too, to be fair) and the whole thing comes off like a surreal, messy experiment.

The BFG is a delightful animation produced for TV by Britains Cosgrove Hall - with Only Fools and Horses star David Jason voicing the titular giant. Stylistically, its reminiscent of the work of Ralph Bakshi or Disneys The Black Cauldron; gloomy and atmospheric, with textured backgrounds and simple character animations that perfectly capture the tone of Dahls dreamlike novel. The author, it is reported, thought so too - giving the film a standing ovation at a screening in London. Like Danny, the Champion of the World, The BFG is understated and quintessentially British - with Jasons performance among the best that any Dahl adaptation can offer.

Related:Theory: Snowpiercer Is A Sequel To Willy Wonka

Nicolas Roegs adaptation of The Witches is likely the darkest in the Dahl canon - offering genuinely creepy moments and grotesque imagery while maintaining the authors dark sense of humor throughout. Angelica Hustons Grand High Witch is the highlight of the movie and her transformation from seductive femme fatale to hideous creature is executed brilliantly by The Jim Henson Company with elaborate, practical effects. The only real flaw with this film is its saccharine ending; very different from Dahls novel and at odds with the dark tone - though, the change was likely enforced to quell some of that darkness, allowing the earlier scenes to hit harder by delivering a happier, more traditional ending that parents could more readily get behind. Either way - it gave kids nightmares.

Matilda is, essentially, Stephen Kings Carrie for kids - with its young protagonist developing telekinetic powers and using them to get revenge on a bully. Danny DeVitos film adaptation stars Mara Wilson in the title role, with DeVito and Rhea Pearlman as her neglectful parents and the excellent Pam Ferris as her thuggish principal, Miss Trunchbull. DeVitos voice is felt keenly throughout, offering an Americanized take on the source material while retaining Dahls heightened characters and twisted sense of humor. Like Dahl, DeVito understands children and refuses to talk down to his audience - cementing Matilda as a family classic, and proof that the actor ought to direct more often.

While Tim Burtons trademark stylings didnt do Dahl any favors, Wes Andersons Fantastic Mr. Fox is a horse of a different color (or, rather, a fox) - Andersons picture-book, stop-motion aesthetic working in perfect harmony with Dahls farmyard heist story. Mr. Fox (George Clooney) plots to steal food from three notorious farmers but, when the plan goes awry, he and his family are forced underground. Charming, funny, and a loving tribute to Dahl (the animators going so far as to replicate the authors belongings in the films model sets), Fantastic Mr. Fox fires on all cylinders to create the perfect family-viewing experience.

Youd be hard-pressed to find a more iconic film in existence than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - with a screenplay written by Dahl himself, though he disowned the film after numerous rewrites and disliked the casting of Gene Wilder in the title role. A musical adaptation, it never fails to inspire wonder in its audience and, while the filmmakers certainly take some liberties with Dahls book, its all in service of their technicolor joy-ride. With a Pythonesque sense of humor, almost every character is memorable - from the scientist arguing with his computer, all the way up to Wilders volatile Wonka. Roald Dahl may have disliked it - but audiences are firmly on-board with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: a beloved classic.

Next:Why The Witches Is The Scariest Childrens Horror Movie

Batman v Superman Art Replaces Doomsday with Darkseid

Joe Gillis is a writer and cynic based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He likes pia coladas, getting caught in the rain, and hates referring to himself in the third person. Alas, them's the breaks.

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Every Roald Dahl Movie Adaptation Ranked Worst To Best - Screen Rant

You may catch Julio Cesar Cedillo on your screen, but you wont catch him living in Hollywood. This Texas-bred actor has a deep love for his Latin roots.

Cedillo was born in Durango, Mexico. His father, a truck driver from Hebbronville in South Texas, met Cedillos mother and a baby Cedillo while traveling through the border town of Piedras Negras. During truck routes, his father would visit his mother, eventually falling in love. He moved young Cedillo and his mother to Fort Worth when Cedillo was five.

Cedillo didnt know English but managed to teach himself the language by immersing himself in film and television. He found himself constantly touching up his imitations of actors like James Mason, Jimmy Stewart and Christopher Walken.

I didn't know that I was learning how to speak English phonetically, Cedillo says. In fact, I didn't even know what the word phonetics means. But, you know, there I was mimicking these American actors.

Cedillo attended Meacham Middle School, where he would show off his acting skills to his friends. This is when he first realized his passion for acting.

I would use phrases that I would hear in these movies, Cedillo remembers. I used them in everyday life with these kids, and people would find that funny. But then after a while, I was like, No, no, there's there's power in and what I'm doing here, there's something special here about eliciting a reaction.

Although he knew he wanted to do something creative, Cedillo witnessed a tragedy that would scar him for life. There was ample gang activity at Meacham, and in seventh grade, he witnessed the schools vice principal get stabbed during school hours.

He and his family later decided it would be best for him to attend Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, a magnet school focused on preparing students for engineering professions. During his time at Dunbar, Cedillo knew deep in his heart that this wasnt the path for him.

While I was there, I was basically misleading the whole world thinking that I was going to be some engineer, Cedillo says, when in reality I wanted to be an actor. And that was early on. So I think it's always a gift, when you know what you want to be in your life. It's very rare for that to happen.

At the age of 22, Cedillo moved to New York City, after being personally selected by Mari Lyn Henry, a casting director at ABC, to attend an acting workshop.

He didnt find much work while living in New York City, so he always found himself flying back home.

I was working more in Texas, Cedillo says. Being in Texas was important because I realized I was never going to leave Texas to live in L.A. or New York. I spoke both English and Spanish, and the market needed someone like me here.

While in Texas, he would work on commercials appealing to both English and Spanish speaking markets. One of his first film roles was in Finding the Way Home, a made-for-TV movie filmed in Fort Worth and Denton.

He later landed a recurring role on the childrens TV series Wishbone, where he played a sporting goods store owner named Travis Del Rio. The show, which filmed in Allen, marked his first regular role on a TV program.

"I know some people say Fake it till you make it, but thats not the way to do it. If youre faking something, that means you never really knew what you were doing." Julio Cedillo

I was very impressed with the fact that the producers were willing to bring on a Latino as a major character on this popular show at the time, Cedillo says.

During production, the crew would switch out three Jack Russell Terriers while filming. He recalls one day when he accidentally stepped on one of the dogs paws, eliciting a yelp from the dog.

The trainer came up to me and asked What happened? Cedillo says. And thats when I realized that I was at the bottom of the totem pole. And this little cute dog was at the top.

In 2004, Cedillo landed a role in a Tommy Lee Jones-directed movie called The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada as the titular character. He considers it a very special film, as it was filmed in Odessa, Midland, Monahans and Redford.

He says he immediately fell in love with the script, as he was familiar with all of these parts of Texas.

When he went to audition, he spoke entirely in Spanish, ready to prove to Jones that he was the right fit for the role.

I knew that if I was going to go read for Tommy I was told that he might be there, that was not a promise that I needed to prepare not only the scenes they gave me, but that I had to be familiar with the whole script, Cedillo says. I had to walk in there like a ranch hand.

During the audition, Cedillo and Jones ran through scenes they both had together. Jones immediately knew that Cedillo was his Melquiades.

Tommy liked it, Cedillo says. He looked at me and said You're very familiar with the script. This is a rare occasion. This doesn't happen very often, where I meet an actor that was meant to play the role. You really did your homework.

To prepare for the role, the actor spent a month living on Jones Texas ranch. During that time, he only spoke Spanish. When it came time to start filming, Cedillo managed to surprise everyone.

Everyone thought I was one of Tommys ranch hands, Cedillo says. I didnt speak English to anybody until the first day of filming. A lot of people were shocked, like Oh, youre the actor? We thought you were the ranch hand.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, where Jones won the Best Actor award, and Guillermo Arriaga won the Best Screenplay award.

Cedillo has since appeared in other feature films such asCowboys & Aliens, Frontera and Sicario. One of his most recent, and successful, roles is as Comandante Guillermo Gonzlez Calderon in Netflix's original series Narcos: Mexico.

When he first auditioned for Narcos, he received a script containing scenes and versions of characters that werent actually in the show.

They wanted to give me some material so they could see what I could do, Cedillo says. It wasnt a real scene that was going to be shot. I taped it, and then when I got home, I forgot all about it.

About two months later, Cedillo got the call saying he had landed the role. He was flown out to Mexico, where he was immediately sent to wardrobe, hair and makeup to create an aesthetic for the character of Calderon. He was doing a photo shoot for the shows promotional art yet still had no idea what was in store for the character.

They write the show as they go along, Cedillo says. My first day on set was a scene where I had to slam a guys head into a table at a topless bar. We didnt really have a meeting about the character. They just kinda threw me into the water.

Cedillo is also set to appear in an upcoming Netflix series called Coyote, which was filming in Tijuana before the COVID-19 pandemic. The status of its release is currently unknown, as they had only filmed six of the 10 planned episodes.

Next month, Cedillo will appear in a short film called Manos de Oro, which was directed by Oak Cliff-based director Merced Elizondo. Manos de Oro will premiere at the 6th Annual Official Latino Film and Arts Festival from Nov. 27 through Nov. 30 for a spot to air via HBOs streaming services.

Cedillo was approached by Elizondo to play the role of Sergio in Manos de Oro, andalthough he liked the story Elizondo had written, Cedillo wanted him to improve upon the films writing.

I actually told him I love your story, but it needs some work. If you're willing to sit down with me. I've got some notes I can share with you, Cedillo says. We met at a coffee shop and he took my criticism as a champ. I realized right away that hes talented and he was willing to put aside his ego.

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Today, Cedillo finds himself inspired by Latinx and Southern stories, and he wants to uplift the Latinx community through quality stories. He encourages other young Latinx creators to dig deeply within themselves, acknowledge their strengths and constantly work to improve.

Be honest with yourself, Cedillo says. Dont B.S. your way through anything. I know some people say Fake it till you make it, but thats not the way to do it. If youre faking something, that means you never really knew what you were doing. No matter what your talents are, youre going to work on your weaknesses and amplify your strengths.

While he may never move to Hollywood or New York City, Cedillo will happily represent small-town Texas wherever he goes. Today, he is a proud resident of Benbrook, outside of Fort Worth.

It always sounds small, Cedillo says, And I like that, because I want [producers] to believe that they found me in the middle of nowhere. Its all about perception, and it makes them feel special. Like, Oh, look, we got this really great actor and we found him in the middle of nowhere.

Keep Dallas Observer Free... Since we started Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Dallas with no paywalls.

Alex Gonzalez has been a contributor to the Dallas Observer since 2018. He is a Dallas native whose work has appeared in Local Profile, MTV News and the Austin American-Statesman. He has eclectic taste in music and enjoys writing about art, food and culture.

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North Texan Actor Julio Cesar Cedillo on Narcos: Mexico, Tommy Lee Jones, and Method Acting - Dallas Observer