Page 58 - SHARP September 2022

and acting auditions. He managed to keep these efforts a secret from his family for a while, but when he booked his first role at 15, he had to come clean to his mother. “I knew I had found my thing,” he says.
Since then, Córdova has applied that same tenacity to building a formidable career in Hollywood. For example, he was rejected not once but several times from LOTR, even after the casting director vouched for his raw talent. “I would push my team to go further,” he says. Finally, after several auditions, he wrote an essay to the director pleading his case for why he should be cast. It worked. “I didn’t take no for an answer,” says Córdova.
The role is a testament to Córdova’s perseverance as much as his acting ability. But it also places him, an Afro-Latino man from Puerto Rico, in the Middle-earth canon, LOTR author J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe, where characters have historically been presumed white by fans. This show’s notably diverse casting represents a more inclusive vision of this brand of fantasy — as well as a broader direction for Hollywood.
Over the past five years, Córdova says, casting calls have dropped
some of the practices and avoided some of the tendencies that have historically stereotyped actors of colour. “In the beginning, I remember when they would describe the character while you’re auditioning, and they would specify the ethnicity,” he remembers. “I don’t think they do that anymore that much, but it was the male, then Caucasian, Caucasian, Caucasian. And then the few roles that were for us were like, ‘Open ethnicity: janitor number four, criminal number three.’ ” He credits a couple of major industry changemakers, like powerhouse producer Shonda Rhimes, for pushing casting directors to create space in Hollywood for non-white actors.
Córdova has already worked with from some of the most legendary names in show business, from Life of Pi director Ang Lee (“extremely generous, always”) to veteran actors Hugh Grant, Julianna Margulies, and Nicole Kidman (“gentle and generous with their fellow actors”). But with more high-profile projects coming up — including a highly anticipated movie with Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro — he’s well on his way to joining their ranks himself.
58 SEPTEMBER 2022
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