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- Throughout his career, Diego Luna has taken on several significant roles. However, the one movie that most people know him for, and the one that ranks at the top of the list for IMDb voters, was his foray into the world of Star Wars. Now, in 2022, Luna returns to the role that made him famous in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In Andor, Luna takes on the role of Cassian Andor again, this time with the story centered on him as the primary hero. With the new Disney+ series picking up great reviews, people might want to dig deeper into Luna's past acting credits, as there are a lot of great movies to discover.
Diego Luna was born in 1979 and has been acting since he was seven years old. For the first two decades of his life, his TV appearances were mostly limited to Mexican telenovelas. But as soon as he began landing roles in feature films, he started gaining international recognition.
Today, he is most famous for his portrayals of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo in Narcos: Mexico and Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Diego Luna typically plays kind, likable characters. He can be seen in numerous biopics, in both American and Mexican productions. But what are his best movies, according to IMDb?
UPDATE: 2022/09/24 02:18 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS
Throughout his career, Diego Luna has taken on several significant roles. However, the one movie that most people know him for, and the one that ranks at the top of the list for IMDb voters, was his foray into the world of Star Wars. Now, in 2022, Luna returns to the role that made him famous in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In Andor, Luna takes on the role of Cassian Andor again, this time with the story centered on him as the primary hero. With the new Disney+ series picking up great reviews, people might want to dig deeper into Luna's past acting credits, as there are a lot of great movies to discover.
Nicotina (2003): 6.6
* Available to rent on Prime Video
Nicotina starred a young Diego Luna as a computer geek who ends up on the run from the Russian mafia after he accidentally delivers the wrong computer disc to them. The movie was a critical success, picking up six Ariel Awards, which recognizes the best Mexican movies of the year.
The movie is also an interesting experiment. The team behind Amores Perros made this movie and structured it to take place in real-time, meaning that the 93-minute run time in this movie was 93 minutes of action in the story. IMDb's voters gave it a 6.6 and credited its humor, ensemble cast, and great direction as to what made it work so well.
Elysium (2013): 6.6
* Streaming now on Starz
Elysium was the follow-up movie to Neill Blomkamp's breakout hit District 9. Matt Damon was the main star here, a laborer on an overpopulated Earth named Max who learns he is dying and makes a deal to get himself to the Elysium space station. However, he has to steal some information to get this ride.
Diego Luna stars as Julio, a friend of Max's who helps him get what he needs to escape the planet. Critics called the movie a slight letdown compared to District 9, but with that said, Luna was getting larger roles in English-language films and this movie finally led to his huge breakout three years later in Rogue One.
Trollhunters: Rise Of The Titans (2021): 6.6
* Streaming now on Netflix
One of Netflix's most successful animated series was the Trollhunters franchise, and the series ended with the movie Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans in 2021. The movie took place a year after the Trollhunters series, Wizards, and had the heroes battle the reawakened Titans.
Diego Luna returned to voice the character of Krel, originally introduced as one of 3Below's main characters. He traveled to Earth in that series with his sister Aja and pretended to be exchange students as they sought to fix their ship. In the movie, Krel played a big role in the final battle and Luna was part of a cast that received praise for the voice roles, even if the ending left some fans disappointed.
Rudo Y Cursi (2008): 6.7
* Streaming now on Fubo
Rudo Y Cursi follows the titular characters, two brothers from Mexico who get a chance to leave their small village life behind and join a professional football team. They were both scouted as promising talent, but the talent scout can only take one to Mexico City with him. Who is it going to be?
Carlos Cuarón, Alfonso Cuarón's brother, directed this comedy. This wasn't the first time Luna collaborated with Cuarón, and he also once again starred alongside real-life best friend Gael Garcia Bernal.
A Wonderful World (2006): 6.9
* Not available to stream
Un Mundo Maravilloso, or A Wonderful World in English, was a movie by Luis Estrada that is described as a fairy tale about the political and socioeconomic realities of Mexico. The movie hit two years before his Spanish-language film, Rudo y Cursi, and actually maintains a higher IMDb score, despite its relative obscurity in America.
The movie takes place in Vicente Fox Quesada's tenure as the 62nd president of Mexico and came out the year he left office. The movie is a comedy thriller where the minister of Economy in Mexico gives a house, car, and job to a man who attempted to take his own life. This caused several people to try the same thing. Luna had a very small role as a reporter.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018): 7.1
* Streaming now on Netflix
Set in the 1970s, If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) follows the story of Tish and Fonny, childhood friends turned romantic partners who want to set up their lives in New York City. When Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit, their lives start falling apart at the seams.
Diego Luna portrays Pedrocito, one of Fonny's friends. The movie received many awards, and Regina King won both the Academy Award as well as the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sharon Rivers.
Before Night Falls (2000): 7.1
* Available to rent on Apple TV & Prime Video
Before Night Falls (2000) is a biopic about Reinaldo Arenas, a Cuban artist who struggled to navigate his life through the political unrest of the 1970s, homophobia, and limited artistic freedom.
At the time of the movie's release, Diego Luna was 20 years old. He played Carlos, a minor role that barely gets noticed in the presence of charismatic and experienced actors, such as Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, and Olivier Martinez.
The Book Of Life (2014): 7.2
* Streaming now on Disney+
Jorge R. Gutierrez's animated comedy fantasy The Book Of Life draws inspiration from Mexican folklore. It's a story about three friends, Manolo, Joaquin, and Maria. The former two are competing for the love of the latter. While Manolo is tender, artistic, and kind, Joaquin is strong, proud, and proactive.
But this is no ordinary love story. Two gods, La Muerte and Xibalba, make a bet. If the soft-spoken Manolo wins her, Xibalba won't meddle in the affairs of the mortals anymore. However, if Maria marries Joaquin, the two deities have to swap kingdoms.
Frida (2002): 7.3
* Streaming now on HBO Max
Julie Taymor's biopic about the iconic Frida Kahlo closely follows the Mexican painter who started painting after suffering life-changing injuries in a traffic accident. The story centers on her marriage with the famous muralist Diego Rivera, her personal demons, and her political endeavors. Diego Luna portrayed Frida's boyfriend Alejandro Gonzalez Arias, whom she dated for three years before meeting Diego.
The movie won two Academy Awards: Best Makeup and Best Original Score. As is often the case with biopics, Salma Hayek was nominated for her portrayal of the tormented Mexican legend.
The Terminal (2004): 7.4
* Streaming now on Netflix
The Terminal is one of Steven Spielberg's most famous biopics, it's loosely based on the story of an Iranian refugee who lived at the Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years. Even though the premise sounds depressing, The Terminal is actually a feel-good movie.
It stars Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, a man who gets stuck at the JFK airport because his homeland had a coup. Diego Luna's character works at the airport, and he asks Viktor to help him win over Dolores' heart in return for a warm meal.
Open Range (2003): 7.4
* Available to rent on Prime Video & Apple TV
Kevin Costner is most famous for his best movies, such as Bull Durham and Hidden Figures, but some might not know that he also sat in the director's chair. The third movie he directed, Open Range, is a Western, set in 1880s Montana.
Robert Duvall portrayed Boss Spearman, a man who hired three men to help him with his herd. One of them is Button, portrayed by Diego Luna. Costner hired J. Michael Muro as a cinematographer, and the two had successfully worked together on Costner's directorial debut, Dances with Wolves.
Milk (2008): 7.5
* Streaming now on Hulu
Milk (2008) is a biographical movie about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official who was assassinated in 1978. The movie starts with his death and then flashes back to 1970 when Milk turned 40 years old.
Sean Penn won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the brave gay rights activist. Milk had tumultuous relationships with younger men, and one of them was Jack Lira, portrayed by Diego Luna.
DC League Of Super-Pets (2022): 7.5
* In theaters now
Right before Andor, Diego Luna also lent his voice to the animated movie, DC League of Super-Pets. As the name indicates, the movie is about super-powered animals who have to save the day when the Justice League ends up incapacitated.
The leads here are clearly Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as Krypto and Ace the Bat Hound. However, the rest of the pets deliver the needed heart to the movie, including Luna as Chip. He voices the character perfectly, as a frightened squirrel who is scared of everything, including his new powers.
Y Tu Mamá También (2001): 7.7
* Streaming now on AMC+
Alfonso Cuarón's Y Tu Mamá También (2001) is a story about two rowdy teenagers, Tenoch and Julio, who had time to take Luisa, a woman at least ten years their senior, on a road trip to the coast. She was Tenoch's cousin's wife, and she left him on a whim after she found out that he had cheated on her. The two boys clearly only had one thing on their minds as they set out on their adventure, and Louisa didn't seem to mind.
As they traversed the Mexican countryside, their bond deepened. Little did the boys know, though, that nothing would be the same after this road trip. This movie is more than just a straightforward and explicit coming-of-age story. With its political and societal commentary, it's an insightful portrait of Mexican society.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): 7.8
* Streaming now on Disney+
At 7.8, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) is Diego Luna's highest-ranking movie. He portrayed Cassian Andor, the likable and heroic Rebel Alliance intelligence officer. Together with K-2SO and Jyn Erso, he traveled to Jedha to get the Death Star plans that will help the Rebellion against the Empire. Andor was right to have "a bad feeling about this," though. The movie is packed with action, but it also tugs at the audience's heartstrings.
Fans of Luna's character were delighted when he got his very own live-action series, Andor. It's a prequel to Rogue One, released in 2022. Who knows: it might end up being Diego Luna's finest work so far!