Eva Longoria has found her lead actors for her feature film directorial debut.
Jesse Garcia (TV’s Narcos: Mexico) and Annie González (TV’s Gentefied) will star in Flamin’ Hot, a biopic that tells the story of Richard Montañez, a janitor working at Frito-Lay who took home a batch of unflavored Cheetos one evening and invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Garcia will play Montañez, who was named vice president of multicultural sales and community promotions for PepsiCo after his snack went national. Montañez has since written two books, 2013’s A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie and this year’s Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive. González will play his wife, Judy.
“My biggest priority [is] to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically,” Longoria told Variety. “I am so happy to have two extremely talented and fellow Mexican Americans on board in these pivotal roles. Jesse and Annie have a deep understanding of our community and will be able to help tell this story of great importance for our culture.”
Along with Longoria, Garcia and González’s participation in the film, screenwriter and producer Linda Yvette Chavez (TV’s Gentefied) has been brought on to polish the script written by Lewis Colick (October Sky). Chávez also adapted Erika L. Sánchez’s bestselling novel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, which will be America Ferrera’s feature film directorial debut.
We wonder if Garcia and González’s casting included them having to pledge total allegiance to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and to promise never to eat Takis again.