Inspired by the true story of five young Mexican-American caddies in 1957, and based on the book Mustang Miracle by Humberto G. Garcia, The Long Game tells the story of these young men. Driven by their love for the game, they were determined to learn how to play. So, they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert. The Long Game which stars Jay Hernandez, Quaid, and Cheech Marin, won the 2023 SXSW Audience Award.

We sat down with stars Paulina Chávez and Julian Works to discuss their time on set.

Interview: Julian Works & Paulina Chávez for ‘The Long Game’

Works credits his fellow actors for helping draw out genuine emotions during their scenes together.

“I mean, it’s just all about being present and in the moment. Every actor has their kind of bag that they tap into whenever they have a scene that they gotta get emotional about… Everyone has their own little way, but I think for me, just hearing the other dialog out loud…

No one’s ever called me a ‘wet back’ to my face. So initially, hearing that live, I guess the reaction on camera, you’re going to get a real reaction from me.”

– Julian Works

Works and Chávez were drawn to the script because the characters were strong and the story is based on a true event. Filming the movie felt more relaxed than television for Chávez, allowing for more character exploration. You might recognize Chávez from some of the television work she’s done in the past on Netflix. She stars as the lead in The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia. She also brought the character of Flora to life in the second season of Fate: The Winx Saga.

“I did a lot of short films before the TV series. And so this was kind of just like that, and something I was very much used to. But doing TV is very, very, very fast-paced. Especially the sitcom. We have four cameras and it’s very much ‘go, go, go.’ And this one’s kind of different. We get to explore more with our characters and play around a little bit. And we have a great director who encouraged that and was open to collaboration, which is very refreshing.”

– Paulina Chávez

Both actors are touched by the positive impact the film is having on audiences.

The Long Game premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2023. It released theatrically on April 12, 2024.

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