In Prime Video’s upcoming action thriller G20, Ramón Rodríguez takes on the role of Agent Manny Ruiz, a key figure in the efforts to thwart a terrorist takeover at the G20 summit in Cape Town, alongside Oscar-winner Viola Davis portraying President Danielle Sutton.
Rodríguez has built a diverse acting career spanning television and film, gaining recognition for his roles in acclaimed TV series such as The Wire and Rescue Me, and has appeared in notable films including Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Battle: Los Angeles. More recently, he stars as the titular character in the hit ABC series Will Trent.
Rodríguez recently spoke with Collider’s Steven Weintraub about the exciting places his career is taking him, notably G20. In the interview, the pair also discussed his past work on The Wire, Michael Kenneth Williams, the experience of working with Davis, what scenes he was looking forward to (and dreading) filming in the upcoming Prime Video release, and, of course, a brief tease of what’s to come in Will Trent.
Ramón Rodríguez on Building Secret Service-Level Rapport With Viola Davis
So getting into G20, when you are playing a Secret Service agent, how much extra responsibility do you actually place on yourself to get it right? Even though this is a fun popcorn movie, your performance needs to be real.
RODRÍGUEZ: We had a Secret Service consultant, who was great. Greg. He was with us on set and in prep, and so I got to talk to him a lot about the process, the ins and outs. I spoke to a couple of other folks as well. And you learn very quickly how stressful this job is 24/7. Particularly if you’re on a president’s details and how intimate that relationship really is. I mean, these agents are around the president more than the president is around their own family, and they’re seeing everything, the highs and the lows. It’s sometimes very awkward and uncomfortable, and they don’t want to be there, but they need to be physically close enough to obviously do their job at all times.
It was important for me to portray that idea of obviously being willing to put my life on the line for the president to do my job, the responsibility, the dedication. And so it’s one of the things I kind of laugh about and love. How Manny just keeps coming back. His resilience in this film. I love it. I just think it speaks to how much he cares about his job and about the president.
We talked earlier about Viola. She’s such a gifted actor. What was it actually like working with her? Is there anything that you took away from the way she works on set that you carry with you to Will Trent or other things that you’re going to work on?
RODRÍGUEZ: She’s just so generous and gracious. Obviously, she’s a powerhouse. We met when we were training. So I was in L.A. and we started training and doing some physical martial arts in hand-to-hand combat, and that’s how we met. The first day I met her, she comes in with a big smile and open arms and gives you a hug, and you immediately feel like, “Okay, this is going to be a really safe, fun process.” And it was that.
We started rolling on the ground doing jujitsu and I thought, “How great.” What better way to build rapport in a relationship, in connection with someone, than physically being right on top of them, rolling on the ground, trying it out, because we were both new at this. We’re trying to figure it out. So it’s kind of great to start on the ground level with a new skill and learn it together, and then try to apply it on screen. But she’s just the best, and was willing to impart great knowledge and wisdom on her life and her career, but also really funny, which I maybe didn’t expect so much how funny she is and all the jokes.
We had a great time. I feel honored that I get to call her a friend, and we stay in touch. She’s just awesome. And her husband is Julius [Tennon], and they produced this together. When I watch that relationship, I’m like, “That says everything.” They’re beautiful.
When you saw the shooting schedule, what day did you have circled because you were like, “Oh my God, I can’t wait to film this”? And what day was circled in terms of, “Oh, my God, we have to film this”?
RODRÍGUEZ: I knew the elevator fight scene was going to be huge and difficult and complicated just because of the space being in a small elevator, and trying to figure out a fight scene. It’s like fighting in a phone booth. And, so that in terms of the physicality and the demand of what that was. But what was cool was that when we started filming, that scene was quite early in the schedule, and when we rehearsed it, I could feel the buzz. People were getting excited. They saw all the work that we’d been doing, training and the previews of the stunt shooting, and I could feel them getting excited, saying, “This could be a cool scene.”
And then there’s a scene at the end with Manny and President Sutton when they’re kind of leaving each other that I thought, “If this done well, hopefully this will again underscore the heart and the relationship between these two.”
