El Paso Skaters Ride Wave of Recognition Following Roles in Paul Anderson‘s “One Battle After another”
EL PASO, TX – A group of El Paso skateboarders are experiencing a surge in attention after their featured roles in director Paul Anderson’s new film, “One Battle After Another.” The skaters,identified as Martinez Jr., Corral, Sambrano, and Trejo, were cast as “vatos” – a colloquial term for friends or guys – and brought authentic local flavor to the film, which highlights the border city as a central location in a story touching on themes of immigration and U.S.-Mexico relations.
The group initially approached the set with a degree of apprehension, especially regarding interactions with lead actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro. Martinez jr. described the initial days as requiring a demonstration of camaraderie before casual interactions were possible. “you can’t be like, ‘Hey man, we got to take a picture.’ It was more like, ‘We’re here to do our job,'” he said, adding he consistently referred to DiCaprio as “Bob” to maintain character. DiCaprio, in turn, would greet them with, “What’s up bros?”
Corral recounted an instance where he was sent to rest due to a foot injury, only to be joined by the other skaters and DiCaprio, who initiated conversation with a simple question: “So what’s good around here to eat?”
Sambrano, a musician with a background in community theater through El Paso Kids-N-Co, shared a connection with Del Toro over a shared gratitude for the El Paso-based band, The Mars Volta.
A serendipitous wardrobe choice also became a plot point.Sambrano was wearing a vintage T-shirt featuring wrestler Eddie Guerrero, an El Paso native known as “Latino Heat,” when Del Toro suggested incorporating the nickname into the film. ”They were bouncing off each other, improvising,” Sambrano explained. “And that’s when Benicio was like, ‘What if I just say Latino Heat?’ And then they were like, ‘OK, that’s the shirt he’s going to wear.'”
The skaters expressed a strengthened sense of pride in seeing their hometown prominently featured in a major motion picture. ”We’re from a frontera, a border city…The community is amazing,” Sambrano said. “And seeing them highlight that is pretty awesome.”
Trejo emphasized Anderson’s ability to address sensitive topics with humor, potentially reaching a wider audience. “Paul did do justice to how real life is in a comedic way so that maybe it reaches a different type of audience that is not tapped into these situations,” he stated. “The movie touches on things that a lot of people are afraid to talk about.”
The group attended a special screening of “One Battle After Another” at El Paso’s Plaza Theater, surrounded by friends and family. They are now pursuing further acting opportunities, supported by location assistant Jacob Cena, and are actively studying Anderson’s filmography.
