Los Angeles, Feb 25 (EFE).- “Coco” star Anthony Gonzalez said that he was not expecting to be cast in the Pixar animated film, which has done fabulously well at the box office, grossing $730 million worldwide to date.
The young actor first auditioned for the film at the age of nine and by age 10 he was cast as Miguel, the boy who enters the world of the Mexican celebration known as the “Day of the Dead.”
At 13, Gonzalez said he is thrilled that “Coco” has received two Academy Award nominations for best animated film and best original song, namely “Remember Me.”
“It is something I was not expecting,” he said. “But I saw how people loved it and went to see it many times. It’s something that really surprised me.”
“I can only thank God for this blessing,” the young actor said, adding that he has already seen the film nine times. “I will see it many more times on Blu-Ray, now.”
The teenager, selected from among hundreds of candidates across the United States and Mexico, does not yet know if he will be able to make it to the March 4 Academy Awards ceremony.
If he does, however, he said he would like to step onto the red carpet alongside film directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, as well as producer Darla K. Anderson.
“If we win, I would like to celebrate with my family and friends,” said the son of Guatemalan immigrants who moved to the US two decades ago. “It would be huge, the best that could happen.”