San Antonio Actor Says Playing Abraham Quintanilla Was Emotional

San Antonio native Ricardo Chavira has been acting for almost 20 years.

His current role in the Netflix series "Selena" as Abraham Quintanilla has been extra significant to him.

Chavira said that the story of Selena and her family's struggle and success is something that he identifies with, KSAT reports.

Chavira said, "I remember reading it, I started crying because it was like that was informing about my life. So, I just wanted to make sure that I gave it the best representation that I could."

The actor was hesitant to take the role at first, but as he watched interviews and old clips, he realized that Abraham's presence was already significant in his life.

He said, "I see this patriarchal Mexican-American man everywhere in San Antonio. He sounds, he looks, he resembles and acts like my father, like my tio Jose, like my tio Fabián."

Chavira also said that that it would it would be great learning from production leader Jaime Davila, the founder of Campanario entertainment.

Chavira said, "He’s really got this great mission statement for Latinos telling Latino stories. It was fully realized on this series and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had."

Chavira believes that Selena's story will resonate with people all around the world.

He said, "This is the story of an American family trying to be successful, an American family trying to get that dream for themselves. To be able to see it through the eyes, the voices and the faces of this Mexican-American family."

Photo: Getty Images

Source: KSAT