'The Lincoln Lawyer's Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on the significance of playing the lead as a Mexican actor

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The Lincoln Lawyer is driving on to a TV set near you this weekend. The Netflix series about a lawyer who works out of the back of his various Lincoln cars is based on the wildly popular book series, which was made into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey in 2011. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars in this latest version, and he tells ABC Audio he plays it differently than McConaughey -- though he likes the latter's performance. 

"I remember watching the film, Matthew McConaughey’s film, back in the day, when it came out and loving it, loving what he did. I mean, it’s Matthew McConaughey, he’s amazing," the actor says. "I especially remember the character, because I wasn't familiar at the time with the books... what a great character."

Stepping into the lead character's shoes as a Mexican actor is a dream come true for Garcia-Rulfo, who says, "That's the great thing about America...it doesn't matter where you come from, you can make it."

"I think I was very thankful to be playing not the cartel," he continues. "It’s such a cool thing to be a lead as a Mexican actor, to be playing that is really, really something."

"When I when I got [the lead role], I'm like, wait, am I playing the lawyer? You know, like, is this the lead, are you sure?" the actor recalls. "It's so important. It's it was such a pleasure. And I'm really thankful for that."

Although thankful for the role, if Garcia-Rulfo were a lawyer, he says he wouldn’t be working out of the backseat of a moving car like his character does. 

"I get car sick very easy," he admits. "Like I can’t read, you know? No I couldn't do it." 

Friday, May 13, 2022 at 6:00AM by Danielle Long and Jason Nathanson Permalink