'Roma' actor denied visa to the U.S. three times, might miss the Oscars
One of the stars of Roma is in danger of missing the Oscars. Mexican actor Jorge Antonio Guerrero has apparently been denied entry to the United States three times over the past year and it’s unclear if he will be allowed in the country for the awards show on Feb. 24.
In the Alfonso Cuarón film, Guerrero plays protagonist Cleo’s boyfriend, Fermín, who is a member of the paramilitary group Los Halcones. Roma is tied for the most Oscar nominations with 10 including a nod for Best Picture, which typically means the principle cast of the movie is invited to attend. The Netflix film is considered a front-runner for the top prize.
In an interview with Quien, Guerrero said he’s been unable to attend any of the film’s celebrations in America due to visa issues.
“The first time [I applied] was at the beginning of last year. Back then, I didn’t have anything related to the movie and my intentions were just for tourism,” he explained. “But then I started receiving invitations from Netflix in October and November to attend red carpets and the Golden Globes.” (Roma was released on Nov. 21).
Guerrero claimed he went to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico with a letter from one of the film’s producers stating he would attend events like the Golden Globes and the Oscars, but was denied entry again.
Gran noche, #ROMACuarón muy agradecido con todos,
A post shared by Jorge A Guerrero (@jorgeaguerrero_) on Dec 17, 2018 at 10:17pm PST
“I brought a letter that they didn’t want to read, to be honest,” he alleged. “In my second try, they said that I was going to work and I told them no, I was going because I was invited. And this last try wasn’t even memorable, it felt like the woman I spoke to was already a little angry.”
He continued, “If we could find a way for a person from the consulate or embassy to read these letters, they could understand the artistic need I have and the cultural exchange that’s happening between two nations.”
A source tells Yahoo that Netflix is working to get Guerrero a visa so he can attend the Oscars.
Guerrero is not the first entertainer whose travel plans have been impacted by the current political climate. Cinematographer Khaled Khateeb was unable to watch his documentary, The White Helmets, take home the award for best documentary short at the Oscars last year due to President Trump‘s travel-ban from predominately Muslim countries. Khateeb is Syrian. And Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who was nominated for his drama The Salesman, announced he planned to skip the ceremony even if an exception was made for him to travel to the U.S. The Salesman ended up winning best foreign language film.
The 91st Annual Academy Awards air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 24.
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