Eugenio Derbez – Miracles From Heaven

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I have been working on a lot of stuff. After my last movie came out (Instructions Not Included) my life changed. It was the highest grossing Spanish language film ever in the US and worldwide. So, a lot of doors opened to me in the US. I signed a deal with Lionsgate for film developing and a deal with Universal to develop TV series. I also shot a movie called Miracles From Heaven that opens March 16^th with Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah. I’m going to be shooting my own movie in May as well.

Q) Please tell us the premise for Miracles From Heaven and about your role in the film.

A) This is based on a true story about a girl named Anna Beam. Her mother, Christy, actually wrote a book about what happened. Anna had an incurable disease where your intestines get paralyzed. What happened was they were desperately looking for help and went to the number one specialist in the world, Dr. Nurko, who works at Boston Pediatric Hospital. But not even he is able to get a cure for her. Something unexpected happens that changes the entire story. I play this successful Mexican pediatrician.

Q) What drew you to want to be a part of the movie?

A) First of all, it was a great chance to go work on a Hollywood movie. There are stereotypes of Latinos so it was really inspiring to be playing a Harvard educated doctor. So, it was a great role for me and the director, Patricia Riggen, is amazing. She directed The 33 about the Chilean miners and Under The Same Moon, which I starred in. The casting also was amazing so I couldn’t deny this project. For me, it was a great, great opportunity.

Q) What was the most challenging part of filming?

A) When you have a real person that you have to portray it is really hard because you have to be really accurate. For me, it was really hard especially because the real Dr. Nurko showed up on set and was watching the monitor. It was very challenging to have the real guy that I was playing watching the shooting. It was hard!

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching Miracles From Heaven?

A) This is a very inspiring and uplifting movie. It talks about faith and how when you enough faith…Christy fights for her daughter, even though the doctors gave her no hope. She really fights and like anyone else she never loses her faith. She may lose a little bit of faith in God, but she has faith in herself. If you have faith and the support of your family, you can do anything.

Q) You are getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. What does this honor mean to you?

A) I think it is my dream come true! Any actor in the world would kill for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I feel really honored and thrilled. I’m going to dedicate this star to all of my people. I have a huge fan club and all of them supported my film when it came out. That was part of the last push I needed for the star. I feel really grateful not just to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but to all the fans in this country that have supported my career.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you very much for trusting me because all the Hispanics are very faithful. No matter what, they are always there to support each other. That is one of the things that I love the most of my audience. They are very, very faithful. So, I would say thank you for all for the love and support that they have shown all of these years.