Jorge David Lendeborg Jr. is an American actor that was born in the Dominican Republic. Since 2017 he has been featured in prominent big studio productions like “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Love, Simon,” and “Bumblebee.”

Now he plays a teenager trying to survive the dangerous streets of Iron City in ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, the live-action Manga adaptation from Director Robert Rodriguez and Producer and co-writer James Cameron.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the young Latino performer about his experience with this sci-fi blockbuster.

Is it just a coincidence that you have been part of so many geeky movies?

Yes and no. It’s not like I have every single role at my disposal. That being said, before I got the chance of working in these movies, I wanted to part of, not only sci-fi but Anime movies specifically. I was telling that to my team and my family. So this is the manifestation of that, and being at the right place at the right time.

Did you have a chance to geek out with Robert Rodriguez about this project, or his previous films?

Yeah! Robert was super attentive and ready to talk to you. We had like 200 pages of information regarding how things were going to look like so, beforehand, we talked about Alita specifically. Besides that, he also talked about “El Mariachi” and how he was using some of the same techniques to make this movie. I feel that I learned a lot about filmmaking, and directing in particular.

In the original material, your character Tanji looks Caucasian. I think that this is the right kind of inclusion and diversity, an actor like you playing a good role that isn’t necessarily calling for a Latino…

I preach that all the time! People say “We need to create more Latino characters.” Yes, do that, but also keep writing great roles and cast the best people possible. You will realize that, more often than not, those roles belong to people of color, like Asians or Latinos for example. I was really happy with the fact that they had the imagination to see me playing this white character. Some old roadblocks are finally being looked at and examined.

What about the character Alita speaks to you the most?

What I love is that we get the chance to see her experiencing this world for the first time. In this journey, she is forced to make many choices that are not black or white, but shades of grey. For example, when she suspects that Dr. Ido is up to no good when he is lurking at night time, or when she shares with Hugo what lengths she is willing to go to for him. I really admire her integrity and her heart.

In some behind-the-scenes videos we can see the wonderful Rosa Salazar wearing this motion-capture suit. Did you guys feel bad for her?

I was happy to be just another human, spending way less time in the makeup chair in the morning. You need to be at the set an hour, or two hours earlier to put that whole thing on. I was happy that my days were shorter.

What particular scenes impressed you the most when you saw the finished film?

I saw the movie twice, in 3D, and I loved it. It was incredible to see her waking up, and coming to life at the beginning. It was very special for me to see not just her pores and hair looking so natural, what getting the emotions that she was projecting. The second time I could appreciate more the action sequences, and the fighting style that the stunt experts created for Alita. The beautiful fights kick-ass, and are perfect for the character and the Anime genre.

I left my most important question for last. Where is Danny Trejo in this movie? I was looking for his cameo and I didn’t find it! What is going on?

Dude, I didn’t see it either. I saw him last Tuesday. He was doing great in real life. [Laughs] He must have been busy with his taco shop, I don’t know.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL will be released in theaters on February 14, 2019.

Alita is a creation from an age of despair. Found by the mysterious Dr. Ido while trolling for cyborg parts, Alita becomes a lethal, dangerous being. She cannot remember who she is, or where she came from. But to Dr. Ido, the truth is all too clear. She is the one being who can break the cycle of death and destruction left behind from Tiphares. But to accomplish her true purpose, she must fight and kill. And that is where Alita’s true significance comes to bear. She is an angel from heaven. She is an angel of death.