The new AMC series THE SON, based on the The New York Times best seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel, centers on the families that clashed in their pursuit of wealth and power in Texas, at the beginning of the 20th century.

The 31-year-old Mexican actress, Paola Nuñez, brings to life “Maria Garcia,” an independent Latina who fights against violence and the repression imposed by the society and her own family.

How was the experience of portraying a young woman in such patriarchal and limiting times?

Even though we were telling a story from another period, 1915, I felt like it was something contemporary. Not just because of the topic itself, but the atmosphere of racism, hate and antagonism. Also, because is a woman ahead of her time, someone that escapes from the current social structure and dares to dream. She goes to NY to study and have a bohemian life, against the wishes of her family. She is an educated and smart woman, so I identify with her a lot.


Your father in the story is played by Carlos Bardem. How was that acting partnership?

With Carlos, we had an instant chemistry and we clicked right away. We had a few scenes together and we both spoke in Spanish. We created a relation of mutual protection. He really treated me as he was my father. He adopted me! That really helped us during the scenes. He is very passionate and charismatic. We really enjoyed every scene and laughed a lot. He will always be close to my heart.

How was the first time that you met Pierce Brosnan?

The first time that you meet Pierce, it is shocking. I was star stroked. We all started to melting down in front of him, both women and men. He is good looking and charming, but he has something else that makes it hard not to looking at him. But after the shooting starts, you forget that he is “Pierce Brosnan” or “James Bond,” you just see the character. And the nice thing is that he wouldn’t allow that his status as a Hollywood star could eclipse his work as Eli McCullough. He made a conscious decision to be just another member of the team and spend a lot of time with us.

Before getting this role, doors weren’t opening for you in Hollywood. How did you deal with that?

It wasn’t about doors not opening, it actually was about myself. When you arrive to Hollywood, it doesn’t matter how successful you were in your country. You have to compete with the best actors from around the world. What really affected me was the language. I grew up in the border so I always spoke it, but I have never acted in English. I knew that it was going to take me times, but during the first year I was incredibly nervous during the auditions. I remember that my boyfriend would tell me “Los Angeles is killing you!” I feel that this city put me down on my knees and destroyed my ego and self-confidence. But at the end, it forced me to rebuild myself as an actress, and made me stronger.

The two-hour series premiere of THE SON takes place on April 8th 9/8c.