Jaime Camil Talks 'Pulling Strings,' Immigration and His Crossover to the U.S. Market [Exclusive]

The name Jaime Camil may not be immediately recognizable to most moviegoers in the U.S., but that is quickly changing.

Jaime Camil is an entertainment powerhouse in Mexico, known for an impressive resume that includes hit albums and acting on both stage and screen. Camil, 40, is now making his foray into the U.S. market with his appearance in the new Lifetime series "Devious Maids," as well as his starring role in the feature film "Pulling Strings." Camil spoke exclusively to The Latinos Post about his crossover to English films, his opinion about acting on stage and even what's currently on loop on his iPod.

Standing at almost 6'3 with wavy black hair and naturally sun-kissed skin, he typifies the traditional "Latin lover" stereotype. But Camil's undeniable talent allows him to transcend mere clichés.  

Camil, whose birth name is Jaime Frederico Said Camil de Saldaña Da Gama, hails from Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. Camil is the son of a wealthy Mexican businessman of Egyptian descent and a Brazilian singer from Ipanema. His family's musical background informed his early introduction into the entertainment industry. 

Although he values acting over singing and calls himself "an actor who sings," he first entered he entertainment industry from the music end. Camil was promoting his first album, "Para Estar Contigo," when he got a call from Mexican actress Lucero.

"She [Lucero] mentioned that Carla Estrada was looking for the villain of her next novela so Lucero proposed me for the role," he explained. "I went to the audition thinking that if I nailed it, it was going to be a great chance to have the exposure in order to help promote my CD... Boy was I wrong!"

"What I didn't know was that life (or the Universe, or God) was telling me that my path was to pursue acting, not singing... thank God I listened and I saw the signs!" Camil exclaimed. "After that novela I started doing more films and in 2005 I got the Mexican Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the film '7 Dias.' So yes, life was right!"

Although he is now pursing acting full time, he said he loves music--almost all of it. As for one of his favorite artists, he said: "Bruno Mars is definitely on my repeat list nowadays."

His musical background gave him a leg up in his new film, "Pulling Strings," in which he plays Alejandro, a Mariachi singer whose U.S. visa was rejected by Rachel (Laura Ramsey), a diplomat working in Mexico City. After a night of drinking, Rachel is sleeping on the street until Alejandro saves her, putting into motion an unexpected chain of events.

Seeing as the movie is a film for American audiences, Camil had to perform--and act--in English. Although Camil is multilingual and is fluent in English in addition to Portuguese and French, he said it was still a bit tough doing a project in a language other than his native tongue.

"Of course, speaking a language that its not your primary language is a little bit more complicated! However, I've been living in Los Angeles for quite some time now, and I've been speaking English since I was a little boy, so even though it felt kind of funny, I managed to feel pretty good and comfortable with the language [while filming "Pulling Strings]."

The film focuses on the controversial issue of immigration, which is a significant issue for Latino immigrants living in the United States as well as Latinos living in Central and South America. In the film, Alejandro needs a visa to send his daughter to live with her grandparents in the States. "I definitely think that immigrants in this country are one of the (if not the most) important parts of the economic engine of the USA," Camil said regarding his stance on immigration.

The film is also near and dear to his heart because like Alejandro, he is also a father to a daughter, Elena Camil. "Alejandro is pretty confused because he thinks that the best thing for his daughter is to send her away with her grandparents. Can you imagine the level of confusion he must have!? If I'm away from my daughter I wouldn't be able to function properly as a human being!" he said laughingly.

Camil said that his main focus is on crossing over into the mainstream U.S. market, and that Latinos in the U.S. will help him gain the notoriety he seeks. He also believes that Hollywood should take advantage of Latino actors who are already well loved by Latino audiences. "I think that Hollywood understands a little bit more that Latinos in the USA already have household names and actors who they love and follow," he said. "I mean, look at what happened with Eugenio Derbez's film. With only 345 screens it generated 10 million dollars at the box office! So, Hollywood should stop 'inventing' Latinos and it should include in their productions the ones that are already loved and followed by 50 million."

Aside from "Pulling Strings" and "Devious Maids," he is continuing to break into the U.S. market with a small role in a new Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer film, as well as the bilingual film "200 Cartas." In addition, he is currently shooting a sitcom for Televisa that will air simultaneously in Mexico and the U.S. "While I'm shooting this project my U.S. team will be preparing the last details for the definite cross over into the U.S. market that'll take place in 2014," he explained.

Although Camil said that films are by far his favorite discipline, he still has a passion for live acting. Camil has performed in a variety of theater productions, including "El Diluvio Que Viene," (which he said was his favorite,) Hook in "Peter Pan" and Bernardo in "West Side Story."

"When I'm on stage I feel alive," Camil said. "It's the most rewarding feeling an actor can live. You only have one take to get it right!"

Camil said that he would love to direct and produce in the future. For now, he is focusing on solidifying his spot in Hollywood, and he's carving out his own niche by sticking to his strong suit- romantic comedies. But he's not ruling out taking on a gripping drama sometime in the future.

"They say it's more difficult to make someone laugh... I'll have to agree!" he shared. "I enjoy both [comedies and dramas], to be honest. Perhaps I've been perceived more as a romantic comedy actor, but overall I enjoy acting in any shape or form."

"Pulling Strings" is currently playing in theaters nationwide.