In May, the 39th annual Tianguis Turistico — the annual Mexico tourism convention — attracted thousands of people to the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, for several days of networking just outside of Cancun. But one particular attendee proved to be especially popular: the actor Kevin Spacey, star of the Netflix series “House of Cards.”
Spacey met with Mexico‘s President Enrique Pena Nieto and also participated in a standing-room-only press conference, during which he was interviewed about his acting career, and also talked a bit about Mexico. I was covering Tianguis for travel industry magazine and site TravelAge West (stay tuned for my full event coverage), but most of what Spacey said about Mexico was personal, since he’s not an industry insider — not in the travel industry, at least.
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Spacey hasn’t visited Mexico much, he admitted, but he noted how several Mexican destinations have served as a setting for outstanding movies. “Some of the greatest films of all time have been filmed in Mexico,” he said, noting his own personal favorites, including:
• Missing (starring Spacey’s own mentor, Jack Lemmon — set in Chile but filmed in Mexico City and Acapulco. For more movies using Latin American destinations as stand-ins for other places, check out my roundup, Destination Doubles: Do you Know Where These Movies Were Filmed?)
• Romeo + Juliet (the 1996 Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle)
• Night of the Iguana (the 1964 Richard Burton-Ava Gardner flick — Elizabeth Taylor was also around during the shooting, but for purely personal reasons. Spacey noted this movie helped to launch Puerto Vallarta as a modern tourist destination.)
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Spacey also professed his love of Mexico. “I’ve always had an incredible time here,” he said. “It’s a great time to invest in Mexico. It’s a great time to come to Mexico.”
Even when he’s not in Mexico, Spacey apparently thinks about the destination, at least when meal time comes around. “Mexican food is my favorite food in the world,” he told the audience. He also expressed his willingness to work in Mexico. “I’d love to shoot in Mexico,” he said. “I’d love to come back to Cancun — and to Puerto Vallarta — personally, and for a production.”
“It’s a fantastic country and I’m delighted to come visit you.”
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