EXCLUSIVE | '68 Whiskey' star Cristina Rodlo says the immigration angle is why she chose to be part of the show
This story may contain spoilers for '68 Whiskey'
Cristina Rodlo's character on Paramount Network's new military dramedy is going through a tough time. Rosa Alvarez is a smart, dedicated Army medic deployed in Afghanistan.
But barely halfway through the first episode, she is informed that her family is being deported back to Mexico and that she will soon be joining them. "She is going through a lot right now. Her family is being deported, she is fighting for this country," Cristina Rodlo tells MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) at the red carpet premiere for the show.
Born in Mexico, Alvarez has been living in the USA "for all her life", which makes the country her home. So when she receives the news that she must be deported, she is heartbroken and angry that she is here defending a country, fighting for its people when that country doesn't even think of her as their own.
However, being a dreamer, Rodlo adds that Rosa Alvarez is not one to back down and just admit what the fates bring to her. "She is a dreamer so she was born in Mexico but has been living in the USA for all her life. She has to find a way for her to stay or to go back," Rodlo says.
The issue of immigration has been a prevalent subject for a while now. And because this is such a topical issue with hundreds and thousands of people going through it right now, Rodlo thinks it is important to tell their end of the story, which was one of the main reasons for her to take the show.
"When they told me what my story was, I was like I have to do that: I'm an immigrant, I'm a Mexican and I want to come to this country to have a better life — not just for me but for my family as well. Which is what Rose is," she says.
"So for me to have this story on a big network, by a big house is important because people are going to see a different side of what is going on right now in this country. They're gonna see that we come here to have, honestly, a better life and to have a better future."
Rodlo expects the dark comedic nature of the show will make it relevant to a large pool of audience. "For me, it's like life. You have the comedy, the drama, the action — you have everything in life and that is what this show is," she says.
The actress adds that what makes the characters relatable is the fact that they're like the audience in more ways than one.
"You are going to see all of these characters go through a bunch of things in their lives, work and people are going to connect to them because they're so different from one another and they're gonna find a little bit about themselves in each character - they're gonna have a laugh, a cry, witness the action."
'68 Whiskey' airs on Wednesdays 10/ 9c on Paramount Network.