We were joined on the Popternative show by Actor Ismael Cruz Córdova who stars alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the swashbuckler action-thriller, The Bluff. The film premiered on Prime Video on February 25 and follows former pirate Ercell “Bloody Mary” Bodden (Chopra Jonas), who has left her violent past behind to build a quiet life with her family in the Cayman Islands. When her ruthless former captain (Karl Urban) returns seeking revenge, she has to hone her deadly skills once again to protect her loved ones.

On working with director Frank E. Flowers, Ismael says, “When you have a good director who chooses his team and puts his trust in the team, you see the results. And Frankie is just an awesome director in that sense. Everybody had their heart there and it [felt] very intimate, which I love. He was very clear what he wanted to bring me in for and he knew what I could offer. So, I got the sense of all that I needed to know.”

Ismael is no stranger to epic productions. He also stars as Arondir, a Silvan Elf, in the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which will be returning soon for its third season. When taking on other large-scale adventures such as The Bluff, Ismael says the show’s massive scale has prepared him for anything, making other projects even feel smaller by comparison.

He also distinguishes his characters through their movements and physicality, an approach he credits to his background as an athlete and dancer. He contrasts his role in The Bluff with Arondir in The Rings of Power. “I’m happy to get to to portray something in contrast to Arondir, you know, he’s stoic and serious and not smiley. I can’t slouch or anything, he’s always upright. So, then when I get to [play T. H. Bodden in The Bluff], you’re seeing the contrast. I’m pushing from that character to a very smiley, much softer [one]. I [even] move in a different way.”

Watch the full conversation with Ismael Cruz Córdova below.

The Bluff is streaming on Prime Video.

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