Tenoch Huerta

José Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Spanish: [teˈnotʃ ˈweɾta]; born 29 January 1981)[1] is a Mexican actor. He has appeared in a number of movies in Latin America and Spain, starring in both feature films, short films, and Narcos: Mexico, credited as Tenoch Huerta. He is featured in Mónica Maristain's book, 30 Actors Made in Mexico. He plays Namor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), in which he is credited as Tenoch Huerta Mejía.[2][3]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Huerta and the second or maternal family name is Mejía.
Tenoch Huerta
Huerta in 2019
Born
José Tenoch Huerta Mejía

(1981-01-29) 29 January 1981
Ecatepec, State of Mexico, Mexico
Other namesTenoch Huerta Mejía
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present
Notable work

Early life

Huerta was born in Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico,[4] on 29 January 1981. His father, a film buff, enrolled him in an acting course with María Elena Saldaña, and Huerta's later studies were alongside Carlos Torres Torrija and Luis Felipe Tovar.[1]

Huerta is of Indigenous descent, with a Nahua maternal great-grandmother and a Purépecha paternal great-great-grandmother.[5] He does not self-identify as Indigenous;[6] however, he encourages people to learn more about their Indigenous heritage within and outside the community.[7]

Career

Huerta made his acting career debut as a minor character in the film Asi del precipicio (2006). In 2009, he appeared in Cary Joji Fukunaga's film Sin nombre in the role of Li'l Mago, leader of the Tapachula faction of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang.

In 2015, he appeared as Carlos Mamani in the biographical disaster survival film The 33, Alejo in Camino. In 2018, he began portraying Rafael Caro Quintero in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico.

In 2021, he appeared as Juan in The Forever Purge, the fifth film of The Purge franchise, alongside his fellow Narcos: Mexico costar Alejandro Edda.[8]

In 2022, during a San Diego Comic-Con presentation for the Marvel Studios film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Huerta was revealed to have joined the cast to portray Namor.[9] In Mexico, most reactions were positive, with a minority of negative reactions characterized as expressions of racism and malinchismo.[10] Huerta himself spoke against racism in the film industry and stated that he was excited to play the character.[11][12]

Activism

Tenoch Huerta, recognized for his distinguished acting career, also holds an acclaimed role as an anti-racism activist, spurred by his personal encounters with racial prejudice and systemic discrimination.

Huerta formerly collaborated with Poder Prieto, a Mexican collective striving to alter societal perceptions of Brown individuals. His contributions were largely focused on advocating for the accurate and favorable representation of Brown people in various mediums. Furthermore, the collective aimed to redefine the term "Prieto," traditionally a racial slur, by infusing it with a positive context.

Huerta has persistently emphasized the significance of diverse and accurate representation of people of color in film and television, asserting that varied storytelling contributes to authentic cultural narratives.

In 2022, Huerta expanded his activism reach by authoring the book Orgullo Prieto (Black Pride).[13] The book delves into the racist constructs in Mexico and integrates personal narratives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue.

The same year, Huerta addressed UNESCO's Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, amplifying his insights on activism and media representation on a global platform.[14] His engagement with UNESCO extended to 2023, where he connected with over 2000 students, underscoring the imperative of recognizing privilege, challenging prevailing systems, and the potential of collective action to effect change.[15]

Huerta was also a participant in a dialogue convened by the United Nations' Antiracism Working Group,[16] a discussion held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His involvement epitomizes his commitment to confronting racism, an issue now addressed with increased urgency by institutions like the United Nations, largely due to the global resonance of movements like Black Lives Matter.[17]

Allegations of sexual assault

In June 2023, Huerta was accused of sexual assault by musician and activist Maria Elena Rios. Rios accused him of being a "sexual predator" and that the Mexico-based activist organization Poder Prieto was "protecting" him.[18][19] Huerta has denied the allegations.[20]

Awards

Huerta won Best Actor at the Short Short Film Festival in Mexico City for his performance in Alonso Ruizpalacios' Café paraíso.[21] He has also received five nominations for the Ariel Award, winning Best Actor for his role in Días de Gracia in 2012. Huerta won NAACP Image Awards 2023 supporting role in a motion picture, for his role Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[22]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Roles Notes
2006 Así del precipicio Window cleaner
2007 Malamados, en la soledad todo esta permitido Aarón
Déficit Adán
La zona Mario
2008 Sleep Dealer David Cruz
Café paraíso Gallo Short film
Road to Fame Domingo
Nesio El Araña
Soy mi madre Ramón
Just Walking David
2009 Sin nombre Lil' Mago
El horno Boyfriend Short film
2010 Marea alta Gerónimo
Depositarios Andrés
Chicogrande Doctor Terán
¿Cómo has estado? Obsmar Short film
El Infierno The Devil
Busco empleo Ramn Short film
2011 Cristeros y Federales Soldier Short film
Días de gracia Teacher / Lupe
2012 Vacaciones en el infierno Carlos
Cristiada Uncredited
Colosio: El asesinato Jesús "Chuy"
De tierra Julio Short film
La vida precoz y breve de Sabina Rivas Juan
Penumbra Ángel Short film
2013 La banqueta Abel Short film
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Ricardo Sr.
2014 Güeros Sombra
Mercy Él Short film
Escobar: Paradise Lost Roldano Brother
El más buscado Charro Misterioso / Alfredo Ríos Galeana
2015 The 33 Carlos Mamani
Semana Santa Chávez
Camino Alejo
Spectre Mexican Man in Lift
Las Aparicio Juan
2016 La carga Francisco Tenamaztle
Vive por mí Gavilán
2017 El silencio es bienvenido Soldier 1
El autor Enrique
Tigers Are Not Afraid El Chino
Debris Armando Short film
2018 Bel Canto Comandante Benjamín
2020 Son of Monarchs Mendel
Dark Forces Franco
2021 The Forever Purge Juan
Madres Beto
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Namor Credited as Tenoch Huerta Mejía

Television
YearTitleRolesNotes
2008 Capadocia Toño 2 episodes
2010 Los Minondo Nacho
2011 El Encanto del Águila Emiliano Zapata 5 episodes
2012 Cloroformo El Búfalo 13 episodes
2016 Hasta Que Te Conocí Nereo 3 episodes
2015–2016 Mozart in the Jungle Manuel 2 episodes
2016–2017 Blue Demon Alejandro Muñoz / Blue Demon 65 episodes
2018 Here on Earth Adán Cruz 8 episodes
2018–2020 Narcos: Mexico Rafael Caro Quintero 11 episodes
2023 The Chosen One Lemuel Miniseries

References
  1. Mónica Maristain (13 April 2012). "Los Sueños de Tenoch Huerta". PlanetaEllas.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  2. "'Black Panther 2' First Trailer Unveils Marvel's Emotional Return to Wakanda and War With Namor". Vaitey. 24 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  3. "Namor the Sub-Mariner dives into the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer". AV Club. 24 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  4. Banda, Martín (10 November 2022). "De Ecatepec para el mundo: Tenoch Huerta, nuevo super héroe de Marvel". El Mañana (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. Tenoch Huerta Mejía [@TenochHuerta] (8 June 2020). "Mi origen es Purépecha (tatarabuela paterna) y Nahua (bisabuela materna)" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  6. Tenoch Huerta Mejía [@TenochHuerta] (10 June 2020). "No soy indígena.
    No todos los morenos "somos idénticos""     (Tweet) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. Pulliam-Moore, Charles (31 October 2022). "Tenoch Huerta hopes Wakanda Forever helps Latin Americans embrace their roots". The Verge. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. "How Tenoch Huerta Transformed into Namor—and Transformed the Character in the Process". menshealth.com. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  9. "Black Panther 2's Namor Actor Describes the 'Overwhelming' Experience Suiting up for the First Time". 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  10. "Tenoch Huerta como Namor despierta el malinchismo de los mexicanos". es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com (in Spanish). 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  11. Osborn, Catherine (10 June 2022). "A Disjointed Western Hemisphere Gathers". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  12. Hiatt, Brian (22 November 2022). "Namor vs. Aquaman, A Viral Speedo Tweet, and Other Burning Topics with Tenoch Huerta". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  13. RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ, JORGE. "Tenoch Huerta Releasing New Book Titled 'Orgullo Prieto' — & It Already Feels Like a Must-Read". remezcla. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  14. LucíaIglesias, Kuntz. "Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination: UNESCO paves way for Post-COVID Recovery". UNESCO. UNESCO. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  15. "Story Students meet with activists at UNESCO to lead the fight against racism". unesco. unesco. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  16. Shotwell, Alyssa. "'Black Panther's Tenoch Huerta Gets the Final Word on 'Forced Inclusion' Accusations at the United Nations". themarysue.com. themarysue.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  17. "We have to figure out how to dismantle the monster". United Nations Human Rights Organization. United Nations Human Rights Organization. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  18. Carras, Christi (11 June 2023). "'Black Panther' star Tenoch Huerta accused of sexual assault". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  19. Lund, Anthony (11 June 2023). "'MCU's Namor Star Tenoch Huerta Accused of Sexual Assault by Mexican Musician". Movieweb. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  20. Segarra, Edward (12 June 2023). "'Black Panther' actor Tenoch Huerta denies sexual assault allegation: 'Simply untrue'". USA Today. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  21. "Café paraíso Paradise Café". Secretaría de Cultura/Sistema de Información Cultural. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  22. Blauvelt, Christian (26 February 2023). "'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' Will Smith, Angela Bassett Win Big at 2023 NAACP Image Awards". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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