One of the most accomplished British actors has played many Latin American characters. Alfred Molina adds lawman/politician Martin Morales to the list with SECRET IN THEIR EYES, a remake of the Argentinian film that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Picture in 2010. The fantastic cast, directed by Billy Ray also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Michael Kelly.

I recently talked to Molina about his experience bringing to life this tale of love, crime and punishment.

While preparing for this role, did you want to re-watch the South American version or stay away from it?

I saw the original film when it is was released, and I remembered well enough. I decided not to see it again because I wanted to concentrate in our version of it. I think that when a film that has been successful in another language and cultural setting gets remade it is a testament to its quality. The story is strong enough to stand to scrutiny once again, in a different time and space. It proves that is powerful and universal, and that it deserves to be told again and again.

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You share a few scenes with Chiwetel Ejiofor. In this film he shows so much anger, tenderness, restraint…

Working with Chiwetel was fantastic. He is still in his thirties, but he has that gravitas and stature that you can associate with actors ten or fifteen years older. He has had that since he was very young. He did a lot of stage work in London before he started doing films. You just need to see a film like “12 Years a Slave” to see how deep his understanding of human emotions goes. He has the ability of displaying with great restraint, as you correctly said, very complex feelings and thoughts. He is one of those actors that can be standing still, staring at something and you would be completely involved in what he is thinking. He really brought it to this movie.

You mention the stage. Many acting schools in Hollywood just focus on performing for the camera. How important is for an actor to do theater?

That’s a very hard question to answer. I happen to think that it is important. But I have worked with actors that had no stage experience and they give the most extraordinary performances. Robert De Niro is the perfect example: He had done very little theater, perhaps two or three productions, and his film work is phenomenal. There are no hard rules. It all depends on the kind of energy that each actor has. I found the stage helpful, but just for my own sense of security.

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One of the biggest themes of “Secret in Their Eyes” is being stuck in the past. Do you have characters that after years of playing them are still with you in some way?

A part of the actor wants to hang on to characters, but another one that wants to get rid of them. I have fond memories of some characters because the experience of play them was wonderful. Others were unpleasant characters, or the experience was difficult. Those memories I can do without quite happily. We don’t carry characters like a dysfunctional family that keeps showing up. We bring our work home as much of a plumber or a carpenter does.

SECRET IN THEIR EYES is now playing in theaters nationwide.

A tight-knit team of rising FBI investigators – Ray and Jess, along with their District Attorney supervisor Claire – is suddenly torn apart when they discover that Jess’s teenage daughter has been brutally and inexplicably murdered. Now, thirteen years later, after obsessively searching every day for the elusive killer, Ray finally uncovers a new lead that he’s certain can permanently resolve the case, nail the vicious murderer, and bring long-desired closure to his team. No one is prepared, however, for the shocking, unspeakable secret that will reveal the enduring, destructive effects of personal vengeance on the human soul.