Few people would eagerly re-live the spring of 2020, a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning, and we were sanitizing our groceries while maintaining social distance in our homes. However, the opportunity to act alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal made it worthwhile for Matt Gomez Hidaka.
27-year-old actor Gomez Hidaka will feature in Ari Aster’s latest movie for A24, titled Eddington. The film is set in a New Mexico town in May 2020 and follows the confrontation between the local sheriff (Phoenix) and the mayor (Pascal). Details about the storyline are being kept secret, but the trailer suggests that it will touch upon the chaotic period of the pandemic, as well as the racial unrest and protests against police brutality that occurred during the summer. In the movie, Gomez Hidaka portrays the son of Pascal’s character, the mayor.
As a gamer, I must admit, when I learned this game would delve into the COVID era, I felt a pang of apprehension. I wondered, ‘Is society truly prepared to experience this?’ Yet, it remains remarkably contemporary. In hindsight, I believe that this game might serve as a testament we’ll show our future generations, saying, ‘This is what we navigated through.’ It was truly exhilarating to contribute to something that could immortalize a moment in time.
During the initial phase of the pandemic, Gomez Hidaka, who is half Dominican and half Japanese, was studying at the University of Southern California’s drama school. Raised in Chicago, he discovered acting at a tender age. “While my friends opted for sports, I preferred Pokémon,” he chuckles. His parents, intrigued by his preference, enrolled him in an acting class. This led to after-school performing programs in the third grade and eventually joining a high school theater troupe. His passion for drama propelled him to relocate to Los Angeles to attend USC.
Following appearances in numerous short films, Gomez Hidaka was cast in Apple TV+’s series “Silo”, starring alongside Rebecca Ferguson for two seasons of this dystopian science fiction show. At the beginning of 2024, he reminisces about a fateful encounter with his manager: “Each year we discuss my future goals, and I mentioned, ‘I’d love to work with Ari Aster.’ ” Just a month later, he received news that he would audition for Aster’s upcoming production. A few weeks passed, and Gomez Hidaka was in New Mexico working alongside Aster on location, as the town of Truth or Consequences (its actual name) became the filming site.
He remarks that he completely embraced this entirely different setting while filming in a town with around 6,000 residents. He dined at local eateries and socialized with people his age in their twenties. To top it off, he attended bonfire parties right out in the New Mexico desert.
During his initial costume fitting, Gomez Hidaka first encountered the headshots of his co-stars – Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and Luke Grimes among them. On set, Gomez Hidaka found himself learning from a “master class,” as he described it. He often sat at the camera monitors with the film’s producers to observe Phoenix, who had built a strong rapport with Aster during their previous collaboration on the director’s film, Beau Is Afraid. Gomez Hidaka was amazed by the level of improvisation Phoenix displayed, as he wasn’t anticipating such freedom from someone so meticulous in his craft. It was truly enlightening.
Regarding collaborating with the actor Aster, he openly confessed his initial nervousness. “For years, I’ve admired him from afar,” he expressed, further explaining, “I was afraid that my admiration might be shattered.” However, he ended up being pleasantly surprised by Aster’s tranquil demeanor. “Whenever he had a suggestion, he would approach quietly, steer me aside so no one else could hear, and simply discuss it with me,” he added.
Firstly, Gomez Hidaka is slated for the independent drama titled “The Wilderness“, a story revolving around teenagers participating in a wilderness therapy program situated in Utah’s desert. However, prior to that, he will travel to France for the debut of “Eddington” which is set to be shown in Cannes’ main competition.
Despite its massive scale, the movie felt surprisingly insignificant to him,” he shares. “It instilled in me a sense of calm about upcoming projects because, at heart, it’s just a group of creative minds coming together to produce something exciting. This reassurance will travel with me to the next endeavor.
Read More
- Hero Tale best builds – One for melee, one for ranged characters
- How Angel Studios Is Spreading the Gospel of “Faith-Friendly” Cinema
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Comparing the Switch 2’s Battery Life to Other Handheld Consoles
- 9 Most Underrated Jeff Goldblum Movies
- Castle Duels tier list – Best Legendary and Epic cards
- Stellar Blade Steam Deck Impressions – Recommended Settings, PC Port Features, & ROG Ally Performance
- Mini Heroes Magic Throne tier list
- USD CNY PREDICTION
- Can the Switch 2 Use a Switch 1 Charger?
2025-05-13 17:25