Interview with Piper Perabo and Manolo Cardona from “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” is being released on DVD March 3rd and in celebration, here’s an interview with stars Piper Perabo and Manolo Cardona. They tell us what it was like to act alongside the tiny, but mighty Chihuahua. What were the highlights of shooting in Mexico? Piper and Manolo tell all!

Have you seen the movie yet?

PIPER PERABO

I was really excited because when we were shooting it, we had the dogs there with us. They’re taking their marks and doing their things, but we didn’t have a script.  But there’s a big difference between seeing lines on a page and seeing them perform. So, when I saw the movie screened for the first time, it was the first time that I heard all the voices and it was amazing, the difference that different actors bring.  And I think Andy Garcia as Delgado is so amazing. He brings this real empathy and kind of tough, macho friendship to his relationship with Chloe that is really incredible. 

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Manolo, expand on that for me.  You’re working with Piper.  You’re working with Jamie Lee.  But with all these dogs, like Piper said, all that dialogue and stuff is missing.  How, how does that impact you when you’re working in front of the camera?

MANOLO CARDONA

Well, we didn’t know as humans in the movie, that the dogs speak in between.  So for me it wasn’t difficult.  I haven’t seen the difference between seeing it in the lines and seeing it in the movie.

When you’re doing it you have to perform with the dog.  Is there like a whole army of handlers standing there trying to get the dog to do something?

MANOLO CARDONA

Definitely.  Definitely.

What’s that like?

MANOLO CARDONA

That was hard. You have to be very focused and concentrate in the scene and what’s going on there.   Yes there are a lot of trainers trying to tell the dogs some commands and try to make them do things.  You have to be in your thing there.

When you first heard about this project, Piper, how did you first find out about it?  Does somebody say, “Hey.  We got this thing, Beverly Hills Chihuahua.”

PIPER PERABO

When I first heard about it that wasn’t the original title.  Actually, there was a different title.  I read it.  I always watched Disney movies when I was a kid and this is like, to me, the classic Disney adventure movie.  And I had never been to Mexico, either.  So, to me, even going and making the movie was sort of this adventure.  We traveled all over the country.  We had trains and trucks and we were in the jungle and we were on the coast.  So, for me, the experience of it also really was very like the story and this kind of exploration of the country.  I was really excited.  Those Disney films, to me, as a kid, they meant a lot.  I got a lot out of them.

How ‘bout you, Manolo? 

MANOLO CARDONA

I was very, very, very excited every moment.  Every step, every process that I’ve been through the movie always has been very inspiring to me.  I realized what I’ve been doing, like, a Disney movie and my first American movie and this great story with all this great cast and it’s a beautiful script and I was like, “Wow.  Wow.”  Every day was like, “Wow.  Wow.”  It was great.

Now, where are you from originally?

MANOLO CARDONA

Colombia.

Have you worked there yet?

MANOLO CARDONA

Yeah.  Definitely.

Manolo, are you a dog person?

MANOLO CARDONA

Definitely.  But I don’t have a dog right now.

If you could have one, what would you have?

MANOLO CARDONA

Maybe a French bulldog, I think.

French bulldog?

MANOLO CARDONA

Yeah.

Now, how is a French bulldog different?  I mean, I can picture in my mind the English bulldog.  How is the French bulldog different?

MANOLO CARDONA

He’s smaller and more compact.  My brother has, has one and it’s beautiful. 

Did you develop any special relationships with any of the dogs that were working on the film?

MANOLO CARDONA

With Papi, definitely.  It was, it was like a crush there, like, I love you.

Was there only one Papi or more, how many Papis?

MANOLO CARDONA

There were a few, to do like stunt things and it was like six, I think.

PIPER PERABO

But mostly it was Rusco, most of the time.

MANOLO CARDONA

Yeah.  Rusco did all the movie.

Does Rusco answer to Rusco or does he answer to Papi?

MANOLO CARDONA

Rusco is the real name of the dog that plays Papi.

PIPER PERABO

You have to call, if you want him, you have to call Rusco.  I never thought about this, but, animals who work in movies. You can’t change a dog’s name, like every job they get.  You know what I mean?  You’re Lassie and then you’re Benji and then…you’re going to be really confusing.  You’ve got to stick with the one name.

Now, how ‘bout you, Piper?  Did you have a special dog while you were working?

PIPER PERABO

Well, the dogs that I like… I like Frank, who’s the little pug, who’s a friend of Chloe’s.  He’s really famous.  He’s from Men in Black.  So I had kind of like a star crush on Frank.  And then, if I was going to take a dog, I would want El Diablo, the big bad guy, the Doberman. 

Really?

PIPER PERABO

He was my favorite of all.  Even more than Frank.

Do you have a dog?

PIPER PERABO

I don’t have a dog right now. I travel so much that I can’t really be responsible for one.

If you could have one, what would it be?  Would you get the big Doberman?

PIPER PERABO

Yeah.  If I could have one, I would have stole El Diablo. 

What is it about the big Doberman?  Is it the security factor or something?

PIPER PERABO

Well, I live in New York, so it would be nice to have such a big dog, but I also think they’re beautiful and so graceful and elegant.  I don’t know, there’s something about them that I really like.

Give me your, your final impressions about working on Beverly Hills Chihuahua.  I’m assuming you haven’t even had the chance to meet all these other tremendous cast members.  I mean, it’s an incredible cast.  Have you even met Andy or Drew?  I mean, the list just goes on and on.

MANOLO CARDONA

From the actors that did the voices the only that I had the great opportunity to meet is Plácido Domingo.  We were shooting in Puerto Vallarta and he was about to do a concert in Guadalajara.  We see that he’s coming and Piper goes, “its Plácido.  Let’s go to see Plácido.  We should do it” and the producers talked with Plácido and they, he invited us, Piper, a friend from the crew and me to see him in Guadalajara.  And it was an amazing experience.

PIPER PERABO

It was amazing.

MANOLO CARDONA

Yeah.  Amazing.

How about you, Piper?  Have you had a chance to meet anybody yet? 

PIPER PERABO

Drew is the only one.  I know Drew just from life.  But, I’m really excited to meet the others. I met Plácido when I was with Manolo, obviously, which was incredible. It’s strange to have done a movie with so many people that you haven’t met yet.  And there’s so many talented, incredible actors that I’m a fan of just personally, like Andy Garcia, Luis Guzmán, that I’m dying to meet.

I really enjoyed the movie.

PIPER PERABO

Thank you.

MANOLO CARDONA

Thank you very much.

Image Credit: Click Communications