THE BECKER BUGLE

When actress and comedian Angélica Vale found out she would be working once again with Mexican actor Kuno Becker on the animated film 'Los Tres Reyes Magos' (The Three Kings), she couldn't say "no."

They had previously collaborated on the soap opera 'Soñadoras' but this time they would be a couple on the animated film, which came out on DVD yesterday (Nov. 1).

Vale does the voice of "Sarah," a woman of strong principles, and Becker is the voice of "Tobías," a young good-looking soldier; both of whom accompany the Three Kings. Christian music singer Jaci Velásquez does the voice of "Sarah" in the English language version of the film. Kuno Becker does the voice of Tobias in both versions (English and Spanish) of the animated film.

"When they told me that I was going to work with him, I couldn't say 'no,'" she stated during a telephone interview. "Kuno is great."

Vale also had other reasons for working on the film. She said that she liked it because it tells the story of the Three Kings, who she and her family celebrate faithfully.

"The film touches on a part of life in México. In México this-referring to Epiphany, January 6, is celebrated more than Santa Claus," she said. "It's very beautiful."

Vale, the daughter of singer and actress Angélica María and deceased comedian Raúl Vale, had a star-struck moment when she found out that the English-language version included the voices of Martin Sheen, Emilio Éstevez and Lupillo Rivera.

Vale, besides hosting the political program entitled 'El Privilegio de Mandar' and host/actress on 'La Parodia,' which has been a hit since 2002, is also planning on going on a comedy tour at the end of the year and next year as well.

"I hope I can go on tour because 'La Parodia' and 'El Privilegio de Mandar' require a lot of my time," she said. "You know, when I get the opportunity to do impersonations and sing live, I just love it."

She pointed out that at the end of this year she will take some much deserved time off and will begin working next year.

Friday 7 October, 2005 witnessed the premiere of Goal! The Movie in Zurich, a film which is taking box offices worldwide by storm.

The story centres on Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), a young Mexican immigrant who spends his childhood in the barrios of LA, longing to play professional football. Years later, having been spotted by former-agent Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), Santiago suddenly finds his dream is within shooting distance - with a trial at Newcastle United FC.  But will he make the grade?

Goal! is already been praised by critics and viewers as: 'a warm tribute to the beautiful game with good performances,' 'a film with excellent and realistic match sequences' and for its 'balance of humour and heart.'

Therefore it is no surprise that all those who attended the Corso Cinema on Theatrestrasse, Zurich all enjoyed the premiere.

In true football fashion, green carpet, rather than the traditional red carpet, was on display and the interior of the cinema was decorated with hundreds of footballs as the great and the stars of the silver screen and soccer came together for a memorable night.

The evening began with an Apero - a drinks gathering for FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi and the stars of the film, including Becker to make acquaintances.

At eight o'clock, the FIFA President addressed those gathered in the cinema to reveal his thoughts on the film.  "I really like it very much because it conveys the two main elements of my football philosophy - the hope to achieve success through football and emotions," he said.  "From a film angle I found it great how the story was full of life, with love but death also as an integral part."

Following the film, Becker gave a speech and then it was off to the Restaurant Terrasse, Limmatquai for an after-show party.  Former Germany and Liverpool star Karl-Heinz Riedle was said to like the film, as did Zurich City Councillor Kathrin Martelli who admitted to being: "completely immersed in the film because it was so strong on emotions."

However, while Goal! provides some excellent entertainment, 2% of the proceeds from the film are going to help FIFA's Development programme; to assist football projects around the globe.  FIFA Director of Development Mary Harvey said: "It is fantastic that 2% of the proceeds from this film will go towards the development of football.  We will be able to put these funds to good use in our programmes right away."

Therefore, when you go to see the film - you know that you'll be helping a very worthwhile cause indeed.

He's the star of a football film trilogy who can't play football, but Kuno Becker broke his ankles and his nose while learing to protray the beautiful game. He talks to Steve Pratt about the toughest role of his life.

 Kuno Becker looks every inch the footballer in the soccer movie Goal! but until he was 17 he was more interested in the arts than sport. Born and raised in Mexico City, he studied the violin in Austria from the age of six. Only as a teenager did he decide to switch to acting.

He says. "I was not into football. That's what's great about this film for me because I wanted to do something that's different for me. It makes no sense to do something I'm used to doing. And I believe Goal! is more about the story than the football."

Becker, now 27, became a teen heartthrob in the US and Latin America through the TV series Sonadoras, picking up several best young actor awards in the process. Goal! is his sixth movie - after starring in 5 other hollywood films.

As Santiago Munez, he's an illegal immigrant from Mexico whose soccer skills are spotted on the streets of Los Angeles by a former Newcastle United player and coach. The first part of the planned trilogy follows Santiago's rise to footballing fame finds him signed up to play at St James' Park. Future movies follow his career to Real Madrid and the World Cup. Transforming himself into a player meant spending four months in Newcastle training with the squad and undertaking a fitness regime in the gym. Along the way, he had to cope with several injuries.

"Physically, it was just exhausting and painful - I broke my ankles and my nose," says Becker. Just as Santiago has to prove himself to the Newcastle manager, the actor had to do a football trial before getting the role. "I had a trainer for a couple of weeks and was training a little bit too much and broke my ankles, had a stress fracture," he says.

"I couldn't walk for three weeks. I had to ice my feet every two hours every single day and take pills for the pain. My nose was broken filming scenes in London. Someone hit me, it was an accident. It's not a big deal. It was just a pain in the butt."

If playing the game was hard, surviving the winter weather in the North-East was even tougher. He's used to smog in Mexico City but the wind, the rain and cold made his time in Newcastle an uncomfortable one. "It was very hard," he says.

"I was shooting in minus I don't know what wearing shorts. I was always wet. It was one of the toughest things I've ever done physically. In the trial scene, I couldn't feel my hands or legs. I don't know how the girls do it, they're in mini-skirts. It's crazy."

He may have been a football novice but when it came to filming a scene with real life soccer legend David Beckham, who plays himself in a guest appearance, it was Becker who was being asked for advice. "He was really relaxed and said to me, 'Do you think it's okay?'," he recalls. "I'm not an acting coach, I told him to just try to enjoy it because we're fortunate to be part of this film."

Becker has nothing but praise for Newcastle and its people. "It's a beautiful city, great people and beautiful stadium," he says. His only regret is that the tight shooting schedule left him little time to explore the city and its nightlife. "I was shooting from early morning to late at night. I was so exhausted," he explains.

He's now preparing to start principal shooting on Goal! 2 which follows Santiago to Real Madrid and soccer superstar status with all the fame and fortune that entails. Instead of the North-East of England, he gets to film in Madrid, Milan and Tokyo.

"It's about how he becomes a famous footballer and how he deals with everything that comes with it," says Becker. "There are many things I can relate to, and other things that are different from me, this is what attracted me to the role and I'm happy to be working."

At first glance, Kuno Becker’s shaven head, thuggish-looking facial expressions and his obvious overall fitness give the impression of a typical rugged football player. 

In real life, however, Becker is better at coaxing music out of a violin rather than launching into two-footed tackles on a football pitch, having played the instrument since he was five and even furthering his violin studies in Austria at one point. 

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old Mexican native decided that acting was in his genes (his grand-aunt María Felix was one of Mexico’s greatest actresses), and he began to study acting instead. He eventually made his name in Mexican TV series operas, and then crossed over to Hollywood, appearing in movies such as 2003’s Imagining Argentina and the Nomad before the role in Goal! came along.

So, what made him take the role of Santiago Munez, the footballing prodigy who travels to England to play for Newcastle United? 

“I’d read the script, and immediately wanted to do the film. Football is something I don’t know how to do well, and gives me a chance to be someone that is not me,” he said. “It was a big challenge for me, but I love challenges. When I auditioned for the role, they liked me and asked me, ‘Do you play football?’’’ 

When we posed that exact same question to him, the answer was a very tentative, ‘yes’.  

“Well, I used to play some football in school, but I was never very good at it,” he laughed. 

That didn’t stop him from turning up at Newcastle for the football auditions though. In fact, so determined was he to get the role that he even broke his ankle while at it. “I had a stress fracture in my ankle as a result of all the training we did. We were training five to six hours a day, and I guess my body was just not used to it.”  

At first, the director of the movie Danny Cannon told him to go home, but Becker had other ideas. “I was about to fly home, but then I thought, ‘I’m already here, I’ve travelled this far, I’ve trained so hard and even broke my ankle. Why give up now?’ 

“So I went back to Danny and challenged him to get the ball from me. He could only do it once out of five tries, and so I got the role!”  

The role turned out to be the toughest physical thing he’d ever done.  

“I’m not a player, so I’ve got to train harder than normal players do. I even broke my nose doing it. It was really tough, but we also really wanted to make the film look real.” 

Nevertheless, Becker stressed that Goal! is not just about realistic-looking football scenes. “It’s a football movie, and not just another football match you can see on the TV,” he said. “It’s important that people like the movie because of the story, and not just because of the football.” 

“We were actually quite worried about the response from the British audiences, because they want to see good football. Thankfully, the response from the focus groups was great. I was even thinking to myself, ‘This is going to be a great film that people are going to watch!’’’ 

Becker is currently in the midst of filming the second film – Goal! 2, in which his character, along with Alessandro Nivola’s Gavin Harris gets transferred to Real Madrid. 

“The films are about how this simple guy from Los Angeles deals with all the fame and all (that comes with being a professional player). Fame as a football player is the same as that of a rock star, I think. An actor doesn’t have 50,000 people watching you and cheering you on. Footballers can get the feedback from the fans right there and then, and I think it’s awesome.” 

Getting in touch with fervent football fans has been an eye-opening experience for Becker.  

“It’s interesting to see how football fans need to be part of a group, and support a certain team. It’s a way for them to let their passions run free, and for them to let out steam,” he said.