Sebastián Capitán Viveros, who plays Lazaro in 50 Cent's crime drama Fightland, has opened up about his "crazy" filming experiences, including throwing a live person out of a window and blowing up a van.
Stunts and Training
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Viveros detailed the physical demands of the role. "One crazy bit, I got to throw a live human being out of a window. We had a lot of knife training with an awesome stuntman, that was great. I was on top of Tottenham Stadium with a sniper, that was crazy. I got to throw a fake dead corpse into the River Thames, that was insane. I got to blow up a van...crazy stuff," he shared.
The one thing missing from his filming experience was the opportunity to meet 50 Cent himself, as on the one day he came on set, Viveros was not there. "I never got to meet 50 Cent, but I would love to," he shared. "We all grew up with his music, but hopefully in the future at some point."
Character and Background
His character is a Mexican man who trained up as a military professional in the US, and he is sent by one of the cartel leaders in Mexico to help Duke achieve his main objective. Sebastián is used to playing the tough guy, and his grandfather was an admiral in the Mexican Navy, meaning military-type roles are in his blood.
But Lazaro has more going for him, as he explained: "With Lazaro, he is more grounded. He's not a criminal hothead, he's an educated, worldly man who is not just a criminal. He's a human, you know." He described the series as action-packed, promising: "It has those masterful tools of storytelling, getting you off your seat. It has a lot of romance with crime, it's very gritty, but it's also very real, the acting is very authentic."
Birthday Surprise
The star, born in Mexico City, was initially worried about his first impression after landing the role on his birthday. About to head off to the Lake District, he got a call from his agent saying he landed the role, and had to change his plans at the drop of a hat. During his first meeting with the show's producers, his phone started ringing constantly, and it was an Amazon driver delivering an "expensive coffee machine" he had gifted himself.
"It was still an interview in a sense, so I didn't want to pick up the phone and be a diva," he shared. "I told them, 'Guys, I'm so sorry, it's my birthday today and I forgot I gifted myself this really expensive coffee machine'. They started laughing like crazy, I thought, 'Great, I've made a fool of myself'. But they were like, 'No, the character in the show, he's always making coffee, he loves coffee'. They were like, 'You're the guy'."
After moving to the US as a child, Viveros began performing in theatre at age 10. "Theatre was my outlet," he said. "It gave my spirit a voice and theatre became my home." He went on to star in Cobra, Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue and Emigration XD. Fightland is available to stream on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
