Freddie Prinze Jr. Says Latino Roles Haven’t Come Easy to Him: “I’ve Always [Been] Met With a Ton of Resistance”

Freddie Prinze Jr. has opened up about his experience as a Latino actor in Hollywood and the common challenges he faces.

While doing press for his new Netflix flick Christmas With You, the actor told Yahoo!, “I’ve received nothing but love from Latino taxi drivers to business owners talking about being inspired by seeing a Latino who’s not running from the cops or dealing drugs.”

However, he added that these roles haven’t come easy to him (and weren’t in good faith). Prinze Jr. continued, “Within the industry, I’ve always [been] met with a ton of resistance by directors wanting to check my Latino heritage.”

The actor, who famously starred in the 1990 hits I Know What You Did Last Summer and She’s All That, shared that his new Christmas movie – which centers around a Latino family – is the first time he’s been hired to play a Latino character, despite being in the industry for nearly three decades.

“Every Latino you’ve seen me play was always an after-the-fact thing. The role would be named ‘Mike Smith’ and they’d say, ‘Oh, we hired Freddie, so we can show people how diverse we are.’ And all of a sudden his name is ‘Miguel Ramirez.’ And that doesn’t count man! That does not count,” Prinze Jr. said.

In Christmas With You, the actor plays Miguel, a single father who strikes a magical connection with a major pop star, Angelina, aka: his daughter’s object of affection. The synopsis reads, “Feeling career burn out, pop star Angelina escapes to grant a young fan’s wish in small town New York, where she not only finds the inspiration to revitalize her career but also a shot at true love.”

Christmas With You is currently streaming on Netflix.