Actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo celebrates Season 3 of “The Lincoln Lawyer” at a Los Angeles Center … [+]
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Manuel García-Rulfo is riding a career high, with 2024 marking a stellar year for the Mexican actor – one in which he balanced a hit English-language series, a Spanish-language film, and a potential Hollywood blockbuster scheduled for next year. The first two projects premiered just a month apart on Netflix, in October and November, and both quickly landed on the streamer’s most-watched lists.
His return as Mickey Haller in season 3 of the Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer spent six weeks on the Global Top 10, including time in the #1, #2, and #3 spots. Meanwhile, the film Pedro Páramo, enjoyed a two-week run on the Global Top 10.
“I’m really happy and proud of these two very different projects… one is a little lighter, and the other is much more intense,” García-Rulfo reflects, noting how his work this year kept him on his toes. “With The Lincoln Lawyer, it’s already the third season, so it felt more like a path already traveled. But I still get nervous about doing it and hoping the fans continue to enjoy it.”
On the other hand, Pedro Páramo presented a unique challenge. The film, based on Juan Rulfo’s complex novel about love, betrayal, and the supernatural – set in a desolate Mexican village haunted by the ghosts of its tragic past – carries significant cultural weight.
Manuel García-Rulfo in the tile role of the film “Pedro Páramo.”
Netflix
“When I found out they were making the film, I thought, I have to be part of this, no matter what,” he shares. “But I felt the pressure of meeting the expectations that come with adapting such an iconic and important novel in Mexican literature. However, I think director Rodrigo Prieto did an excellent job.”
The project was also deeply personal for García-Rulfo.
“Juan Rulfo was my father’s great-uncle. He was very close to my grandfather. I grew up hearing stories about Juan, so being part of this project was incredible. At the same time, especially playing the role of Pedro Páramo, I was afraid of disappointing the family,” he admits.
Over the past two decades, García-Rulfo has built a career in both English and Spanish, starring in a wide range of projects, including A Man Called Otto alongside Tom Hanks and Mariana Treviño, with whom he also worked on Manolo Caro’s Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers), as well as a recurring role on Goliath. However, it’s his starring role in The Lincoln Lawyer that has made him recognizable worldwide.
“It’s kind of funny. I was shooting a film in Europe, and people would stop and call out to me, ‘Hey, Mickey Haller!’” he says, almost in disbelief. “It’s kind of cool that people recognize your work.”
Manuel García-Rulfo as Mickey Haller in a season 3 episode of “The Lincoln Lawyer.”
Netflix
In this new installment, García-Rulfo shares the screen with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, and Rupert Friend. He plays the head of a family whose boating expedition is capsized by marauding aquatic dinosaurs. Along with Johansson’s team, his character becomes stranded on a remote island, leading to a high-stakes, suspenseful action story.
“It was an incredible experience,” García-Rulfo says of filming the movie. “We spent about five months traveling all over – Thailand, Malta, and other places. It was spectacular. The cast was amazing, and it’s such a massive film.”
Grateful for the opportunities coming his way, García-Rulfo is thrilled to be part of Jurassic World Rebirth, which has the potential to become another box-office hit.
“I feel very fortunate to keep working on projects I love and collaborating with people I admire. The director has an incredible vision, and with actors like Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, I think audiences are really going to love it.”
As for his hit series, The Lincoln Lawyer, Netflix has yet to officially announce whether there will be another season. However, there’s at least one promising hint that it may be in the works. The Writers Guild of America West website directory, currently lists the showrunners, executive producers, and writing team lined up for a potential season 4, slated for sometime between 2025 and 2026.
