Before He Was the ‘Lincoln Lawyer,’ Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Studied His Grandfather’s Home Movies

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, 42, is a Mexico-born actor who has appeared in “A Man Called Otto,” “The Magnificent Seven” and TV’s “Goliath.” He plays the lead role in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” now in season 2. He spoke with Marc Myers before the actors strike. 

My grandfather’s home movies were like Hollywood productions. Instead of shooting 16mm footage of his kids at the table or playing outside, he created stories and scripts and used a professional editing deck.

There was no shortage of cast. He had a huge family—eight girls and my father. Decades later, when I was growing up, he’d screen the short films for me and his 31 other grandkids. They were wonderful action dramas, usually about cowboys or robberies. 

My grandfather was also inspired by his collection of great films. He screened Charlie Chaplain silent movies and classic Westerns for us. His home movies and passion for the cinema had a huge impact on me when I was young.

My family lived on my grandfather’s ranch near Guadalajara, Mexico. I’m the middle child. My sister, Gabriela, is older and my other sister, Alejandra, is younger.

We had some cattle and horses, and our large extended family virtually lived on top of each other in his 10-room house. All the boys slept in one room and the girls in another.

My father, Manuel, was named after my grandfather and I was named after my father. My father, grandfather and my father’s brother were all local dentists.

Like my father, my mother, Gabriela, had studied dentistry, but she became a homemaker. She also studied psychology, which she used locally to help people with mental-health issues.

My dad liked to perform. Each year, he gathered his sisters and had friends over and they’d all act in traditional pastorelas—Christmas stories presented during the holiday season. The purpose was to help our town. People from Guadalajara were invited to attend and the proceeds from ticket sales went to buy food and clothes for those who couldn’t afford them.

In school, I wasn’t a very good student, largely because I had dyslexia. I couldn’t focus on the schoolwork. Teachers put me on the spot in front of the class and I dreaded getting called on. I began to daydream to create a safe alternate reality, which stimulated my imagination. Later, I learned that the ability to visualize yourself as someone else is at the heart of acting.

Living on a ranch helped. I could imagine myself as a cowboy or I could build a treehouse or be whatever I dreamed up. The more I thought about stepping into another world, the faster my imagination grew.

When I was 12, my mother left me with a family in Newport, Vt., near the Canadian border. They were participants in a student-exchange program. My parents had purposefully chosen a remote town in a small state where there wouldn’t be any Spanish-speaking kids. The goal was to put me in a situation where I had to learn English.

The family was warm and loving, and their son, Mark, treated me like a brother. We’re still in touch today. In addition to becoming fluent in English, I learned to ski, since we lived near a resort.

Back in Mexico, I knew I wanted to be an actor. At 16, I was in my first high-school play. After I delivered my first line, the audience laughed. That’s when I realized the theater is where I belonged.

The more serious about acting I became, the more my family asked me to be realistic. My uncle urged me to study dentistry, since the practice was already in place. My parents said, “Manuel, we don’t know anybody in this industry. How are we going to help you?”   

I wouldn’t be discouraged. I was too shy for the stage, so becoming a director was my first choice while still in school. I worked as an assistant for a Mexican production company that made commercials.

After high school, I gravitated to acting and attended the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles for a year. I knew I had to overcome my shyness. What forced me out of my shell was not having a Plan B. I had no choice but to succeed.

I needed more training and took acting classes for an additional three years in L.A. and Mexico City. I started my acting career as the lead character in a Mexican film in 2006. Then, in 2016, I was in the “Magnificent Seven.” Doors started opening for me. 

Today, I have an apartment in L.A. where I’ve lived for the past eight years while shooting “Lincoln Lawyer.” The house is near the studio and my gym, so I can get 50 additional minutes of sleep.

My extended family still lives on my grandfather’s property, but the land has been subdivided to give everyone a house. I visit whenever I’m not working and tend my lime orchard.

I wish my grandfather had lived to see me in “The Magnificent Seven.” Me, in a real Western—and one of the good guys!

Manuel’s Root

Downtime? If I’m in L.A., I’m either reading or taking photographs with my new Hasselblad camera.

Mom and Dad? They live at my grandfather’s ranch. They’re very proud of me.

Cousins? When I’m there, they want me to help with the cows. I like that.

Vehicle? I drive my grandfather’s old Ford F-150 pickup. I recently fixed it up.

Grandfather? I have his film-editing deck. It still smells like him.