Actor Jaime Camil Partners With Modelo For 'Cinco Auténtico' Campaign To Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Mexican actor Jaime Camil and Modelo have partnered to bring back the popular beer brand's "Cinco Auténtico" campaign to spotlight and celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Camil hopes to help fans celebrate authentically and gain a better understanding of the often-misunderstood holiday.

"This is the second year Modelo is doing this which is to bring authenticity to a holiday that is largely misunderstood by 60% or more of Americans. They don’t really know what’s behind it. We’re not trying to educate people, we’re not trying to sell history lessons honestly," Camil exclusively told The Blast.

"We’re just trying to bring a little bit more authenticity to what the holiday really means to me as a Mexican and for Modelo, as a Mexican beer. I believe Modelo is the number one imported beer is the U.S. and number two overall, so it’s great that such a powerful entity from Mexico will do this effort to bring some authenticity to the holiday.”

Camil explained that some people think Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day and he wants everyone to understand that is not correct.

“It’s not Mexican Independence Day," he said. "Imagine going to St. Patrick’s Day or 4th of July and not having an idea of why you’re there. It’s crazy. We should have at least this basic cultural knowledge of what’s behind certain things we do.”

The campaign focuses on a festival in Los Angeles, as well as an online marketplace, now through May 2, that's filled with authentic Mexican products made by Mexican and Mexican American artisans.

"You'll be able to visit Modelo's Instagram page and you'll be able to buy from local vendors all around the U.S. but especially benefitting Mexican artisans," Camil said.

On May 7, Camil will be participating in "Museum of Cinco" at the Placita Olvera Cinco de Mayo Festival in Los Angeles. The event will be educational and engaging and will highlight the history of Cinco de Mayo.

"I'm going to be the curator of 'Museum of Cinco,' not that I know much about art, but we're just gonna roll with that. We'll be showcasing the beautiful work of Mexican artisans," he told The Blast.

"Cinco de Mayo is an important but often misunderstood holiday, so Modelo and I are helping fans celebrate authentically and gain a better understanding of the day's roots. Los Angeles has ties to the beginning of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, so we're elevating the city's rich cultural history at the 'Museum of Cinco' and honoring artisans who beautifully showcase the vibrancy of Mexican heritage through their craft."

Camil got his start in the entertainment business when he was living in Mexico with his parents. With his mom being artistic, he knew he would likely follow in her footsteps.

"My father was a businessman and he wanted me to pursue business," he said. "My mom was a songwriter and singer in Brazil, so of course, when you get your artistic veins through the umbilical cord, it's really hard not to have it in your system. So, I started in Mexico 27, 30 years ago."

The actor started out in radio and later transitioned to doing television shows. He then did a telenovela, movies and musical theater.

Some of his well-known roles have included parts on "Jane the Virgin," "Schmigadoon, and voice overs in "Coco," "The Secret Life of Pets," "Duck Tales" and many others. Camil said he chooses his roles based on the script.

"I'm a junkie for scripts. I love reading scripts," he exclusively told The Blast. "If the script is solid and good and the character, whether it has five lines or 100 pages, I don't care. If the character is consequential to the story and if I like the story overall, I'm in."

It was the script that drew him to his role on "Jane the Virgin." At the same time that he was offered that role, he was also offered a role on a major network but ultimately chose the script he liked best.

"I was very, very lucky and privileged to have three direct offers. Two of them, out of the three scripts, the more creative one and more storytelling one was 'Jane the Virgin' by far," he said. "The other offer was for an ABC show, like a major, major network, and the script wasn't that good to be honest. Of course, my managers were like, no, you should go to ABC, a bigger network, but the project was not that good. 'Jane the Virgin' is so good."

Currently, Camil is keeping busy with "Schmigadoon" and a few upcoming projects. His movie "Snag" with Paramount premiers in digital platforms on April 28, and he just signed a documentary deal as executive producer and narrator with Roku. Plus, he will be a special guest in season three of the Apple TV+ show, "Acapulco."

The Cinco de Mayo event takes place on historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles on May 7 from 12 to 6 p.m. PDT. Visit the website for more information.

Fans outside of the Los Angeles area can celebrate the holiday authentically by visiting Modelo's Instagram page to purchase handcrafted goods from Mexican American small businesses through May 7.