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Diego Calva’s mom didn’t stop crying at ‘Babylon’ screening

Calva earned his first Golden Globe nomination this year.


Senior Writer
JANUARY 5, 2023 12:51 PM EST

Diego Calva made a big splash in Hollywood, not only making his first movie in English but also earning a his first Golden Globe nomination. The Mexican actor was a guest at “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where he talked about learning to speak English for “Babylon” and taking his mom to a screening where she didn’t stop crying.

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Calva at Jimmy Kimmel

Calva spoke about talking his mom to the premiere and how she reacted to when she saw her son involved in one of the year’s biggest movies. “How did that go?” asked Kimmel. Calva paused, looked at the audience, and shrugged, making everyone laugh. “Babylon is a very wild movie,” he said. “I think for my mother it was a great experience, but for the people around us it was a little annoying because she was crying of happiness for the three hours of the movie.”

Kimmel mentioned that the film has an orgy scene that lasts about 20 minutes. “During the orgy, did she cry of happiness?” asked Kimmel. “She’s an artist,” said Calva.

Calva also talked about learning English with tutors for the first time, explaining that his previous knowledge of the language was acquired by watching movies with subtitles, listening to music, and playing video games. “What video games did you play?” asked Kimmel. “Pokemon. Pokemon, all day,” said Calva. “It’s hard to translate Pikachu. You have to know him to understand him.”

“Babylon” was written and directed by Damian Chazelle and is set in 1920s Hollywood, following a group of actors and filmmakers as they adapt to the industry’s rocky transition from silent films to talkies. The film is screening in theaters and stars Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Jean Smart, and more.