FRESNO, Calif. — Filming for DIENTE DE LEÓN will not begin until September, but the cast has already started introducing the project to communities throughout California.
Casting calls, auditions and promotional photo sessions have brought together actors from Fresno, Selma, Clovis, Madera, Hanford, Soledad, Antioch, San Jose and Bakersfield. Some have worked in film, theater and live performance for years. Many others are preparing for their first on-camera role.
Creator and director Terrell Jackson said casting performers with limited film experience was intentional. Local productions often depend on familiar names, he said, which can leave capable newcomers without a serious opportunity to develop or demonstrate what they can do.
“There are talented people in these communities who may never receive this kind of opportunity from another film project,” Jackson said. “I didn’t want experience to be the only reason someone was considered. I wanted to look at their presence, their commitment and whether they could connect with the character.”
The cast has spent the early stages of the project attending auditions, learning about their characters and participating in individual and group photo sessions. Filming has not started, and no scenes have been released. The current work is focused on preparing the actors and building awareness around the people who will eventually appear in the series.
DIENTE DE LEÓN is being developed as an ongoing Spanish-language vertical drama rather than a traditional television production. There are no seasons or conventional episodes. The story will move from scene to scene, following interconnected families and characters as new conflicts, relationships, and consequences develop.
Each scene will center on a situation drawn from real life, including family disagreements, grief, betrayal, forgiveness, mental health, faith, financial pressure, strained relationships and reconciliation. Jackson said the emotional demands of the material made actor preparation a priority, particularly for cast members entering their first screen role.
To provide that support, Jackson reached out to seasoned actors and acting professionals who are not part of the cast. They were invited to teach, mentor and work with performers in areas where additional direction may be needed. Their role is to help actors study their characters, understand scene relationships and prepare for emotionally difficult material before filming begins.
The workshops are an investment made by the actors themselves. Participation gives cast members access to mentors who can address individual needs instead of offering a general acting course disconnected from the series.
“These actors are choosing to invest in their own development,” Jackson said. “The workshops are built around the characters and the situations they will face in the story. The mentors can help them identify where they need more work, give them direction and prepare them for scenes that may require vulnerability.”
Jackson said the workshops are especially important because an actor can understand the dialogue without fully understanding the emotional history behind it. A scene involving grief, fear or family conflict may require preparation that goes beyond memorizing lines.
“The responsibility doesn’t stop after someone is cast,” he said. “If we’re asking a first-time actor to carry an emotional scene, that actor should have access to someone who can help them prepare for it.”
Awareness of the project has also grown through social media. Cast members have regularly shared professional photographs, character announcements and individual interviews through their personal accounts. Their families, friends and supporters have reposted the material, allowing the project to reach audiences in several California cities before filming has started.
The online promotion has also changed how the actors interact with one another. Performers who initially knew each other through casting announcements began following one another, commenting on interviews and sharing each other’s photographs. Those exchanges have created relationships outside of auditions and character assignments.
“Social media introduced the series to more people, but it also introduced the cast to each other,” Jackson said. “They’ve been watching each other’s interviews, supporting the photographs and learning about the people behind the characters. A bond has started forming outside of acting.”
That support gives each hometown a direct connection to the project. When an actor from Selma shares an interview, the story reaches people in Selma through someone they already know. The same process is taking place in San Jose, Soledad, Antioch, Bakersfield, Madera, Hanford, Clovis and Fresno.
Jackson said the production will continue highlighting actors by name and hometown as filming approaches. The goal is to make their communities aware that local performers are participating in a project reaching beyond one city.
“Every actor comes into this project carrying a community with them,” Jackson said. “They have families, local businesses, organizations and people who have supported them before DIENTE DE LEÓN existed. Their hometown should know what they’re doing.”
Community outreach is expected to expand as the production begins identifying filming locations and building relationships with small businesses, nonprofit organizations, artists, educators and local leaders. Some may contribute locations or services, while others may help introduce the cast and project to audiences in their own cities.
Although the production is based in Fresno, its focus is not limited to Fresno or the Central Valley. DIENTE DE LEÓN is centered on Hispanic families and communities across the country, recognizing that traditions, histories, and identities vary widely between regions and households.
The series does not attempt to present one family as a representation of every Hispanic experience. Its characters are fictional, but the situations they face are intended to reflect emotions and conflicts that audiences may recognize from their own homes and communities.
Until filming begins in September, the work will remain focused on preparation. Actors will continue developing their characters, participating in workshops, sharing interviews and introducing the project to the cities they represent.
The cameras have not started recording, but the cast is no longer a collection of names from separate auditions. Through photographs, interviews, workshops and daily online support, they have already begun learning who they will be working beside when filming starts.
