The world is finally getting a look at Bad Bunny‘s first on-screen kiss. And, though brief, it’s made an impact.
The 29-year-old “Ojitos Lindos” reggaeton rapper portrays Felipe, a lucha libre fan who is getting close to Gael García Bernal‘s titular character, Cassandro. In the scene, the duo appears to be in a bar’s office alone when Bernal’s character goes in for the kiss.
Felipe, at first, seems into it, even placing his right hand on Bernal’s hip. But just seconds later, Felipe uses that same arm to push Cassandro away from him.
“I really can’t do this,” Felipe says in Spanish, to which Cassandro responds with, “It’s OK. Don’t freak out. It’s OK.”
After Felipe apologizes, Cassandro tells him, “See you around, stud.”
Bernal plays the titular pro wrestler, a real-life legend who became a well-known luchador as an openly gay “exotico.”
Cassandro, an Amazon original film, tells the story of Saúl Armendáriz, who was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Chihuahua, with a love of lucha libre. After making his lucha debut to limited success, Armendáriz meets a new trainer, Sabrina (A League of Their Own’s Roberta Colindrez), who suggests he try competing as an “exotico,” a type of luchador who dresses in drag and portrays gay caricatures.
Armendáriz makes a name for himself as Cassandro — named after Cassandra, a beloved brothel owner in Tijuana — though he faces plenty of pushback along the way, both for his flamboyant character in the ring and for being openly gay in real life.
The film — which jumps from English and Spanish to Spanglish — also stars Raúl Castillo, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and El Hijo del Santo.
Back in March, Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — told Time for its April double issue that kissing Bernal in the biopic was “badass.”
“It was cabrón (badass). My first kiss for a movie and it was with a man,” the Puerto Rican rapper said. “That’s the penalty I get for being with so many women during my life.”
Bad Bunny also explained why he said yes when producers asked him about kissing a man in the film.
“If you’re acting, you’re being someone you’re not,” he said. “That’s the fun part. So when they asked me for that I said, ‘Yes, I’m here for whatever you want.’ I think it was very cool. I didn’t feel uncomfortable. It’s part of acting. It’s part of what I’m doing.”
Cassandro is now in select theaters and available Sept. 22 on Prime Video.
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