Quotes from Michael Pena

There's an immigration problem in every country that has money, in that people there have a problem with immigration.

When I watch movies with my kid like 'Shrek,' I'm like, 'Wow, this is pretty funny.' That's why I wanted to start doing movies like that - so my kid would laugh at my jokes.

I grew up reading the newspapers, mostly the sports section. I was a wrestler and would check to see if I was ranked.

I was a quiet kid - I didn't think I needed to be the funniest guy. I was always more of a listener. I went to 12 different schools, and I wasn't the charismatic dude, but I was captain of the track team and wrestling team.

When I started wrestling, I sucked. I hated losing, so I started doing pushups and more squats, and then I did summer wrestling and learned different styles.

I used to tour with this band. I was a drummer. I would tour a bunch for about 10 months out of the year and act for about two months. I would make what I needed from acting and would stretch it out.

When I was a kid, I lived in a poor part of Chicago, and I remember my brother and me using towels as capes. My son does it, too.

'Tower Heist?' That is a movie that it's hard not to name-drop, but, it's a crew of five, and it's Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, me, Matthew Broderick, and Casey Affleck. And we're like, on a heist.

I don't know if I'm necessarily a role model, but hopefully I can inspire any artist - Latin or otherwise - to do this thing for a living.

You have to make your choices however you see fit and just keep your integrity as best you can.

I loved WWF as a kid.

I was on 'The Shield' for a year before 'Crash' came out, and it was like doing an independent film every week.

A good comic explores the imagination, but it's always got to have those notes of truth running through it.

I love documentaries and I watch documentaries to no end.

I usually joke around, especially on set.

Kicks to the legs, they're not very cool. They're brutal.

I took a year and a half off, when my kid was born, because I didn't want to be one of those dads where the kid doesn't know who his dad is.

My brother and my father both got laid off around the same that I was starting to do this movie 'Chavez.' And at the same time, it was when all the bailouts were happening.

I'm an American, and I live pretty well. But go down to Mexico, and a lot of people really don't. So what, we're going to blame them for trying to get out?

My first ten years in Hollywood were really tough. I'd be coaching friends who came to me for acting advice, and then they'd make it before I did. I'd still be helping them while they were on movie sets and I had four lines on a TV show.

It was an event whenever 'CHiPs' would come on in my house. There wasn't a lot of Latin people being hired to star in TV shows or movies back in the day. Not only was it a fun show, there was a Latino starring in it - so we thought it was extra cool.

I guess people recognize me, but I'm not a household name. Two out of every five people who come up to me know my name. The one thing I don't want is to be followed by paparazzi.

The reality that everyone is stereotyped - every one gets typecast, so you have to work to get out of that.

'War on Everyone, ' I think... the script was hilarious to me, but it's very dark, dark humor. It's super dark.