The Day I Met Cuban Movie Star, Jorge Perugorría, At His House In Havana

Pictured above: Streets of Havana – photo by me

Labor Day Weekend 2018

On Labor Day Weekend 2018, I was drawn away on my second adventure to Cuba with my cousin Suzie. I’ll never forget the way the sun came in through the windows of our 1956 teal Cadillac. Old car engines from the street around us filled the air with a distinct sound. Salsa dancers flooded the streets and filled the local bars. The same beat ran through my body and lifted my feet up and down on the floorboard of the car.

Pictured above: Streets of Havana – photo by me

Meeting Jorge

Our driver pulled up to a gated house in the outskirts of Havana. I sat in the back seat, trying to commit every detail of this moment to memory. The gates opened and the car pulled inside and parked.

Our guide, Patricia Morgovsky, got out of the front, then Suzie, and then me. I grabbed my backpack with a “Fresa y Chocolate” poster off the floorboard, and we walked to the front door of Jorge’s house.

We walked inside the one and a half story bungalow. Natural light flooded in through the large open windows at the back and we were greeted by an ocean view. A young man came around the corner with a baby on his hip. He mentioned his dad was in the back, but we didn’t get much further when Jorge himself came in through the patio door.

Wide-eyed and smiling, he came right up to me, kissed me on both cheeks, like an old friend, and motioned for us to join him outside on the patio.

As I walked through the big open house, I couldn’t help but look around at all the artwork hanging on the walls. Jorge isn’t just a famous actor. He’s also a really good artist. His home was a true reflection of his personality.

Tequila or Rum?

We walked outside to a large gathering of Jorge’s friends and family. He looked at my cousin and me and asked with a smile “Tequila or Rum?” He handed me a double shot of Don Julio. And there I stood, drinking tequila with the most famous Cuban actors, dancers, and artists.

I pulled a bottle of Templeton Rye whiskey, that I brought from Iowa, out of my bag for Jorge, in exchange for his hospitality. He smiled and spoke in Spanish. Patricia translated, “He said, ‘this is a gift from the enemy,'” referring to the long history between Cuba and the U.S., and we all laughed. Jorge was cool.

Pictured above: Taking photos with Jorge at his house in Havana with my Cousin, Suzie

My First Trip to Cuba – April 2018

Suzie and I took our first trip to Cuba in April 2018. Cuban Adventures tour company guided us through Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad. We met with locals, learned salsa, and took a cooking class in the countryside. We fell in love with Cuban culture. Cubans had grit and so much talent.

When we arrived home, as I often do after a trip, I find ways to incorporate the cultures I’ve visited in my everyday life. Suzie and I enrolled in salsa classes in Des Moines. Then, we started watching the Cuban Netflix series, “Four Seasons in Havana.” The leading actor, Jorge, caught our attention. One day Suzie jokingly mentioned that we should go back to Cuba and get Jorge’s autograph.

The Four Wives

We did a quick search online and found a company called The Four Wives. They specialize in the film industry and helped produce “Fast and the Furious 8” in Havana. Patricia, our contact, and part-owner of The Four Wives had worked as Madonna’s assistant for many years and when Madonna came to Havana for her birthday party, it was Patricia who planned the whole thing. We thought, if there was any way to meet Jorge, The Four Wives could help.

We sent Patricia an inquiry email. She responded that it wouldn’t be a problem to meet him – and we were so excited. But then it got even better. We got another message from Patricia – Jorge invited us to meet him at his house in Havana.

I was in total disbelief.

We were just two girls from a small town. We never expected this. Could he really be that nice and reachable to his fans? Turns out, he was that nice, and I only had a few months to prepare for what felt like the biggest day of my life.

Jorge Perugorría’s Career & Family

It was a Sunday afternoon. We sat in a circle, laughing, drinking, and talking about acting, Cuba, and the U.S. I will never forget that day. The details remain imprinted on my mind. I remember looking out over my left shoulder through his back yard to the view of the ocean.

Suzie and I asked Jorge what it means to be an actor in a communist country. In conversation with him, two things stood out. He gets to provide a nice life for his family. And he gets to travel.

He married his wife, Elsa, in 1985, and they have four children together. According to Jorge, his family has always been his first priority. When it comes to traveling, he has been to Brazil, Spain, and the U.S. (New York, Chicago, and San Francisco) among many other countries where he has filmed movies.

Fresa y Chocolate

Jorge’s role as Diego in the 1993 film, “Fresa y Chocolate”, catapulted him into the spotlight. He gained worldwide recognition for his part in the film. In 1994, “Fresa y Chocolate” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Jorge got to be present on that day. It was the first Cuban film nominated for an Academy Award.

He faced the choice of making an acting career in Hollywood or staying in Cuba when “Fresa y Chocolate” gained him global attention. To Jorge, Cuba had always been home. And that is where he stayed.

He went on to act in and direct many more films including, “Che”, with Benicio del Toro and most recently the Netflix series, “Four Seasons in Havana” – a show that Suzie and I both love.

Autographs from Jorge

We sat in Jorge’s home asking him questions about his life and successes while he graciously answered for an hour and a half. I had picked up a screen-printed poster of “Fresa y Chocolate” the day before in Havana. I pulled it out of my backpack and passed it across the table to him. Suzie gave him photos she’d printed of his movies. He took everything and disappeared inside. When he came back, every single poster and photo had an autograph and a personal message.

Jorge is the epitome of the warm and welcoming nature of the beautiful Cuban spirits I’ve met during my travels there. He is truly a genuine man with amazing talents.

Someday, when I’m old, I’ll pass on my signed poster with the story of how I drank tequila with Jorge at his house in Havana when I was young. I hope my future grandkids will smile, and think grandma was either crazy or awesome or maybe both. Or perhaps, it will plant a small seed in them that will grow into an adventure of a lifetime.

Pictured above: My signed movie poster from Jorge.