For the majority of my measly 18 years on this dying planet, I have spent my time searching for one of the most important things in life: attractive people. When others are worrying about the Earth warming rapidly and the increase in murders around the country, I am searching for the next man or woman to peg as the person who deserves my attention for a moment or two. This, of course, ranges from celebrities, to classmates, co-workers and strangers on the streets. I have an eye for the pretty, and I put it to good use at all times. Why rest on the horrible when you can enjoy the sights of a pretty man? A pretty woman? Exactly.
Yet, in all my years of searching, I believe I have hit an apex. There will one day be a moment where you look at someone and you believe that the world has finally gotten something right, that it has created the peak of perfection in human beings, and, well, I had that moment over a month ago. If you’re anything like me, or, you know, a living, breathing person that is conscious, you’ve been on the edge of your seat waiting for the newest installment of the “Star Wars” franchise. I had to wait two weeks before I finally saw it, and when I did, sitting in that darkened theater with my BB-8 shaped 3D glasses, I found what my life has been waiting for: Oscar Isaac.
One of the first human characters we meet, a handsome face shadowed by a warm light with his dark hair and dreamy eyes, he seems to look right into your soul. And my God, I have not been the same since. As any normal human does, a week or so later, I took to IMDb to see what other films he has starred in, to see if there was anything worth my time. In the span of two minutes, I was horrified to learn that this man has been acting for years in movies that starred Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, and yet, I hadn’t heard about him till now. So, as any normal human does, I sat down to watch the entirety of his filmography, in hopes to not be disappointed.
And I wasn’t.
The fact that Oscar Isaac hasn’t been a household name till now is a travesty, and I hope to fix that by showing others that this beauty of a man is worth far more than his "Star Wars" run as Poe Dameron—obviously one of the greatest characters to grace the screen in 2015. In fact, Isaac, besides “Star Wars,” starred in two other movies in 2015 that he got zero to little recognition in: “Mojave” and “Ex Machina.” “Ex Machina,” one of the most intriguing and original stories of the year was snubbed so wholly by critics, especially Oscar, who deserved an award of his namesake just for that performance alone.
Born in Guatemala, Oscar Isaac Hernandez Estrada’s family came to the United States where they settled in Florida. Growing up in Miami, Oscar Isaac rejected his family’s strict Christian lifestyle, got kicked out of private school, was saved from a “Footloose”-esque school by a very fortunately timed hurricane and put together multiple bands. On a whim, Isaac applied to Juilliard during a trip to New York City, putting in the application late, and because this boy has the charisma of a Sim who has mastered the Charisma Skill, he was accepted, becoming part of Juilliard’s Drama Division’s Group 34 (2001-2005).
His first major role was in “The Nativity Story” (2006), but the one that began to give him the most recognition was his portrayal of a struggling folk singer in “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013). His stint as cranky, accidental-cat-stealer Llewyn achieved him a Golden Globe Nomination that was kept from him till his award-winning role in the HBO Mini-Series “Show Me a Hero” (2015). Before then, he played in a multitude of roles, many of which he’s sang in, or at least for the soundtrack. Every time, he starred along actors with large names: Channing Tatum in the adorable “10 years” (2011), Ryan Gosling in the interesting-but-severely-boring-because-Ryan-Gosling-just-looks-awkward-the-entire-time “Drive” (2011), Russell Crowe in “Robin Hood” (2010) and Viggo Mortensen in the severely underrated “The Two Faces of January” (2014) where Oscar deserves five stars just for his hair and the fact he speaks multiple languages. And when he’s not playing behind big name actors, he’s blowing lead roles out of the water with his captivating voice and face and all-together talent of creating a variety of differing personalities. In “Mojave,” he plays a psychopathic killer stalking a celebrity from the dessert, where he’s constantly saying the word “brother” after everything, and yet instead of killing a harmless dog, he sets it on the side of the road with money so someone will pick it up. He’s much more entertaining than the main character who spends the entire movie grumbling about everything and looking like he has never made any expression other than bored. In “A Most Violent Year” (2014), he plays an entrepreneur trying to stay the better man in one of the most dangerous years in New York City, a role that leaves you rooting for him till the very end. And in “Ex Machina,” he plays the crazy, hermit-like genius, Nathan, who has managed to build a realistic AI that maybe, or maybe doesn’t, turn on him.
With the ability to mold into so many roles, while also being able to whip out fantastic music skills and voice that leaves even the strongest man trembling, who wouldn’t love him? I’ve spent 18 years searching for the perfect man, and I have found him in the 36-year-old actor who can grow a beard and wear it far better than any other person I have met.
If you’re searching for a new movie to peruse, some folk music to enjoy while studying or writing or just going about your day, or just a new man to have some eye candy in your life worth actually looking at: please, look no further. Why would you want to waste your time with vanilla, basic white boys like Ryan Gosling, or the boys in One Direction, or god forbid, 5 Seconds of Summer, when you can enjoy the out-of-this-Galaxy elegance of a Guatemalan-born actor who has more talent and allure in one gray hair than the others do in their whole bodies.
But, what’s even better, is as a Latino actor, he refuses, and has stated multiple times in a variety of interviews, to take on the roles that stereotypes Latinos in any way. He instead chooses interesting characters that have far more going for them than just their backgrounds, and most importantly, don’t play along into the stereotypes carved into Hollywood culture. Because of this, not only is he starting a brand new movement in the way some writers look at characters, every movie he hand-picks has an authentic-ness to it that leaves you wanting more. It gives him a filmography with feature-after-feature of talent and satisfaction, because the roles are all unique and well created. This leads watchers to experience great movies at every corner—not just movies that belong in $5 bins for a reason; something many actors begin with. Hours of limitless entertainment. Hours of limitless handsome Guatemalan American goodness.
Oscar Isaac deserves recognition not only for his talent, but as I’ve stressed so many times, in so many ways, because of his looks. It’s shallow, but not every man can pull off the dad-look and still get a flocking of people, girls and boys alike, following his every step with tongues on the ground. And yet, it’s hard to enjoy this man without hearing about such a great line of work behind him, and ahead of him, which adds layers of attraction to him. With his name and face surfacing with a link to the ever popular "Star Wars," we will not be seeing the end of those perfect cheek bones and raving curls, and I, for one, am very happy with that.
