ET put the actor to the test in a pageant-style round of questioning while promoting his new action film, 'Miss Bala,' out Feb.1.
Say hello to Ismael Cruz Córdova, the new heartthrob that is taking over screens one project at a time.
The 31-year-old actor hails from Puerto Rico, where he began his acting career before moving to New York to attend NYU and try his hand at making it in Hollywood. With a slew of credits to his name -- from roles in The Good Wife, Ray Donovan, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, The Catch and many more -- Córdova is now making bad look good in Miss Bala.
The actor co-stars alongside Gina Rodriguez as Lino, the leader of a drug cartel which Rodriguez's Gloria is forced to work with following the kidnapping of her friend. If you aren't familiar with the green-eyed stud, ET's Courtney Tezeno sat down with Córdova during the film's junket, where he answered a pageant-style round of questions including what he thinks is his best feature, his favorite childhood memory and more.
"I think my best feature I would say, the eyes my great grandma gave me," he shared, jokingly adding, "Because I always say, those pay the rent!"
As for what his favorite childhood memory from growing in Puerto Rico, Córdova appreciated the small things in life.
"One of the most beautiful childhood memories that I've always had was when I was like 3 years old," he recalled. "We lived in a house that didn't have bathrooms. So we had to shower outside and we used the garden hose from my neighbor. At that [time], I didn't have any cares in the world. I just knew that I loved shower time. I always think about that because it was an aluminum tin and it's in the mountains. It's beautiful. It’s now what people pay to do now like the glamping!"
"I always remember that I could not wait to go and shower in that thing," he said with a laugh. "Then I realized that wasn't the most ideal."
Find out more about the actor in the video above.
Córdova -- who also starred in Mary Queen of Scots -- also chatted with ET about how he strives to diversify his resume and how he bonded with Rodriguez over breaking Latinx barriers in Hollywood.
"They're not accidental. I'm very, very vocal with my team about what I want to do and where I want to go," he explained. "My identity has been shaped. It shapes my life and vice versa. I can't escape it and I know that I can't. I do feel responsible. I really take that."
Miss Bala arrives in theaters Feb. 1. See more of Córdova's ET interview, below.
Get more Latinx news on ET MÁS, ETonline's new section featuring the latest celeb, film, TV, music and style news.
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