The star of the musical movie reflects on playing two very different characters in director Bill Condon’s film.

Tonatiuh on his Kiss of the Spider Woman transformation — and trying not to step on Jennifer Lopez’s toes

The star of the musical movie reflects on playing two very different characters in director Bill Condon's film.

By Patrick Gomez

Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! News,' 'CNN,' and 'Nightline,' and can be seen frequently on 'Good Morning America.' Follow the Texas Native at @PatrickGomezLA wherever your media is social for all things 'For All Mankind' 'Top Chef,' and puppy related.

EW's editorial guidelines

and Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at ** with over nine years of experience. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, *Ms. Magazine*, *The Hollywood Reporter*, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

January 4, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Tonatiuh and Jennifer Lopez at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Credit:

George Pimentel/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival

Nothing excites Tonatiuh more than the "ability to transform." So it’s understandable that the actor considers scoring a lead role in director Bill Condon’s adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical *Kiss of the Spider Woman* "the opportunity of a lifetime."

The actor stars in the film — the second big-screen adaptation of Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel — as both Molina, a queer political prisoner who shares a cell with a revolutionary (Diego Luna) in 1980s Argentina, and Kendall, the devoted aide to a glamorous magazine editor (Jennifer Lopez) in an Old Hollywood dreamworld based on Molina’s favorite movie.

Tonatiuh and Diego Luna in 'Kiss Of The Spider Woman'.

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

To enter that alternate reality, "I watched *Funny Girl*, *Singin' in the Rain*, Errol Flynn, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly — just trying to get the tone and style right," says Tonatiuh (pronounced tone-ah-tee-YOU), who is grateful for Lopez's guidance through his first professional musical.

Tonatiuh in 'Kiss Of The Spider Woman'.

Roadside Attractions

"I was praying I wouldn't step on her feet," he says with a laugh. "She just kept whispering, 'You're gonna be okay.'"

But — while Kendall has the fancy hair, costumes, songs, and choreography — Molina proved the more significant transformation for the actor, who went from 190 to 145 pounds for the prison scenes.

Jennifer Lopez is perfect 'contemporary diva' for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' says director Bill Condon

'Kiss of the Spider Woman' director Bill Condon breaks down the film's classic movie references

"There was something in that weight loss where I found the physicality, the vulnerability," he says. "If I can't protect myself physically, then I have to be cunning. My tongue and my brain have to be my whip to protect me from danger."

And Molina makes use of that whip.

Tonatiuh and Diego Luna in 'Kiss Of The Spider Woman'.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

"It is monologue after monologue after monologue," says Tonatiuh, who filmed all the prison cell scenes (a massive portion of the film) in just two and a half weeks. "That was a different type of stamina, to stay in that emotional truth."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

So what did the actor learn from all those monologues? "Centering joy, beauty, and art — even within confinement — is an act of resistance."

*Kiss of the Spider Woman* is available to rent or buy on digital platforms.

*A version of this story appears in a special Awardist 2026 Kickoff print edition.*

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Musical Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Musical”