José Tenoch Huerta Mejía (born 29 January 1981) is a Mexican actor. He has appeared in a number of movies in Latin America and Spain, starring in both feature films, short films, and Narcos: Mexico, credited as Tenoch Huerta. He is featured in Mónica Maristain's book, 30 Actors Made in Mexico. He plays Namor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), in which he is credited as Tenoch Huerta Mejía.

Early life

Huerta was born in Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico, on 29 January 1981. His father, a film buff, enrolled him in an acting course with María Elena Saldaña, and Huerta's later studies were alongside Carlos Torres Torrija and Luis Felipe Tovar. Huerta is of Indigenous descent, with a Nahua maternal great-grandmother and a Purépecha paternal great-great-grandmother. He does not self-identify as Indigenous; however, he encourages people to learn more about their Indigenous heritage within and outside the community.

Career

Huerta made his acting career debut as a minor character in the film Asi del precipicio (2006). In 2009, he appeared in Cary Joji Fukunaga's film Sin nombre in the role of Li'l Mago, leader of the Tapachula faction of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang. In 2015, he appeared as Carlos Mamani in the biographical disaster survival film The 33, Alejo in Camino. In 2018, he began portraying Rafael Caro Quintero in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico. In 2021, he appeared as Juan in The Forever Purge, the fifth film of The Purge franchise, alongside his fellow Narcos: Mexico costar Alejandro Edda. In 2022, during a San Diego Comic-Con presentation for the Marvel Studios film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Huerta was revealed to have joined the cast to portray Namor. In Mexico, most reactions were positive, with a minority of negative reactions characterized as expressions of racism and malinchismo. Huerta himself spoke against racism in the film industry and stated that he was excited to play the character. In 2023, Tenoch Huerta was cast as Juan Preciado in the film adaptation of Pedro Páramo, directed by Rodrigo Prieto. Based on Juan Rulfo's novel, the film premiered worldwide at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2024.

Activism

Tenoch Huerta, recognized for his distinguished acting career, also holds an acclaimed role as an anti-racism activist, spurred by his personal encounters with racial prejudice and systemic discrimination. Huerta formerly collaborated with Poder Prieto, a Mexican collective striving to alter societal perceptions of Brown individuals. His contributions were largely focused on advocating for the accurate and favorable representation of Brown people in various mediums. Furthermore, the collective aimed to redefine the term "Prieto," traditionally a racial slur, by infusing it with a positive context. Huerta has persistently emphasized the significance of diverse and accurate representation of people of color in film and television, asserting that varied storytelling contributes to authentic cultural narratives. In 2022, Huerta expanded his activism reach by authoring the book Orgullo Prieto (Black Pride). The book delves into the racist constructs in Mexico and integrates personal narratives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The same year, Huerta addressed UNESCO's Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, amplifying his insights on activism and media representation on a global platform. His engagement with UNESCO extended to 2023, where he connected with over 2000 students, underscoring the imperative of recognizing privilege, challenging prevailing systems, and the potential of collective action to effect change. Huerta was also a participant in a dialogue convened by the United Nations' Antiracism Working Group, a discussion held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His involvement epitomizes his commitment to confronting racism, an issue now addressed with increased urgency by institutions like the United Nations, largely due to the global resonance of movements like Black Lives Matter.

Controversy on social networks

In June 2023, Huerta was accused of abuse by musician and activist Maria Elena Ríos. Ríos accused him of being a sexual predator and that the Mexico-based activist organization Poder Prieto was deliberately protecting him. Huerta has denied the allegations and cited them as the reason for leaving an upcoming Netflix project. In 2024, almost a year after the accusations, no judicial complaints have been made. In August 2024, the actor publicly addressed the allegations against him. Huerta expressed his pain and dismay over the claims, emphasizing that they had significantly impacted his mental health while maintaining his innocence. Following the allegations against him, the actor has received threats of extortion that he has legally reported.

Awards

Huerta won Best Actor at the Short Short Film Festival in Mexico City for his performance in Alonso Ruizpalacios' Café paraíso. He has also received five nominations for the Ariel Award, winning Best Actor for his role in Días de Gracia in 2012. Huerta won NAACP Image Awards 2023 supporting role in a motion picture, for his role Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Filmography

Film

Television