Michael Pena, known for his roles in Narcos Mexico, 12 Strong, and the Ant-Man films, has now taken on the iconic Tom Clancy character Ding Chavez in Jac Ryan season 4.
The final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from June 29. The show, which stars John Krasinski as the titular CIA analyst, marked the entry of another iconic character from the Ryanverse. The fourth season saw the introduction of Domingo ‘Ding’ Chavez, a popular character from Clancy’s works, with Michael Pena playing him. In an exclusive conversation with DNA, the actor spoke about taking on the role, the challenges of doing serious roles, and if there are any updates on the planned spinoff starring him.
This is a character that people have read about, even seen on screen once before, so fans are aware of him, they know him. How do you take this character and make it your own bringing in something fresh, while keeping it relatable and connected to the larger universe?
It’s difficult because what people know are different iterations. If you read the books, the character changes from time to time. I was a little bit confused as such. One story says you are a total CIA operative but in the other one, you are almost a Navy Seal on a mission. It’s completely different. But when I was filming it, I studied the scripts and I decided I will only do what is in the script and if there is anything I don’t understand, I will do my research. But the script kind of allowed me to do all that and really know what I’m talking about. When it comes to Jack Ryan, it all comes down to the story.
This isn’t the first time you are playing a soldier or someone from law enforcement. You have done that in 12 Strong and Narcos Mexico to name a few. But then you have also done Luis from Ant-Man, a comic relief. Which of these facets do you find more challenging to pull off?
To be honest, they are both the same. Because at the end of the day, there is a story and there is something that a story needs and wants. What you are trying to do as a performer is ‘how can I tell the story to be the best of my abilities’. And you have these dreams and hopes like a little kid where you wonder if you can try this or that. I always feel the pressure. In Ant-man, you have the pressure of making people laugh, and here, you have the pressure of making people feel the tension and to try to look the part of a badass.
We know that season 4 of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is end of the story for Ryan but it may not be the end of the story for Ding Chavez. We know that a spinoff is planned. Without revealing much, what can you tell us about it and are we allowed to say ‘Rainbow Six’?
Here’s the thing that I do know: I don’t know anything that’s going on. I am being totally honest. I really don’t. I guess, it depends on the fans and what they want to see and if they like the character. If they reach out and are asking for something. But I loved playing this character. It’s a little bit different because he is a quiet, subtle character, and in a weird way that was out of my comfort zone, being that stiff and simple. But we’ll see what the fans want.
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 "Michael Pena in season 4 of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan")
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