BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A Valley native is representing Buckeye on the big screen, collaborating on the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos movie, which depicts the life of a Mexican American man who was allegedly the brains behind the widely popular spicy snack.
“I was co-creator of 'Flamin’ Hot' mural and also helped with some negotiations on the film,” said David Damian Figueroa. “I’m really proud of how that went.”
Figueroa grew up in Buckeye. While he now lives in California, he considers Arizona home, visiting family in the state often.
After his parents divorced as a young boy, his mother moved them to Yuma, where much of his life was involved in agriculture—working seasonal jobs as a farm worker in southern Arizona.
It was that upbringing that he said helped pave the way for the work he now does as an activist, storyteller, filmmaker, and producer, helping shape Latino representation in film, TV, and other forms of art.
Figueroa also fights for farm workers' rights. It was through that work that he met Eva Longoria, who he said took him on board to take part in "Flamin’ Hot".
“This has been a long time coming, a lot of hard work has gone into it,” the Buckeye native said about the movie.
The film highlights the life of Richard Montañez, a Mexican American California man who went from janitor to executive at Frito-Lay after allegedly coming up with the idea to add chili to chips.
While the company disputes Montañez claims, it credits him with playing a “key role in accelerating” the Flamin’ Hot brand, according to its website.
The movie was released on June 9 and in three days, became the most-watched streaming premiere ever from Searchlight Pictures, the company tweeted.
“This is one of the first times in history, where you’ll see a cast of Latinos in front of the camera, and behind the camera, including myself,” Figueroa said.
His latest book, "El OZ", a Latino adaptation of the book, "The Wizard of OZ", he said is now in negotiations to become a live-action picture.
“Our stories have value,” Figueroa said. “They’re important and they need to be told.”
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Nativo de Buckeye colabora en la película de los Flamin' Hot Cheetos
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