How Babylon star Diego Calva was inspired by Al Pacino in his award-nominated performance-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Babylon star Diego Calva has revealed that he used cinema icons Al Pacino and Charlie Chaplin as inspirations for his role in the movie.

The Damien Chazelle-directed flick explores the turbulent transition from silent to sound movies in Hollywood in the late 1920s, as seen through the eyes of characters played by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Calva.

The 30-year-old Mexican actor, who was Golden Globe nominated for best actor in the role, plays aspiring studio executive Manny Torres, who starts at the bottom of the rung in Hollywood (literally shovelling elephant poo) before rising to become an influential producer at one of the film studios.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk at the UK premier for Babylon, he revealed: ‘We worked a lot with Al Pacino, Al Pacino’s eyes, and this [whole] idea of a smart character in trouble, solving problems.’

Pacino’s most famous roles include the Godfather trilogy and that of gangster Tony Montana in Scarface.

Silent film comedy legend Charlie Chaplin, instantly recognisable the world over thanks to the bowler hat, walking stick and comically large shoes of his enduring character, the Little Tramp, was Calva’s other reference.

Diego Calva has one of the central roles in Babylon (Picture: Getty)

His character of Manny Torres works his way up from the bottom of the ladder in Hollywood (Picture: Paramount Pictures/Scott Garfield)

‘This innocence he could portray even into his 50s. His eyes were always like a kid’s eyes, and we needed both things for Manny.’

Babylon features many references to and inspirations from real-life stars and figures in Tinseltown at that time, including Robbie’s character of wannabe starlet Nellie LaRoy – said to be based on ‘It Girl of the 1920s, Clara Bow – and Pitt’s role as silent movie leading man Jack Conrad, whose struggles with sound reflect those of real MGM star John Gilbert.

The actor revealed he was inspired in his performance by Al Pacino, seen here in The Godfather: Part II (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)

Silent film star Charlie Chaplin, pictured as his iconic character of the Little Tramp, was another source for Calva (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

It is Manny, though, who acts as the audience’s guide through the jaw-dropping excesses of Hollywood as an initial outsider (his first boss is a fixer for a major Hollywood producer, played by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea).

Calva’s Manny was created by looking at the lives of Hispanic people working in cinema nearly 100 years ago, such as studio executive Rene Cardona, director and production supervisor Enrique Vallejo – who actually started off as Chaplin’s cameraman – and sound engineers and directors, the Rodriguez Brothers.

The actor, who is also known for Narcos: Mexico, also shares something in common with his character, as Calva had originally wanted to be behind the scenes in filmmaking, like Manny, but as a writer-director instead of a performer.

With co-stars Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie at the UK premiere on Thursday night (Picture: David M. Benett/Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImage)

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He explained to Metro.co.uk: ‘With Manny, everything was so metafictional, you know?

‘I think he didn’t have the dream like, “Okay, I want to become a producer” and I didn’t have the dream that I want to be an actor but we both knew that we wanted to dedicate ourselves to movies – and we found a way, somehow!’

Babylon is out in UK cinemas on Friday, January 20.

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