It can be difficult to have guiding principles in the entertainment business. It's much easier to see which way the wind is blowing and adapt accordingly. Thankfully, Yancey Arias has an overarching mission that has shaped his artistic path. Arias takes care in choosing his roles. He looks for projects that are well written and prefers characters that have something worth fighting for as well as those with obstacles to overcome. By doing so, Arias thinks he can positively impact others facing an actual dilemma. 

Kingpin chronicles the inner workings of a Mexican crime syndicate and the forces seeking to stem the flow of drugs into the US. Yancey Arias plays the Stanford-educated Miguel Cadena who manages La Corporacion for the extended Cadena clan and who attempts to apply a cosmopolitan flair to his family's regional operation. Miguel's daily involvement with the family's illicit enterprise is not without its negative consequences for the sensitive drug kingpin who adopts an upscale lifestyle and takes pains to keep the muck of the family business off of his Armani suits.

While the debate about Kingpin rages on, Arias continues to pursue the art and business of filmmaking. In addition to his work in front of the camera, Arias has co-produced two independent films - Destination Unknown (1997) and Home Invaders (2001). The latter, executive produced by Spike Lee, has screened at Urbanworld and the New York International Latino Film Festival. From a screenplay by Greg Wilson (who also directs), Home Invaders is a ripped-from-the-headlines tale of a team of burglars that rob the homes of wealthy suburbanites.

As a producer, Arias collaborated with Wilson on story development, assisted in the casting process and facilitated the indie film experience for the principal cast. In Home Invaders, Arias worked with long-time colleagues Keith David and Luis Guzman - an experience he thoroughly enjoyed.

"[Keith David and Luis Guzman] were awesome to work with," effuses Arias. "The reason I chose them is simple - they are friends of mine. I'm friends with all of the principal actors…. So it created a close familiar atmosphere [among] all of us," he adds.

Prior to his work on Kingpin and in film, Arias made notable television guest appearances on The Sopranos, NYPD Blue and Law & Order, among others. Yet it was Arias' theater work that catapulted his career. Arias starred as Thuy for six years in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon and performed alongside Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin and Eartha Kitt in the Public Theatre's production of "The Wild Party." Arias relishes the stage experience and eagerly awaits a good role to return him to Broadway. Okay theater scribes, the ball is in your court. For more on Yancey Arias, click here. M

February 2003

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