Cristo Fernández aka Dani Rojas on Ted Lasso Season 4, Working with Patrick Mahomes & his NFL Fandom

Adam wner for fansided here with kristo Fernandez today on behalf of his work with State Farm and the new commercial bundle is life ahead of the 2024 NFL season uh Christo thank you so much for joining me first of all uh let's talk a little bit about the campaign was it tougher kicking the football-shaped soccer ball than a normal soccer ball I mean how was your experience on set thank you Adam and thank you to everyone listening and you're you're asking the the right question the first good question it that ball looks crazy right it looked crazy that my first thought and it was crazier to to be able to when they first show me the ball and then they told me you're gonna do this that and this I was like are you are you what so yeah it was a good challenge to have and um I'm glad it worked out I'm glad my football skills are still there and that also brings me to my favorite Patrick Mahomes moment which is also one of the cool stuff about our campaign for me was an honor to meet him also Kevin from who plays Jak from State Farm it was he was a nicest guy but I I don't think I think the same reaction you had and the same reaction I had with the ball Patrick had it too he was like what is this and then when they told him he's going to do this that and that's he was like No And then he threw me the ball and then I did it live in front of him and and then I kept doing those skills and then he told me dude that's impressive and then he he gave me like a high five and a handshake and I take that coming from such a legend like him and that that's that's that was that was a really cool stuff with the ball and with Patrick and probably the highlight of my campaign yeah that's got to feel good to hear that from Patrick um any uh anything else you can tell us about the State Farm campaign how did you get involved and do you have any other big plans for the NFL season with State Farm yeah um well yeah that the approach happened a couple of months ago this year and then the first thing I heard was that I was gonna have the opportunity to to to play Danny roas and anything that is that that involves the tedl world or to be there and I'm I'm I'm in I'm 100% in and and then I saw all the commercial State Farm has done and I think they're always memorable and and I think now with the NFL start I think it's a perfect time to get this out and my passion for football soccer has always existed and will always be American football has grown on me since 2019 so it's recent but I think in the spirit of what State Farm is they like to bundle things right so they managed to bundle my passion for football soccer and my passion for American football and we created probably a a new unique Sport with this ball and whether I'm scoring a goal or making a point I think that's up to the fans to decide of course yeah we'll we'll let them make that choice you you brought up a good point of question that I had you mentioned that you've been an NFL fan since maybe 2019 uh how did your fandom for the NFL developed do you have a favorite team or are you just sort of getting used to the sport and getting into it no like my first American football game was with the Ted lasso gang with my friends and we were in London at the Wembley Stadium and it was memorable it was cool it was fun and then I started to know more about the game and since last year I'm spending my time between guara Mexico and Los Angeles and because of that I've I've gone to I think probably the the team I've seen the most has been the Chargers of Los Angeles so maybe they they they've grown on me and I have many friends who have been in the sport longer than me and they they are more lots of them are as 49ers from San Francisco fans but then I have a dilemma because now that I met Patrick Mahomes and he's such a cool dude and I saw him last year at the Super Bowl winning the Super Bowl the Kansas city is in my top three I think a lot of fans have that same dilemma they're like I want to hate the Chiefs but man he's just so good like what's the point so I feel like you're in the same boat as a lot of us okay that's good to hear yes that is that's normal um what about uh you know you obviously have to talk about TED lasso uh you got into the NFL you watched your first game with your Ted lasso crew what ha has has starring in Ted lasso changed the way that you watch professional soccer and international soccer at all do you have a different relationship to watching International you know football now that you're sort of known as this you know icon of football or you know have any Premier League teams rolled out the red carpet for you or is it you know same as ever you could still be a fan no I I well I mean it's it's I've practiced the sports since I was a kid and I've always been a fan but then when I had my injuries I recovered from them try to get back then discover new passions but football was still there in my heart but in a way I tried to get away from it so for many years I just completely kind of like deleted it from my head and just move on with my new passions and Ted lasso brought me back my love for football and my passion and and that's another reason to be grateful for Ted lasso they they brought my passion for the game that I I just once you have football in your life you can never you will never um you will always have it with you and and no I I still go to the stadium with my friends on the contrary I I I became more of a fan and yeah like I would have never imagined that that now being an actor and a filmmaker will have through football soccer made me an icon in in the football Soccer World or if the sports world and I think that is to say that you never know how life is going to work out and I I would have never in mind that the worst thing that happened to me which was breaking my knee or having this two injuries in my knees would have ended up being the best thing that happened to me because now I am where I am because of that so for anyone out there that um has a dream or is working hard it's it's all about learning from your failures and embracing the mistakes and and you always learn from those things and and yeah hard work discipline that all comes from my life in the sports and that's what makes me the actor and the filmmaker I I think I am I don't know I just believe in repetition and discipline if you dropped a You Dropped a football's life on me there basically it sounds like you operate by the same motto as your character pretty much like does that help guide your life yeah we're the same guy yeah that's amazing um you you you mentioned growing up playing the sport uh so you have a lot of experience in locker rooms and you mentioned you know your friends your Ted lasso friends and the camaraderie that you guys have um does your cast does that feel like the soccer locker rooms you grew up in like what are the similarities differences between your castmates and your teammates from back in the day no it's it's very similar and I think um in a way Jason I think uh that he he comes from the basketball world he played basketball probably he he and he's very good and he was lots of times in the locer rooms and the that camaraderie that you see first of all the the the camaraderie and the friendship that you see in the show is what you see in real life we we've we became a a family and friends and we've all grown together and I think that was one of the key things for Jason Brandon and Joe and to create that Vibe on set and so I I think it's very yeah I I've lived that when I was in the local rooms in my Glory Days playing football and I think um it is real so I think I think it feels real because it's real good hey that's what every fan wants to hear I feel like I just made a lot of fans of Ted lasso days um and we're also hearing rumors of a potential surprise season 4 I mean I'm not gonna ask you to wink wait what uh I'm not goingon to ask you to wink twice if it's true but what would it mean to you to maybe get a chance to play Danny again to to get back in the room with those guys yeah I read the article too um um more than an actor and someone who was part of the this journey I I I was I am a fan um I I've said it and I think it's true I think tlass has become something bigger than us whatever this next chapter in in it is I'm sure Jason Brandon Joe Bill the writers who are the creators will know what's best and I will 100% support it and whether like I I as I told you I think at at the beginning of this interview like the one of the things that really ER I feel passionate about this campaign and this commercial we did with State Farm is the fact that I could have I could play Danny roas so anytime I am thrown at the opportunity of being part of a tedl award or playing Danny roas I am 100% in and yeah i i i l At Last I think has taught me U that what you put out there can mean so much to so many people and and as a as a Creator and filmmaker I'm trying to do the same with my film company Spectrum X films and it's important to have to have cool stuff positive stuff and and again just back to our campaign I think I I think one of the the important messages is the the the being kind to each other and and caring about each other and I think State Farm has that t lasso has that that and you bundle the two things and you have a crazy football soccer with American football ball that I hope people who watch our campaign like so yeah that's been good it's a perfect fit I will wrap right here I mean you are going to see if you're watching the Chargers if you're watching the 49ers if you're trying to get into American football this year maybe watch Patrick Mahomes you're going to see yourself a lot I mean this commercial is going to be huge how does it feel for you are you able to watch yourself or or when you watch yourself on on TV are you sort of like uh turn it off like I don't want to watch myself how are you watching your own performances yeah I know you that's a that's a valid question it's a good question because I've I've run into So many actors or actresses that say that they don't like to watch them and it's not that I like to watch myself of course not but a I've learned so much as an actor watching myself because I know what works for next occasions or things like that just from that perspective but also to me it's been such so hard and to get where I am it hasn't been easy so I celebrate every single time I can with and I watch I watch the things I do with my family and my friends and and I don't mind watching myself on the contrary I I I celebrate it because I know it's been it hasn't been easy it's been a long journey and and yeah but it's going to be crazy I hope people like this this campaign and I'm proud of it um I think it's a great campaign and and I'm grateful with with yeah with all the tedl of fans the with State Farm for the opportunity and with Jake simansky the director Patrick Mahomes and Kevin and everyone the cast and crew they were all cool we can't wait to see what comes to this I don't know if have you seen Patrick mahomes's coach Andy Reid he's basically like the NFL Ted lasso I don't know if you're familiar yeah but uh either way I think if you ask a lot of Americans who's the coach you most want to play for they're probably gonna say either Andy Reid or Ted lasso himself so you're in good hands ah okay that's cool so I need to meet I need to meet Andy yeah I he's commercial but I haven't met him in person so okay good I think you'd really hit it off hopefully that's what comes next uh CR Fernandez thank you so much for joining me today thank you brother thank you very much nice to meet you Adam