After 40 Years in Showbiz, Gloria Estefan Can Do Her Makeup in the Dark

After paving the way for countless Latin artists, music superstar Gloria Estefan has stepped into her first leading role on the big screen, playing the mother in a new remake of Father of the Bride.

[In this iteration of Father of the Bride], the women came from a real position of strength, Estefan tells W in a phone interview from Miami. It delves into things that arent normally talked about in Latino communities, like therapy. [Ingrid] pushes [Billy] and decides, Okay, this is it. I dont want to spend our last years with an empty nest being alone in a marriage. And thankfully, he wakes up through the four women in his life: his mother-in-law, his daughters, and his wife.

Below, Estefan speaks about her longtime friendship with Garca, the importance of highlighting the nuances of different Latino cultures, and the beauty tips and tricks she has picked up after more than four decades in the business.

You previously worked with Andy Garca on the HBO television film For Love or Country over 20 years ago. What are some of the memories that stick out from working with him this time around?

Its always wonderful because Andy and I get along great. In fact, he did a cameo years ago in my video, I See Your Smile. Hes a waiter, and at the end, I say to him, Is the waiter on the menu? That was even before we worked together in the movie. What I love is that hes always trusted me, because I certainly do not have the years of craft that Andy hasalthough I have worked on it quite a bit, because I respect actors very much.

When Ive done the previous projects, I went and did my thing in a couple of days. [This time,] we all spent two months in a bubble together, and really bonded. What you see onscreen is a very natural, legitimate feeling among all of us. There are six degrees of separation [between] pretty much every actor in that filmconsummate stage and screen actors here in Miami and in the Latin world. I just met the girls, Isabela Merced and Adria Arjona, but they were so wonderful and talented. And I got to meet Diego Boneta when he was in town doing Rock of Ages. This is, I think, the first big-budget studio film dedicated to Latin cultures, so its been a big deal for us.

The film opens with the song Azcar Negra by Celia Cruzanother Cuban-American legendbut I was waiting to hear one of your songs for the wedding scene. Do your friends or family ever play your songs and make you dance with them?

Well, if its my daughter, she will throw me into [dancing] any time shes DJing, anywhere in the house. I rarely put my own music on, and I think we purposely stayed away from putting my music in there, because I was acting in the lead role. We wanted Ingrid to stay Ingrid, and not turn into Gloria Estefan. Although, for sure, Conga would have been played at that wedding, I can guarantee you.

Celia is our diva, our shining light of Cuba, and there are some great songs. Quiereme Mucho, which is sung at the wedding, is a classic. I used to play it on my guitar and sing it with my mom as a kid. Theres a great new Ozuna track, and hes from [Puerto Rico]; we really were trying to stay true to the whole Latin experience.

This film leans into the specificities of two different Latino cultures Cubans and Mexicansand shows the union of two beautiful, high-achieving Latino families. Why do you think it is so important to highlight those differences and similarities in cultures?

American culture tends to look at Latinos as a monolith, which is the furthest thing from the truth. Historically, Ive always seen Latin things from different cultures get lumped together as if theyre the sameall Latin things that have nothing to do with each other, quite honestly. [Laughs.] So it was good to show the contributions of Latinos to this great country, and see us in a beautiful light of family, other than the usual ways weve been viewed in movieswhich, by the way, is the reason that I havent done a lot of movies. Usually, theyll cast me as a Latina, and its not in a particularly great light. With all the baggage I carry from my other career and the fact that Im a proud Latin woman, I dont want to strengthen those stereotypes.

What do you think that fundamental demand for cultural authenticity says about the evolution and current state of Latino representation in Hollywood?

I think theyve seen the success, like One Day at a Time, which Norman Lear reimagined with a Cuban American family. You have Vida, Encantoall these things that have delivered at the box office and in ratings. Its gotten better, needless to say, not just for Latin culture, but multiculturally. Were gonna see, of Pakistani background, a young Marvel superhero in Ms. Marvel; were gonna see, with Bad Bunny, the first Latin superhero. But were still not represented in the numbers that we exist in this country.

And the only way to go new is to show all of the different tapestries that are in the melting pot. We feel fortunate that Warner and Plan B would focus their energies and their money [on a remake], because this is a very big-budget movie and an I.P. that, to them, is iconic. Weve stayed true to the original idea, but weve made it our own with this interpretation.

You and your husband, Emilio, are coming up on your 44th wedding anniversary this year. What would you say are some of the most important keys to a successful marriage?

Everybody asks me that. I wish I had the secret! Look, its about respect, communication. Its about putting the other person first, because if youre both doing that, then youre both taken care of. Once youre a couple, you have to be a couple. [If] the focus on the individual is given by the other partner, then its great, because youre both really rooting for each other. The movie also highlights the modern take on family, and thats why its so important that the traditional father of the bride that was in control in the previous [movies] learns something from the women in his life.

Lets move on to the Beauty Notes questions. Whats the first thing you do in the morning, beauty-wise?

Beauty-wise, I moisturize, but most of my routine happens at night. No matter how tired I am, no matter what has gone on, I make sure I clean my face thoroughly. I use Shiseidoits a lovely cleanser thats gentle but really good. Also, VenEFFECT. Its these two gynecologists, these women who developed this line, and I use their cleanser as well. I use five different types of cream, and I change up the order. There are great creams that help with collagen. I use products from Miami MDsome capsules that work on your collagen system-wide, not just on your skin, on top of the fact that I use their eye cream and a firming cream. I also use Beverly Hills MDthe stem cell cream.