Los Angeles

‘Roma' Actor Jorge Antonio Guerrero Denied US Visa, May Miss Oscars

One of the actors of the award-winning film "Roma" may not attend the Oscars because the U.S. consulate in Mexico has denied his visa for the third time.

Jorge Antonio Guerrero played Fermín, a militiaman who offers a private martial art "show" in the nude to the film's protagonist Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a maid. Another scene shows his character as part of a group that massacres student protesters. 

Guerrero was initially rejected for a tourist visa, and two subsequent attempts were also denied despite support from Netflix and the filmmakers. Now he is facing the same result, even with a written invitation to the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles, slated for Feb. 24. 

The film is nominated in 10 categories, including Best Picture and Best Foreign Film. 

The short film directed by Mexican Alfonso Cuarón narrates one year in the life of a middle-class family in the neighborhood the film is named after, told from the viewpoint of a live-in housekeeper. 

Cuarón based the film on his childhood memories from the 1970s. 

--NBC's Maria Chamberlain translated and contributed to this story. 

Contact Us