Daniel Iglesias Jr.

Valeria Moreno

“Daniel Iglesias Jr.” by Valentina Moreno

Sometimes the conversations we have with our guests can be intimidating. 

I have a bad habit of getting entirely too far into my own head, overthinking every syllable, and completely flaking out from asking the actual questions I’d love to ask. More often than not, I find myself leaving the heavy lifting to Valentina, retreating into the background to become a quiet fly on the wall. Rarely do I ever let myself drop the anxiety and just “be,” that is, until we sat down with Daniel Iglesias Jr.

We met at Canter’s Deli at around 10 AM.

Before Daniel even showed up, Valentina and I ordered our usual: Diet Cokes practically overflowing with a ridiculous, borderline childlike amount of maraschino cherries. Naturally, this led us into a passionate debate about the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” franchise.

It was right in the middle of our “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” breakdown that we spotted him. Walking through the deli was someone carrying an incredible, effortless mix of confidence and warmth and that would be Daniel. 

“Canter’s,” by Valentina Moreno

Usually, when you sit down with a guest, there’s that mandatory, slightly awkward ten-minute period of icebreakers, but weirdly enough, that didn't happen here. You would think it might be intimidating to speak face-to-face with someone as talented as he is, but Daniel has this rare gift of making you feel instantly supported. Sitting across from him, any shred of lingering insecurity or spike of social anxiety completely vanished. His genuine openness is entirely contagious. 

Daniel's journey into film is as cinematic as his work. 

Growing up in Moorpark, California, he lived the ultimate teenage dream: playing in a band with his friends. Though he eventually parted ways with the music group to study acting at Chapman University, those same childhood friends later became The Neighbourhood. Throughout his acting studies, Daniel’s deep-rooted love for filmmaking was always front and center. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Screen Acting, he officially bridged his two worlds. He launched his directing career in 2013 with the iconic music video for "Sweater Weather," bringing his journey full circle with the very boys from his hometown.

Once our food arrived, the conversation only grew sweeter and more comfortable. Daniel ordered a classic, gloriously messy Reuben, while I stuck to a reliable cheeseburger, and Valentina went with a straightforward hamburger. Chomping down on diner food, I realized I had never let down my guard or morphed into a sponge quite as fast as I did during this conversation.

Looping back to our earlier “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,”  tangent, we were shocked to find out that Daniel had somehow never seen a single one of the films. This hilarious revelation quickly spiraled into a deep-dive conversation about wildly underrated cinema, which is how “Nymphomaniac Vol. 1,” by Lars von Trier entered the chat. Valentina and I were admittedly clueless but deeply intrigued. We sat there completely captivated as Daniel passionately explained how experimental, deliberate, and beautiful the film's cinematography actually is. To prove his point, he pulled out his phone right there at the table, scrolling through to show us the exact, specific frames he was talking about.

That inclusivity is the exact heartbeat of his identity as a filmmaker. 

Daniel is an incredible director because he treats his sets as collaborative ecosystems. When talking about his process, he emphasized how vital it is for him to meet people where they are. Working with an incredibly diverse spectrum of talent, from actors and singers, to dancers and models, he consistently goes out of his way to translate his vision for those who might have less experience in front of a lens. Because of his own background in BFA screen acting, he speaks the exact language that actors need to hear to unlock a vulnerable performance. Meanwhile, when working with models, he will literally have them look directly into the monitor with him, using the camera as a visual mirror so they understand exactly how they are moving through the space.

“Palm Trees,” by Valentina Moreno

You can see the brilliant weight of this technical and emotional mastery in everything he touches, perhaps most notably when he directed "BOA," for Megan Thee Stallion. The sheer cinematic brilliance of that project highlights just how formidable he is behind the camera. 

When he brought the video up during our conversation I was in awe. I couldn’t believe that a few years ago I was watching the video in my dorm room and now being sat across from the visionary behind it. 

There is an undeniable, palpable intensity vibrating through the video, with a sense of purpose behind every single shot. Nothing in his frame is accidental. 

He understands the architecture of a scene in a way few modern directors do. He allows a space for the talent and the viewer to escape in his work. He’s lived in most of our minds subliminally through his collaborations and it’s a treat to experience his work as an audience member.

Daniel is a director who doesn't just want an audience to watch a video, he forces them to feel it, that’s what makes him special.

“Daniel,” by Valentina Moreno