Although Cuban star Luis Alberto García has over 100 films under his belt, he had never played a gay role before Viva.

But to see one of the most well-known actors in Cuba in the Spanish-language dramatic feature about Cuban drag queens (which opens on Friday [April 29]), you wouldn't guess it. His seasoned thespian skills help him pull off his performance as Mama with the emotional gravity of a life lived on the margins.

He's not a complete stranger to LGBT films, as he had a role in the 2013 gay drama The Last Match, about two teenage boys who develop a secret love affair.

García has also had lead roles in Cuban classics such as Clandestinos (1987), Guantanamera (1995), Un Paraíso Bajo las Estrellas (2000), and El Premio Flaco (2008), in addition to the likes of the 2011 zomcom Juan of the Dead, the 2013 Canadian-Cuban film Three Days in Havana.

In a phone interview from Miami with the assistance of a translator, he explains that his lengthy career got its start when he grew up being inspired by his father who worked in television.

It's an apropos reference as parental ties are central to Viva, which follows an impoverished, gay hairdresser Jesus (Héctor Medina) in Havana who discovers a passion for performing when he joins a drag queen troupe. Unfortunately, his estranged, macho father Angel (Jorge Perrugorría) reappears in his life and puts an end to his budding ambition. Angel, a former boxer, forbids Jesus to perform in drag, despite the money it provides. García plays the tough-talking head of the troupe, Mama, who becomes a mentor to Jesus, helping him on his struggle towards independence.

The two parental figures compete for influence over Jesus' path in life, as he tries to figure out how to maintain a relationship with the only family member he has left while finding a way to satisfy his desire to perform. Although Mama isn't a trained boxer like Angel is, Mama has learned how to fight a fight in a different way—by being yourself.

Likewise, García says although the role was a challenge, he drew inspiration from other actors who had played gay roles but brought his own approach to it.

While he dressed in character as a conventional tough guy during day but at night, he found himself wearing dresses and makeup, all dolled up as as a life-of-the-party diva.

What he learned from the experience is how poorly LGBT people are treated and how judgemental society is.

"Sexual orientation doesn't make the person any less a human being," he said.

While he was a straight actor portraying a gay character for the first time, another level of worlds being bridged by the production was the fact that the director, Paddy Breathnach, is Irish.

Yet any worries García may have had about authenticity were switfly laid to rest.

When García read the script, he said he couldn't believe it was written by an Irish screenwriter (Mark O'Halloran). When Breathnach saw a drag show in Havana, he was inspired by how they transformed nothing more than a backyard with a single lightbulb into a theatrical world. García said O'Halloran learned about Cuban underground life that became the basis for the vibrant world of music and performance that the characters inhabit.

What's more, the cast and crew managed to surmount language barriers, as some individuals couldn't speak English while others couldn't speak Spanish. García explained that the two groups managed to come together from different worlds by working towards the same dream of making the film.

The film production's journey parallels the film's underlying quest for true happiness in the face of obstacles.

Like Mama, García says he has no problems with anyone's sexuality as long as they're happy.

As he puts it, he hopes for a world where everyone can be who they want to be.