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Afro-Cuban actor Matt Cedeño stars in Netflix’s ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’
It’s Christmas season! Netflix has already been updating its catalog with new holiday movies and shows in the season of snow and hot chocolate. Before November ended, the streaming platform added “Best. Christmas. Ever!” featuring Afro-Latino actor Matt Cedeño.
Meet Matt Cedeño
Matt Cedeño is an American actor and former male fashion model, born on November 14th, 1973, in Moses Lake, Washington. He is known for his diverse roles in various TV shows and films, including notable roles such as Brandon Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, and Vasquez on the Syfy comedy horror “Z Nation.” He has also appeared in other productions like the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera Ambitions and the Starz drama Power.
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In addition to his acting career, Cedeño has a background in modeling, having worked in various locations such as Milan, Spain, New York, and Los Angeles. He has also been involved in sports and had aspirations for a career in professional sports. Cedeño is married to Erica Franco, and the couple has two children.
Matt’s mom is of Irish-English descent, while his father is Afro-Cuban and has spoken about his pride in his roots and his affinity for the Spanish language.
“My parents weren’t without their struggles, trying to be accepted as a biracial couple,” he told People Magazine in 2018. “They didn’t quite make it through. They divorced when I was six. I remember feeling very drawn to the Cuban culture and the language and asking my dad to teach me Spanish.”
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“In my adult years, I’ve been able to explore more Latin culture. I’m pretty fluent now in Spanish but I was always infatuated with it. Now I watch the news in Spanish and speak it every day of my life. Trying to teach it to my kid, too,” he added.
What is “Best. Christmas. Ever!” about?
“Best. Christmas. Ever!” is a Netflix movie that revolves around the theme of friendship and the challenges it faces during the holiday season. The story follows Jackie Jennings (played by Brandy Norwood), who shares her perfect life and family experiences in annual holiday newsletters, causing her old college friend, Charlotte Sanders (played by Heather Graham), to feel inadequate and suspicious about her own life. They and their partners have to spend Christmas together due to a snowstorm, which is the perfect excuse to reconnect with their never-lost friendship.
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The plot of “Best. Christmas. Ever!” is centered around the idea that appearances can be deceiving and the importance of looking beyond the surface to understand the true value of a person’s life. Mary Lambert directs the film.
Cedeño portrays Jackie’s incredibly handsome husband Valentino, a martial arts champion, which makes Charlotte’s husband, played by American Pie’s Jason Biggs, feel lesser. Matt’s portrayal of Valentino is a refreshing representation of Afro-Latino culture in mainstream media.
Also Read: Why ‘Noche Buena’ is The Real Latinx Christmas
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