THE RICHARD MONTAÑEZ STORY

As soon as actor Jesse Garcia heard about Richard Montañez, he knew it would make for a great movie. “I was like, ‘Somebody has to tell it!’” he recalls. “No matter your background or your ethnicity, this is a great story.”

snack It’s certainly has inspired the a Ĥrst Ĥlm. time Montañez, a processed after all, endures a tough start selling drugs on the streets of East Los Angeles and doing jail time. But while cleaning the machines at his local Frito-Lay plant as a janitor, the idea hits: The brand’s cheesy Cheetos should include chili seasoning to appeal to fellow Latinos in the community. With the support of his wife, Judy (Annie Gonzalez), Montañez pitches the CEO (Tony Shalhoub) over the phone and helps concoct the mega-selling spicy product.

Montañez, who went on to become a Frito-Lay marketing honcho, author and motivational speaker, was a regular presence on the Albuquerque set. “He’s very charismatic and quirky in his own ways,” says Garcia (Narcos: Mexico, Quinceañera). “So I told him, ‘I’m not going to do an imitation of you. I just want to tell your story with the most respect and honor I can.’”

By the way, the clean-eating Garcia admits he never tasted a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto until he had to eat one in a scene. “What you see onscreen is the real thing,” he says. “Nothing can mimic the texture and shape of a cheese doodle!”