Wilmer Valderamma

Fast Food Nation is so different from anything else you've done. How did you come across this movie?
When I read the script, it was such a non-Hollywood movie -- it doesn't go by the theoretical rulebook that a lot of Hollywood movies today go by. It's really different, [and] it really creates a lot of discussion. I thought it was a very exciting movie to be a part of. I did everything to be a part of this movie -- it was a great challenge. People have seen me do comedy before, and it doesn't get any more dramatic than this.

What did you learn from making the movie?
We all know that immigration is being exploited [by] lot of corporations [and] a lot of small businesses. It's gotten to a point where a lot of these people have become robots. I was very, very amazed by the conditions that they worked under. Knowing what kind of work they were expected to perform -- it's like they work in a machine. A human can be assumed not to make mistakes, especially in something where they have to meet the quota. That, to me, was mind-blowing. It's a problem.

Do you eat fast food?
I don't eat fast food anymore, but I'll occasionally have an In-N-Out burger [because] they have their own farm. This movie made me really aware of where I get my food, very aware of what I put in my body. Your body can't digest a lot of the stuff that's in this food. That's one of the reasons that when you're eating one of those fast food burgers, it's great, but when you're done, you feel like [crap]. Your body is digesting things that it's not meant to be digesting. A lot of chemicals, a lot of preservatives, a lot of artificial flavors, stuff like that -- it's not natural for your body.