The character Romeo is a true believer when it comes to romance. He’s a sensitive and honest guy who is in love with love. An optimist at his core, grand gestures of love and sweeping romance are as intuitive to him as a hard day’s work. This rule applies to his friends as well. He sees Jackson as a brother and Romeo always takes care of family. Edwin reveals, “He is a heightened version of myself, or at least what I aspire to be. I like to help out people, maybe not to the extreme that Romeo does but certainly more often than I should. Ha. I'm definitely an optimist so it wasn't too difficult to channel that into the character. We've all been heartbroken at one point or another, myself included, and in those moments we need friends to lean on. In playing Romeo, I wanted to create the kind of friend that I would want in my moment of need. I was inspired by my own friends in the past; the friend who would listen, the one who thought going out to show you a good time in order to cheer you up, the friend who constantly checks up on you, the counsellor, and so on. Romeo is an amalgamation of these qualities from friends.”
In addition to being an endearing person, Romeo supplies a great deal of the comedy in “Heart Felt.” His complex and overly elaborate plans vetted the idea that he is passionate as well as perhaps a little too involved in cultural fantasies that are part of his heritage. Director Jason Bourque gave Perez a good deal of latitude when it came to improvisation. This gave the actor an opportunity to benevolently represent his Latin roots. The ad libs, Edwin’s own style of comedy, and the additional Spanish that wasn't already on the script were all parts of what came naturally to the actor and served to enrich the personality of the overall film. At one point during an argument between Jackson and Molly, Romeo makes a reference to the events being like a Telenovela. The idea is part of the shared consciousness of both Perez and his character. Everyone knows the Telenovela stereotype, the intense stares, the dramatic pauses, and the over the top emotional arcs. Here Edwin took the opportunity to represent the best parts of Latino humor in its broad and overt manner of not taking itself too seriously by appearing to take itself too seriously. Bourque cast the actor as Romeo from his audition for his instincts as well as his talent. The director declares, “Romeo was an incredibly challenging role due to the combination of comic timing and sensitivity. Edwin’s hilarious performance more than paid off. ‘Heart Felt’ was a hit as the official Valentines movie for Ion TV. It garnered rave reviews and we submitted Edwin for a Leo Award nomination for Best Supporting Lead. I simply found his work to be exceptional. He is one of the most dedicated, prepared and skilled actors I have had the pleasure to work with. His level of professionalism surpasses many of the actors I have encountered throughout my career, both as a writer and director. As a filmmaker, I’m always looking for cast members who can exceed my hopes for their performances; Edwin Perez confirmed my suspicion that there’s an immense well of talent inside him.”
Yes, “Heart Felt” is a romance but it’s also a redemptive tale for both of the lead characters. Even when you try to do everything right, your past can haunt you. Early in the film, Jackson expects to settle down with Molly but when his ex shows up with a paternity test proving that he is the father of her child, there’s nothing that anyone can do to convince Molly to stay with him. When they both seem to have lost their belief in their true love, circumstances bring them unwittingly back to each other. The hinge that connects all romance in this film is Romeo. He serves as a proxy for the audience who wants to see these two people let their guard down and look at the character of each other rather than the circumstances that have driven a wedge between them. While many people and situations point to the ease of Molly and Jackson to pursue separate lives, it’s Romeo who continues to set their paths to a junction. It’s not at all a far stretch for Edwin who states, “Whether you are acting or in real life, it’s all about really listening to the person you are in a relationship with. You can’t be overly involved with yourself, how you look, what other people think of you, etc. When you focus on the other person and their ability to be comfortable, in a loving relationship or while filming a scene…the other person is allowed to be a better version of themselves and they want that for you as well. I’m a romantic. I bought a star for my partner. I know it's kind of cheesy but she is a huge fan of Space related stuff. We weren't together yet and she was going to move temporarily to another city for work so I really needed to win her over. When I gave her the gift, just before she left, I told her if she ever felt alone or lost to just look up and follow her star. It worked because we're going onto 4 years together now in our relationship. They say that as an actor you make your weakness your strength, being vulnerable is hard but it can pay off in big ways.”