For Richard Cabral, ‘American Crime’ is simultaneously rewarding and heartbreaking

Richard Cabral, the former gang member who turned his back on his criminal past and has won acclaim for his performances on ABC’s “American Crime,� including an Emmy nomination, says working on the show has been rewarding. It can also be “heartbreaking.�

Cabral was nominated for the first season of the anthology series for his portrayal of Hector Tontz, a young thug suspected of being involved in a murder. In the show’s third season, he played Isaac Castillo, a farm crew chief who gets tough with his crew of immigrant Mexicans working in the fields of an elite farm.

The actor said some days working outside in the field and dramatizing the horrible conditions was a vivid experience. “[It was] having to go there and having to be heartbroken over and over again,� he told The Envelope when he stopped by The Times’ video studio.

He added, “It’s not an easy task. But when you step on that stage, when you sign that contract for ‘American Crime,’ you know you’re going to go to that place where you don’t want to go, but you go there in order to serve the story’s justice.�

For the full conversation, watch the video below:

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For actor Richard Cabral, the story in the third season of “American Crime� hit home hard and broke his heart more than once.

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Twitter:@GeBraxton