Meet the Heroic Real-Life Priest Who Inspired NACHO LIBRE
By Movieguide® Contributor
Did you know cult classic NACHO LIBRE was loosely based on a real story?
The 2006 movie stars Jack Black, but the real “Nacho Libre” was a Mexican Catholic priest named Father Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez. For 23 years, he lived a secret life as a luchador named Friar Storm, and his motivation behind this double life was quite noble.
Born in 1945 and one of 17 children, Benítez’s love for luchadors after watching two films as a teen: EL SEÑOR TORMENTA (Mister Storm) and TORMENTA EN EL RING (Storm in the Ring).
After struggling with drugs in his early 20s, Benítez decided to turn his life around and pursue the priesthood.
“His theological training took him to Rome, and then Spain, and for a while he taught philosophy and history at Roman Catholic universities in Mexico,” his story reads. “He later became a secular priest in the Diocese of Texcoco, where he founded an orphanage named ‘La Casa Hogar de los Cachorros de Fray Tormenta,’ which would serve as the home of 270 children.”
To help raise money to care for the children, he became the masked wrestler “Fray Tormenta” and kept his identity secret for as long as possible.
“Another famous wrestler, Huracán Ramírez, was to blame. One day he called me on the phone and told me: ‘Tormenta, we will fight on Saturday’, and then I slipped out: ‘I can’t, I have to officiate a wedding.’ [He replied] ‘Are you really a priest?’ I asked him to keep the secret but that Saturday he came to the wedding, and in a few days everyone knew,” Benítez said.
Even today, Father Benítez continues his work to help orphans. The home has “helped over 2,000 children, many of whom have gone on to become professionals in various fields. Even after retiring in 2000 and surviving a severe case of COVID-19 in 2020, Gutiérrez Benítez continued to support his orphanage by selling memorabilia and remains active in his community,” Be Latina said.
NACHO LIBRE, while “flirt[ing] with sacrilege” in some instances, does celebrate helping orphans and offers a positive portrayal of prayer and references to the Christian faith.
NACHO LIBRE stars Jack Black as Ignacio, an orphaned boy in a Mexican monastery who dreams of glory in the wrestling ring but is convinced by the monks to become a monk. As an adult, Ignacio still dreams of being a wrestler. He’s also upset that the other monks have relegated him to the kitchen. Things get more complicated when a pretty nun named Encarnación becomes the teacher for the orphan boys. Ignacio tries to woo Encarnación toward marriage while he comically tries to establish a career as a masked wrestler, but she resists.
NACHO LIBRE is sometimes very funny, mostly because of the quirky talents of Jack Black, who mugs and cavorts his way throughout the movie. NACHO LIBRE could be better, however, and will not suit everyone’s taste. The movie flirts with sacrilege and crosses the line at least once, but contains strong Christian content, including a positive ending. The movie is usually not overtly lewd, but it does take some risks regarding its unrequited romance. For example, Ignacio tries to use his muscles to attract the nun’s interest. They apparently keep their vows to serve God, however.
READ MORE: NACHO LIBRE REVIEW
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