ablaze tells the story of Richard Montanez, the man who supposedly invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Montanez claims that while working as a plant janitor, he brought home a batch of rejected Cheetos and added chili powder to them, creating the first Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The film reveals that Montanez owes much of his success to his wife, Judy Montanez.
Richard Montanez’s wife, Judy Montanez, helped make the recipe for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
Richard Montanez was born to Mexican immigrant parents in Ontario, California. He grew up with nine siblings in an immigrant labor camp in San Bernardino County, California.
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Montañez was in his late teens when he met Judy, a neighbor. The couple began dating. Montanez dropped out of school and got odd jobs to supplement her family’s income. In 1976, Judy encouraged Montanez to apply for a job at Frito Lay. Montanez ‘could barely read or write’, so Judy filled out the application form for her.
He got a job as a janitor at the plant. Thirteen years later, Montanez returned home with simple Cheetos. He noticed how local food vendors spiced up their food with chili and decided to try the same thing with Cheetos. Montanez used Judy’s hot sauce to create the first Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Montañez pitched the idea to the executives, who gave him two weeks to prepare a presentation. Judy helped Montanez, who, despite his limited knowledge, convinced the company’s board of directors to add Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to his catalog.
Judy’s role in inventing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos went largely unnoticed. Eva Longoria, the film’s director, said USA Today that Judy barely appeared in the original script. After meeting her, Eva realized that Judy was an integral part of the story. She explained: “Judy is the heart of the story. I loved seeing a Latina who was outspoken, tough, understanding, loving and kind. She’s so complex.”
Annie Gonzalez, who plays Judy in Flamin’ Hot, said she met with Judy to talk about her performance in the movie. González said that she assured Judy that she would photograph her carefully. “She was my mom, she is my aunt (aunt), she is my grandmother (grandmother),” González said. “She is a strong, beautiful, dark-haired woman.”
In an interview with that label showsGonzález praised Judy above all: “What I like most about Judy is that she is a real person that I am friends with and I absolutely adore her, I love how realistic she is, how soft and cuddly she is. I feel like she is a plethora of so many things. And the only thing that comes to mind is the divine feminine aspect of her nature, you know?
Montanez and Judy share three children. Unlike Montanez, who is outspoken, Judy and her children live private lives.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn