HOLLYWOOD -- Hector Elizondo is hoping to serve a delectable cinema dish this fall.

In Tortilla Soup, he stars as a master Mexican-American chef and father of three daughters who has lost his taste for food but not for life.

If the plot sounds familiar it's no coincidence.

"It's Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman set in a Hispanic culture. I play the father role," explains Elizondo, who also plays Julie Andrews' chauffeur in the Disney comedy The Princess Diaries which opens Friday.

"Ang Lee was delighted we were revisiting his Eat Drink Man Woman because that is a favourite of his early films.

"Raquel Welch has a great cameo as my very over-the-top neighbour. We shot the film for $2 million US and got a thunderous standing ovation at the Seattle Film Festival."

In The Princess Diaries, Elizondo and Andrews have a brief romantic dance scene.

"Thirty years ago I was dancing with the Carnegie Ballet. (Director) Garry Marshall and Julie both knew that so they let me choose the music for our dance. It's a Cuban dance and I taught it to Julie.

"She was a most apt and quick pupil."


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