Although he has always enjoyed a solid career in Spain, this Madrid actor with an imposing appearance never missed a good invitation to try his luck abroad. That's why back in 2012 he went to participate in the Look Who Dances contest on the powerful Univision television network in the United States, the most important Spanish-speaking network in that country. That opened the doors of a market that would later summon him again, again and again, for the rival network Telemundo in the soap opera Dueños del Paraíso and for Netflix, in which he shared the bill with the Mexican Kate del Castillo in both seasons. of the successful Ingobernable.
That's why it's not surprising that this year he could be seen with her again in the soap opera Volver Cacair, on Movistar Plus, and these days it's coming to Prime Video The Artists: First Strokes, based on a story by María Dueñas for the ViX platform (Univision ), in which he plays a scammer who falls madly in love with a waitress played by the Mexican Ximena Romo.
How much did you know about the art world before joining your new series?
Despite having visited museums, galleries and attending exhibitions, I could not even imagine everything that this universe entailed, the number of figures that are not visible and that make this type of transactions, sales and acquisitions of works possible. The truth is that we have discovered a quite complex and, of course, striking world. In the series you see all kinds of people who want to get their hands on works of art for various reasons, whether for investment or to show that they have gotten this or another piece. And although I think they are drawn in a fairly broad way, they can give us an idea of what they are like, and we all know someone similar to one of those characters that appear in the series.
In 'The Artists: First Strokes' it is said that forgers can be as good as the original artists. What do you think?
The truth is that there are many debates raised in the series, and the first and most important one for me is whether we are doing the right thing. I can't tell you that we are some kind of Robin Hood, but they justify it by thinking that they are serving people with a lot of money and poor judgment. They hide behind that, although I don't think it is something justifiable or legal, but it is a complicated situation and during the ten episodes they consider stopping what they do, there is a permanent debate.
Why do you think we as an audience like scammers so much?
I can't speak for the broad group of society, but on a personal level I like people who put impetus, desire and the best of their will into things.
How was working with Ximena Romo on the series? Basically the game is always between the two of you...
Totally, it is as if we were playing a game of tennis constantly, always keeping a close eye on the ball. Let's assume that the ball is that possible pigeon, as they say in the series, or potentially "deceptive" person. It is a responsibility because in the end we know that the female characters that María Dueñas writes are independent, that they take care of themselves and that they do not need the help of men, although if necessary, they must be up to the task. It was essential to maintain that level in my character, Iago, to make the duo convincing and believable that she is associated with that individual. That was my most powerful interpretive challenge, at the same time, without losing that essence of spontaneity, of a joker and even of someone a little carefree but at the same time showing that desperation because they are going to close the family business, but in a way that does not imply to Cata.
You have worked a lot outside of Spain, although in this case you do it in your country but with a Mexican actress. What does it give you to share the set with someone like Ximena whose preparation is perhaps different from that of Spanish actors?
It is very great and very nutritious to share, as you say, different styles and ways of playing a scene or resolving a situation. I think that negotiations occur that contribute a lot, as long as you are sharing the scene with people who are also willing to do so. In reality, I don't get so involved with the acting quality of the colleagues, but with the desire they have and the will they have to carry out the character, not only theirs, understanding the tone of the project, in this case of the series . We are lucky that there are 10 episodes in which we are constantly receiving contributions from other colleagues who come sporadically, and that in some way transforms you since they arrive with their energy and with doubts about what the tone of the series is, What do I have to tell and how do I have to do it. The work of the host is very important to welcome them and make them understand the essence of the series a little. For me it is fundamental and I do not differentiate between cultures, but rather the disposition you may have.
And on a personal level, what has given you that predisposition that you have always had to work outside of Spain?
It is a matter of predisposition, priorities and choices. In my case it is a priority, that's why I joined this profession, for the sake of knowing and sharing. I have friends who work in offices and I respect what they do, but I couldn't imagine being in front of a computer all the time with just a short chat during coffee time. In the end I get to know countries, different cultures, different ways of understanding life and cooking food and that is very rewarding, and it gives you a much broader level of understanding. The fact of working in other countries makes you stronger, it teaches you, it comforts you to see that you manage to carry out your role or work without being surrounded by those things that are important to you, such as family, friends, your home and your bed, those little things that go a long way, right? I can't help but be more than proud that they want to count on me despite my accent or my physique. It is also a responsibility because you want to set the bar high and want what you can contribute as a Spaniard to be the best possible.
At some point you had to choose between acting and football. Are there days when you regret not having followed that path?
No, not at all, in fact I started as an actor before as a soccer player, but I really liked playing because it was also a good way to share with my friends. What happened is that the level was rising and they began to call me to play in other teams and move up the category, so it contributed a lot to me because I had left acting, then at 15 or 16 years old they called me again and that's when I felt the bug again of the performance, and from that moment until today he is still here, and football has been left for free time.
Were you better as an actor than as a footballer or was it a question of passion?
I don't know, that in any case would have to be decided by the technicians and directors. For me it was an issue that had to do with what it contributed to me on a personal level. I think I learned to share, to live together as a team when I played soccer, but I take much more away from what I have been able to discover as an actor.
Was it difficult not to lose your mind when you became famous in Spain at the age of 16?
It was difficult but I was lucky to have very humble people around me who had nothing to do with the profession, they kept me grounded, knowing that this could be temporary. To this day there are members of my family who see it as crazy that I can make a living from acting.
Why do you think 'Velvet' is still remembered today perhaps more than other series? What made it such a particular phenomenon?
It was a very gratifying phenomenon that in Spain it had worked on open television and then burst onto a platform that made it seen in many parts of the world. In the end it's beautiful because that series is not about fabrics, costumes, clothes, or anything, but rather it spoke about a true, complicated and complex love through the years and social differences. That is an issue that is done and addressed at the local level but that is of global interest.
Your physique has undoubtedly helped you a lot in this profession, but do you feel that sometimes it also limits you in the type of roles that are offered to you?
Absolutely, if I didn't have blue eyes I would already have a Goya, this has been said by the most important casting directors in my country.
And what can you do to fight this?
I am not going to fight against that, I was born in Madrid on February 6, 1991, I am 1.80 meters tall and I have blue eyes, things that I neither want nor can change.
