IN CONVERSATION WITH CARLOS CUEVAS
interview by JANA LETONJA
Spanish actor Carlos Cuevas will next be starring in feature film ‘El 47’, based on an inspiring true story, which is premiering this September. He has previously starred in Netflix’s series ‘Smiley’, and we’ve most recently been able to watch him in ‘Citas Barcelona’ on Prime Video.
Carlos, we’ll be seeing you in ‘El 47’. Tell us more about the film and what can we expect from it.
‘El 47’ is the story of people who came to Barcelona during the post-war period, fleeing poverty and trying to find a more dignified life for their families. The story of these families is told through the figure of Manolo Vital, a bus driver who decided to hijack the bus he was driving to demand a public transport network for his neighbourhood.
Who will we meet when we meet your character, and what is his role in the story?
In the film, I play Pascual Maragall, a well-known Catalan politician, during his youth, that is, before he came to power. It is a small tribute to a much-loved figure in Barcelona and Catalonia, who symbolises the political class that dreamed of making our city a cosmopolitan place open to the world after the darkness of the dictatorship.
What did you find the most fascinating and the most challenging through filming this story set in the 60s and 70s?
I think the most fascinating thing was getting to know the city we came from and seeing who were the ones who achieved what we have today.
You’ve been acting since a young age. What made you become so passionate about acting and performing?
I think what led me to acting as a child was the possibility of pushing the edges of my reality and being able to put myself in the shoes of other people and other experiences.
left
full look KENZO
right
full look DOLCE & GABBANA
Out of all the roles you’ve gotten to portray so far, which one left the biggest impact on you personally?
It's impossible to choose just one role throughout a career. You like some because they're so well written, some because of what they've meant to your career, others because of what they've taught you as an actor. I'll say I'll stick with the one that's yet to come.
What usually excites you the most about taking on a new project and new role?
What excites me the most about taking on a new character is the idea of being able to make my imagination and my empathy broader than they were.
You’ve also performed in theatre. How do live performances and on screen performances compare in your eyes?
Theatre and cinema are different. Sometimes they seem like different jobs because of the way they are worked. Even so, I try to make them come from the same commitment, the same demands and the same discipline despite the difference in time between one and the other.
left
full look LOUIS VUITTON
right
full look KENZO
What do you consider the biggest reward for your work?
The depth with which you approach different personalities, itinerancy and anti-routine.
Outside of acting, what are your other passions and biggest hobbies in life?
Reading and running is what I enjoy most when I'm not working. I read and run all the time.
What can you tell us about your upcoming projects for this and next year?
This year will be full of good news. I'm returning to the theatre with ‘Jauría’, a show we did last year, and I'm also premiering a new one in February,’The Inheritance’ by Matthew Lopez at the Teatre Lliure, a challenge I'm really looking forward to. I also have several films to premiere. At the San Sebastian Festival, ‘Es el enemigo?’ by Alexis Morante, then ‘También esto pasará’ by María Ripoll and based on the novel by Milena Busquets, and ‘The Birthday Party’, an international co-production directed by the Spaniard Miguel Ángel Jiménez and starring Willem Dafoe.
full look DOLCE & GABBANA
TEAM CREDITS
talent CARLOS CUEVAS
photography DAVID VICHO
styling SERGI PARDIAL
makeup & hair EVA GARCIA
production 286 AGENCY
location STUDIO 101
filmlab BIENBIEN
editor-in-chief TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA
