IN CONVERSATION WITH JULIO PEÑA

interview by JANA LETONJA

Actor Julio Peña is best known to fans from his role as Roi in Netflix’s ‘Berlin’, the spin-off of the hit show ‘La casa de papel’. He has also starred in Netflix’s trilogy, ‘A Través de mi Ventana’, ‘A Través del Mar’ and ‘A Través de tu Mirada’. Next up, we’ll be seeing Julio in ‘El Cautivo’, where he’ll be portraying the historical role of Miguel de Cervantes’.

Julio, earlier this year, we’ve been able to watch you in Netflix’s series ‘Berlin’. How exciting was taking on this role and this project for you?

Honestly, it felt like an amazing opportunity. I had been working on TV since I was 17 and I was feeling confident to take on a bigger role like Roi. Also being able to work with such an amazing team was a huge gift, and every moment of the process, from the rehearsals to the end of the shooting 9 months later, was so exciting and fun.

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How did you get cast on the series?

I had previously auditioned for the fifth season of ‘La casa de papel’ and although I did get close, I wasn’t casted for the role. A couple of years later, they called me in to audition for the role of Roi, so I took the chance and after some weeks of waiting I got the call.

Did the original show’s, ‘La casa de papel’, success in any way made you nervous going into filming?

From the moment we started rehearsing it was made clear that ‘Berlín’ was very different from its predecessor. The creators of the show wanted to make a feel-good series for people to enjoy with their families, a romantic comedy mixed with the thrill of heists. So even though we were nervous at first, the idea of making something new and fresh for the fans made it easy for us to do our own thing.

The series has been renewed for a second season. Can you tease anything about what can the fans expect when ‘Berlin’ returns?

I don’t know much about the second season yet, but it’ll be very interesting to explore the characters now that we know them a bit better. As a big fan of Pedro’s character Berlin, I would love to see more of the transition from the character we got in the spin-off to the one we saw in ‘La casa de papel’.

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What made you connect with your character Roi the most, and what excited you the most about portraying him?

What really made me connect with Roi was his journey to becoming a better version of himself. I was very lucky to be able to create some of his backstory, with the help of my cast mates Begoña and Joel, which actually ended up being a part of the last episode. Also, his relationship with Berlin is one of my favorite things about the series, working on those scenes with Pedro was so much fun.

Before ‘Berlin’, fans got to know you in Netflix’s trilogy ‘A través’. What did you enjoy the most about this project and how did it impact your career?

Working on ‘A traves’ trilogy was a great gift for me and my career. It was the first time I got to work in an actual movie, so it was a great deal for me. I think the best thing about these movies was getting to know and work with Clara. She’s an amazing person and colleague, and together we had to go through a lot while filming these movies. This trilogy marked an inflection point in my career.

Before acting on screen, you’ve done quite some theater productions, like ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’. What have you learned about acting from your work in theater, and how has it prepared you for acting in front of the camera?

I was lucky to be able to do a lot of theatre from a young age. I started when I was 10, and all those years were my only training for what came next. I feel acting on stage and acting in front of a camera are two very different things that share a soul.  I will always love both for their particularities. I still do theatre nowadays whenever I can. For me, it will always feel like home.

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You are also passionate about cooking and have taken first steps as a professional, getting the first course at the prestigious cooking school Le Cordon Bleu. Tell us more about this passion of yours and what make you enjoy and love it so much.

Yes, I do enjoy cooking very much. For me, there’s two sides to it. The more disciplined side, which I really enjoy because it makes me work on my focus and ability to plan in advance and manage my time, and the more artistic side, because cooking feels like painting with a huge palette of flavor profiles and techniques, which is extremely interesting. One of the things I most enjoy about cooking is the social aspect of it. Being able to gather friends and family around the table and enjoy an amazing meal together is one of the most beautiful things in life.

Tell us also more about yourself and your other hobbies we might not know about yet.

I’ve had a lot of different hobbies throughout the years, but I would love to give music a go. I’ve always wanted to, but timing has never been right. Hopefully, I’ll get to make some music soon.

Next up, we’ll be seeing you in ‘El cautivo’, portraying the historical Miguel de Cervantes. What can you share with us about this exciting project?

I can’t share much about this project, but I can say it’s my favorite thing I’ve done so far. Working with Alejandro and all the team was a beautiful experience, and an amazing challenge for me and my career. The movie portrays a young Miguel de Cervantes while he was captive in Algiers, and It’s a beautiful story of adventure, passion, friendship and the journey of a young man who longs to find his true self.

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TEAM CREDITS:
talent JULIO PEÑA
photographer ANDRÉS GARCÍA LUJÁN
stylist FREDDY ALONSO
makeup MARÍA BARRERA
styling assistant KIM BONNEY
photography assistant ISABEL ANDEUZA
studio LA MADAME by MR PEREZ MANAGEMENT
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA