IN CONVERSATION WITH PENÉLOPE GUERRERO

interview by JANA LETONJA

Spanish actress Penélope Guerrero made her television debut in 'Sky Rojo', the Netflix series created by the minds behind 'Money Heist'. Penélope is now expanding her career internationally, moving between Los Angeles and Mexico City in pursuit of new projects.

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shirt DIOR
pants WILLY CHAVARRIA

Penélope, you made your television debut in ‘Sky Rojo’. What was that experience like, especially being a part of a show created by the same minds behind ‘Money Heist’?

‘Sky Rojo’ was my first job as an actress and also my first experience on a film set, so it was a real learning experience for me. Being able to see firsthand how a project of such magnitude operates behind the scenes gave me a lot of tools to apply to my profession, as well as valuable acting experience thanks to working alongside great actors from my country, such as Asier Etxeandía and Enric Auquer, and also with the Argentine actress Lali Espósito. It was a project that lasted several years, as we had to pause filming due to Covid, but the lessons I learned made it all worth it.

Can you tell us about the journey that led you to acting? Were there any specific moments or influences that pushed you to pursue a career in this field?

Honestly, I never intended to pursue acting. From a very young age, both in school and high school, I participated in many theater productions, and I remember enjoying not only the rehearsals and the creative process with my classmates, but also the moment of stepping on stage and facing the audience. However, I grew up in an environment, both at school and at home, where I didn’t find the inspiration to believe that being an actress was a real possibility. It wasn't until the casting process for the series ‘Veneno’ began that my then agent reached out to me suggesting me to audition. Even though I didn't land a role in that series, that casting process marked the beginning of my acting career, leading me to be one of the main characters of the sequel of ‘Veneno’, ‘Dressed in Blue’.

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blouse CATFIGHT
pants WINDBREAKER
shoes THE JALISCO

As you mentioned, you went on to play a leading role in ‘Dressed in Blue’, the sequel to ‘Veneno’. What was it like to take on such a significant role, and how did you prepare for it?

‘Dressed in Blue’ is still the project I have treated with the most care and love. Considering that it's a biopic about six women who worked as prostitutes after Spanish dictatorship, the responsibility of portraying my character with respect was even greater. I was fortunate to play Nacha, one of the few women who, luckily, is still alive today. This allowed me to reach out to her and learn more about her story and the reasons behind some of the decisions she made, and obviously she played a very important role in my creative process towards the character. Meanwhile, I also realized that despite the generational gap, we actually have quite a lot in common when it comes to facing the world and viewing life. To this day, it remains the project that has made me feel the proudest of my work.

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skirt WILLY x ADIDAS

Looking back at your early work and comparing it to where you are now, what has been the biggest challenge and the most rewarding aspect of your career?

I believe life has its own timing and reasons. I started working on a huge project where I had a very small role, and now I've ended up walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with a movie in which I play the leading role. That, of course, has been the most rewarding experience of my career. However, even today, one of the biggest challenges is being valued by the industry for my talent rather than for the fact that, due to my identity, I am only considered for certain types of roles. This limits my ability to expand my range as an actress and take on different kinds of characters and roles that I know I am fully capable of bringing to life on screen.

How do you approach each new project, and do you find yourself gravitating toward specific types of roles?

Every time I start a new project, I try to be as flexible as possible and let myself be guided by the director. I believe it’s important not to take anything for granted and to maintain an active listening approach so I can bring their vision of the character to life on screen, always making suggestions that I think might add authenticity. As I mentioned earlier, I would love to play roles that go beyond my own gender identity, characters that are simply part of the story, where audiences can relate to their experiences regardless of my personal reality. I think this is the next step the industry needs to take in order to achieve true inclusivity, casting actors for their talent rather than their background.

Your career has taken you from Spain to Argentina, and now you’re working internationally. How have you adapted to these different cultural and professional environments?

In my personal life, I invest as much time and money as possible in traveling, so whenever I get the chance to work on a project abroad, it feels like a gift. I always try to learn from every new culture I encounter and incorporate them into my character whenever possible and when it benefits their development. In my most recent film, ‘Transmitzvah’, which I shot in Buenos Aires, my character was a Jewish woman. Coming from a predominantly Christian culture in Spain, my knowledge of Judaism was quite limited. So, being able to immerse myself in a culture with traditions that were unfamiliar to me was incredibly enriching, and it definitely helped me better understand my character’s roots.

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What is the most exciting part of expanding your career internationally, and how do you manage to stay true to your roots while embracing these new opportunities?

Of course, knowing that I might have the chance to work with actors and actresses who have been an inspiration to me is one of the most exciting things about this journey. But without a doubt, the most important part is reaching a larger audience. At the end of the day, Spanish productions don’t have the same global reach as US or Latin American industries, so having the opportunity to be a reference for millions of people abroad is one of my biggest and most thrilling goals. I also believe that by doing so, people who have seen me grow will realize that it is possible to embrace yourself beyond the limitations we've been taught to accept.

As a Spanish actress navigating both European and international industries, what are your thoughts on diversity and representation in the entertainment world today?

I think there’s still a lot of work to be done in this regard. Personally, I've played three prostitutes throughout my career, which shows how the industry still assigns a certain type of roles to women like me. That's why I believe artists like myself have a responsibility to drive change from within the industry. It's still difficult for directors, producers, screenwriters, and casting directors to see beyond a person's identity and focus solely on their talent. Sixty years ago, Black actors were mostly cast as criminals or servants. Today, we have Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Omar Sy leading major productions. That's the level of representation transgender people need to achieve in this industry, without always having to make projects where our identity is the central theme.

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Who have been some of your personal acting inspirations and mentors, and how have they influenced your perspective on representation in the industry?

As I mentioned earlier in the interview, in high school I had the chance to participate in a theater workshop where we created musicals that we would later perform during free periods and school events. The person in charge of this was the school's former principal, a playwright and passionate lover of theater and literature. Without realizing it at the time, he was the one who opened the doors to this wonderful profession for me. Since then, I've felt deeply connected to cinema, and actresses like Jessica Lange, Cate Blanchett or Jennifer Lawrence, as well as some Spanish colleagues like Inma Cuesta and Patricia López Arnaiz, have been great sources of inspiration. I also find a lot of motivation in the careers of actresses like Olivia Colman, who, despite years of struggling to land roles, eventually gained major recognition. Their journeys inspire me to keep growing as an actress and knowing that it’s never too late. 

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Looking forward, what are your goals in terms of making a meaningful impact on the representation of diverse voices in the entertainment industry?

My only goal is to be treated, chosen, and valued for my talent, and not to feel that my identity is either a barrier or a shortcut in my career. Being treated as just another actress and having the opportunity to get into movie theaters and in the homes of all kinds of audiences is the only way we will truly be seen as the human beings.

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pants CHOLO CHINO
shoes JALISCO

TEAM CREDITS:

talent PENELOPE GUERRERO
photography BY MARCO OVANDO
styling MARCO OVANDO FOR WILLY CHAVARRÍA
makeup ESTEBAN MARTINEZ
interview JANA LETONJA