IN CONVERSATION WITH MIGUEL HERRÁN

interview by PELAYO SALOR

Miguel Herrán is embarking on new projects with a very mature perspective, carefully choosing what to do and knowing precisely where he wants to go. The actor, who began his career at just 17 years old, is now celebrating 10 years in the profession with new aspirations, a deep sense of professionalism, and a very realistic view of the acting world.

sunglasses BOSS via Safilo
top ABANDERADO
trousers MANS CONCEPT
shoes GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI
jewellery Miguel's own

Among an entire new generation of actors, Miguel stands out for his naturalness, charisma, and a very realistic perspective on the film industry. At just 17 years old, he made his first film, for which he received the Goya Award for Best New Actor. "A cambio de nada" would become his first project and the one he holds most dear. "On a personal level, the most transformative role has been that of "A cambio de nada", the film I made with Daniel Guzmán, my first film, and, in a way, the one that led me to discover this world, enter this profession, this industry, and made me want to study and progress as a person.”

However, it was in 'Modelo 77,' Alberto Rodríguez's film, where the young actor stopped feeling imposter syndrome and said, 'I started to believe that I already had enough tools to consider myself an actor.”

He has worked on many projects in both film and television, among them is Elite, a series in which he played Christian and where he met his co-star in his next project, 'La Tregua,' Aron Piper. Now, he is clear about the decisive factors for starting a new project: 'That I like the script, a priori, that I trust the story being told – to think that it can be interesting. Also, to have a character that can be enriching both for me and for my career, and, that I know I can contribute something to it. There's something less important, but since I recently became a father, dates are very important. I've recently become a father, and I want to be able to enjoy my daughter, that it's not too far from Spain so I can be with her, so I don't miss this stage of her life which passes very quickly. And, I won't deny it, depending on the economic situation, the remuneration.'

full look FERRAGAMO
jewellery Miguel's own

As he mentioned, Miguel started a project, but this time a life-changing one: becoming a father. When we talk about preparing for some more intense roles, he comments that 'Being a father is very intense, so it helps quite a bit with that, but it doesn't pose any impediment. Something very beautiful about the profession I practice is that if you are perceptive enough, you can use all the things that happen to you in life to transform them into tools that help you reach specific points in a performance or to be able to empathize with characters. The most beautiful thing about this profession is that life itself gives you so much.'

Miguel has worked on different projects, many with a quite intense physical demand, which means that, for various roles, he has had to prepare in one way or another. Often not only physically but also mentally, regarding this, the actor comments: 'It depends on the character and what it requires. There are characters that are much easier for me, and all I do is read the script, without imbuing it with any intention. I use a specific exercise to be able to flow in a scene with my colleagues, which is to not fix anything. When I rehearse, I only rehearse the text, but, on an emotional level, from all points of view. Let's say I can do a very emotional scene crying by myself at home, I can do it laughing, I can do it like a robot repeating the text… This allows me to arrive on set and be able to build something there with my colleagues, without a pre-fixed idea that doesn't allow me to move.'

full look FERRAGAMO
jewellery Miguel's own

full look GIORGIO ARMANI
shoes GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

When he collected the Goya at 17, he addressed Daniel Guzmán, the film's director, with the following words: 'You have made a kid with no aspirations, no desire to study, discover a new world and cling to this life as if there were no other. You have given me a life, Daniel.' Throughout this interview, the actor fondly recalls his first job and speaks of it as a good memory: 'Dani taught me a lot, he guided me by the hand, and he took great care of me. He was with me a lot, drawing out feelings from personal things. Although it was tough due to my youth at the time, looking back, I remember it with great affection.'

On the other hand, an actor's life also has tougher or more intense moments. He recalls how, when he met Alberto Rodríguez, the director believed Miguel was not, let's say, in such good shape. The problem was that on the first day of filming, Miguel arrived after training, wearing a tank top. Alberto then stopped him and said: 'You can't film like this, you're huge.' It should be noted that the story of 'Modelo 77' narrates the story of a young accountant who faces a long prison sentence for a minor offense. 'That's where we entered a moment of crisis; there was very little time to start filming, and the pressure to lose weight was very tough. I even told him to consider the option of taking another actor. It was one of the toughest moments.'

full look JIL SANDER

Miguel has just finished filming 'La Tregua' (The Truce), a Spanish co-production directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas, starring Miguel Herrán and Arón Piper, and based on real events about Spanish soldiers who survived in a Soviet gulag during World War II. The film, which explores the forced coexistence between Republican and Blue Division soldiers under extreme conditions, is set to premiere in 2025.

Regarding his new project, he comments: 'What personally attracted me was the script. When you read it, it draws you into a part of Spanish history that I wasn't familiar with. How it's written, how it talks about how the extreme right and the extreme left find themselves together in a moment of such political division, and how they find themselves in a war in a country that wasn't their own, it seemed like a project where, if you can, you simply have to be a part of it.'

full look VALENTINO

In this project, he reunites with Aron Piper, the actor with whom he filmed Elite and who will co-star in the movie with him. 'It went very well; I discovered a different Aron, more professionally mature. I met him on Elite, a very youthful series, full of youthful energy and hormones, and it's true that here I've seen him as a much more mature actor. With a different kind of personality and a great commitment to his work. He has been a very good colleague, and I have really enjoyed the character preparation process.'

full look JACQUEMUS
hat VALENTINO
lighter TWOJEYS

The film is based on the story of Spanish prisoners who survived in a gulag in Russia, which is why, for its filming, they had to recreate very adverse conditions. 'It's true that during the final sequences, which were nocturnal, at minus 2 degrees Celsius, with rain, we were soaked with heavy, wet clothes, and we were filming for over 11 hours... Physically, that has been one of the toughest things I've done in my career. I must say that Aron endured stoically, and our only problem was emotional exhaustion.'

This type of project inadvertently changes the process of accepting future characters and stories. Even so, Miguel speaks of a sense of calm that comes to him as he works and years pass. 'You start to feel more secure and understand your profession better; we understand how the industry works. It's not the same as when we started; all of us who are in a good position now started from scratch at some point. And when you're starting out, you practically must take everything not to let opportunities pass, no matter how small. Over time, you become more selective, not only because of lived experiences but also because of the peace of mind that building a career gives you and not having to take every opportunity. I do this because I love it, but just like anyone who has a passion for what they do, over the years, one tends to relax.'

shirt and trousers DOLCE & GABBANA
belt GIORGIO ARMANI
jewellery Miguel's own

Miguel possesses a career with immense potential, yet this has not taken away his humility and the down-to-earth nature of a 297-year-old who lives his profession with admirable passion. He is proud of all the projects he has done, but now he's starting to feel the itch to direct, to try another part of the industry that he's passionate about and which he also considers a very important role.

Looking ahead 5 years, he envisions diversifying: 'I love my profession, I don't want to leave it, but I believe that with the arrival of AI, we are in an era of many changes, and the audiovisual and entertainment industry is going to change a lot. I'm a little afraid that we might start running out of work and become more dispensable when it comes to filming series, movies, or content. Above all, what I want is to diversify, to be able to do different things, without losing the ability to continue practicing this profession.'

Ultimately, talking with Miguel is like talking with a good friend who knows what he wants, who doesn't forget where he comes from, and who is deeply grateful for all the opportunities life offers him. To the question, 'What would you say to your 17-year-old self?' Miguel responds with realism and leaves us with a quote that I believe we could all apply: 'I wouldn't tell him absolutely anything because I am very happy with the person I am today, and that is, in part, due to all the processes that have led me here. If I were to tell him something, I wouldn't arrive in the same way and at the same place.'

One thing is clear: that 17-year-old Miguel should be very proud of what he has achieved and of the actor and, above all, the cool person he has become.

TEAM CREDITS:

talent MIGUEL HERRÁN
photography and creative direction SERGIO GONZÁLEZ
styling CATERINA OSPINA
grooming FERNANDO TORRENT using YSL Beauty
production SAIK PROD
executive producers ALEJANDRO MUNOZ, CARLOTA SIEIRA & GLORIA LAFARGA
press officer ALEJANDRO MADRID
photography assistant ÁLVARO CORONADO
styling assistant LUISA BENÍTEZ
location THE PALACE MADRID
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
interview PELAYO SALOR
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN