IN CONVERSATION WITH MIGUEL ÁNGEL SILVESTRE

interview by JANA LETONJA

Miguel Ángel Silvestre has built one of the most dynamic and internationally resonant careers in contemporary Spanish cinema and television. From his breakout role as Rafael Duque in Sin tetas no hay paraíso to global hits like Velvet, Sense8, Narcos, La Casa de Papel, and 30 Monedas, he has consistently chosen bold, emotionally charged characters that push both personal and cultural boundaries. Now, with the release of the feature film La Fiera and major upcoming projects including the historical epic Carlota, his career continues to expand across genres, languages, and continents. 

jacket, sweater and trousers GIORGIO ARMANI
bag EMPORIO ARMANI
boots JIMMY CHOO

Looking back at your early work, from Vida y Color to La Distancia, did you sense early on the kind of career you wanted to build?

I was studying as an actor for a while, and that's where I wanted to be. And of course, I was studying careers of Javier Bardem or Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Daniel Day Lewis, Marlon Brando, many actors that I admire a lot the way they would work. I also wanted to have that type of careers. But in a way, when that first opportunity came, I wasn't thinking about that, I was thinking about how I felt very thankful and grateful to have an opportunity on any of the work that could come in this business. I think that I've been very fortunate. I had the opportunity to work with directors that I really admire and that helped me to build a career, which I like sometimes, but at the same time I think that the best is yet to come. The beautiful thing about this career is that it never ends. Also, at the same time I heard Michael Caine talking many times about how every work builds something in you, and I like that. Of course, it takes me a lot to make a decision every time I choose a movie or a TV show. I think all the paths lead to Rome, that I would say.  

Sin tetas no hay paraíso was a defining moment. How did that role change your life and your relationship with fame?

For the role of El Duque, I was working with my acting coach and I never thought it was going to be that successful. Of course, I feel very thankful, and I would do it again. It gave me beautiful energies and beautiful opportunities, and I think till now many people still remember me for that role. It brings good memories and nice thoughts to their minds and that's very good because it still opens doors for me. 

You’ve often played characters living on the edge. What draws you to roles that carry emotional or moral complexity?

Those are the characters that make you have more fun. I've always tried to do different characters and sometimes the difference is very little, but I think this business in film and TV show making is about sedulities. I try to work deep in every character that I do. 

overshirt and shirt KARL LAGERFELD
shorts IT-SPAIN
tie FERRAGAMO
belt D ́SQUARED2

suit PEDRO DEL HIERRO
shirt and tie FERRAGAMO
boots IT-SPAIN
steel thimbles ALEX SOBRON

How do you decide when a project is worth taking a risk on?

Doing a movie is kind of a beautiful miracle of a mix of many departments working together and taking many risks. I think in every project there is a risk, some of them assumed by the captain of the project, which can be the director or the producer, and if you trust them, sometimes even if you have certain doubts, the come-out is going to be great because of them. It's always something that is there. Even when you are preparing the character and having a proposal for the character, sometimes you think “Is this going to be understood?” And every day, in every scene, there's little risks that you have to face, but what I would say to myself in order to encourage myself when these things come to my mind or the doubts come to my mind is that mistakes in art are welcome.

Playing a gay character in Sense8 was groundbreaking for many viewers. What did that experience mean to you personally?

I remember when Carmen Cuba, the casting director, gave me the opportunity to do an audition for her. It was a TV Show called Sense8. At that time, I didn't know much about the show. I did know about the character and while I was doing the audition, I think that Carmen Cuba could see that I was very open minded and understanding of the character. Then she started to open up, telling me a little bit more about the TV show. She told me it was for the Wachowski Sisters and was their new show. 

I think they could see that I was really willing to honour every single line of my character and also all the storytelling and the storylines of the show, so we were all in the same vibe. The rehearsals were beautiful in San Francisco, then we traveled to Berlin, we went to very special places and also special cities for LGQTB+ people, and we had the opportunity to lead the gay parade in Sao Paulo, in San Francisco, LA, many places.

breastplate IT-SPAIN
spear ALEX SOBRON
pants GIORGIO ARMANI

arrow ALEX SOBRON

From romantic dramas to horror and crime thrillers, you’ve explored many genres. Is there one that challenges you the most?

No genre scares me, as long as I have the right tools to prepare them along with the director and production team to help me in the process and guide me. I think that's a key thing to make a performance shine, team work and guidance from the director.

What can audiences expect from La Fiera, and how does it differ from your recent work? 

La Fiera is a movie that is full of adrenaline, but it's also interesting to dive a little bit into the real story about these people that were risking their lives every time they jumped. I think it is interesting to not judge and try to understand why they really needed that to feel alive and also all the consequences, all the conversations with their families. It is nice to look at it from perspective and try to understand the minds of these athletes that were risking their lives, and even some of their friends dying. They were prioritising the love for the sport, rather than the fear they were feeling. 

full look PRADA
necklace ALEX SOBRON

suit, shirt, and tie MOSCHINO
boots IT-SPAIN
ring and spear ALEX SOBRON

Another upcoming project of yours, Carlota, explores the life of the Empress of Mexico. What excites you most about this historical project?

What excites me the most about Carlota is that it has a structure of love and tragedy that I like. It reminds me of the structures Lorca would use in some of his plays where love and desire were sometimes not in the same direction. And you can't choose between what your mind is telling you or what your guts are driving you to. So, that's what excites me the most, and then I like how we are playing here with so many different genres. Also, I love the challenge that the director and all the departments are going to face doing a storyline that takes place in the 1800s, and how they are going to mix that with actual music, speeding rhythm, and comedy. I think the mix of all of that is a nice challenge for all of them, and I'm really excited to see the outcome.

full look BOSS
socks and garter belts CALZEDONIA
thimbles ALEX SOBRON

left:
full look PRADA
necklace ALEX SOBRON

right:
ring ALEX SOBRON

How does working across Spain, Mexico, and Colombia influence your perspective as an actor?

To travel around the world always helps you become a better actor. It gives you more empathy, you start to understand other motivations, ways of living and in a way, it gives you a different perspective of your performance. I think it always adds value to travel and to get to know different cultures. The more you travel, the more open minded you can become. 

coat GIORGIO ARMANI
shorts vintage RICK OWENS
bag FERRAGAMO
belt BIKKEMBERGS
socks and garter belt CALZEDONIA
boots JIMMY CHOO

After two decades in the industry, how has your definition of success evolved?

I would say that the definition of success for me is enjoying the journey. In the end, it's what we're going to carry our whole lives. But I would say that to enjoy the journey, you have to be very prepared. You have to be prepared for the movie or TV show very much, so when you get to set, you get to really absorb, and you can hear every instrument next to you, every department next to you, so you can work with all of them. Then, you become a great family and you're never going to forget that experience. 

I would say that: enjoy the journey. If you're going to enjoy the journey, you're going to be very prepared. So, you can really play with all of your team, all together. And then, sometimes, the magic happens, and it's beautiful to share the magic with all the team, because you've created a family like that.

Is there a role or genre you still feel you haven’t fully explored? 

If you would ask me what kind of movie I would like to do or what movie I would have loved to do, I would say God’s Own Country. It’s the first one that comes to my mind. 

TEAM CREDITS:

talent MIGUEL ÁNGEL SILVESTRE
photography VALERO RIOJA at Mr Perez Management
art direction VALERO RIOJA and ABRAHAM GUTIÉRREZ
styling ABRAHAM GUTIÉRREZ
hair and makeup PEDRO CEDEÑO at NS Management using ARMANI BEAUTY
photography assistance PEDRO MELO and ANDRES MAIZO BARBOSA
styling assistance OLGA PLAZA LÓPEZ
videography ALEJANDRO DOMÍNGUEZ ORDÓÑEZ
production Mr Perez Management
studio La Madame Perez Studio
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial direction and interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN