Actor who participated in biblical productions by Record lived in the Spanish capital for three months and should return in March of this year to record a short film
José Boni took the first steps towards his international career. After participating in the second season of “Reis” he starred in an advertising film directed by Nacho Clemente in the Spanish capital. Boni resided from September to December 2022, and in Spanish lands he has already signed a partnership with the actors office “Wanted Agency”.
The actor collects more than 10 theatrical shows, 14 short films and acted in three works of Rede Record: Jesus, Genesis and Reis. Check out the interview!
After the success of the second season of “Reis”, you are about to leave for Madrid, where you will work on a short film. How are the preparations going for this trip and what are the expectations for the project?
Madrid has already become my second home, I have been working to establish myself in the Spanish capital since 2020, I have been a few times and since last September I have established residence and Madrid has become my second home. I already have an office for actors in the city and I have been making an air bridge between Brazil and Spain possible. Among the projects in Spain, the short “Lobo” is the one that is already in the pre-production phase and there is great expectation around the project, since it will be my first project for cinema in Spanish language. As it is the first project, I have butterflies in my stomach about how my performance in another language will be received, how the exchange will be with the other actors who are native speakers, as well as with the production and direction team. It’s all very new, but I feel prepared and very happy to be able to live this challenge.
This is his second trip to the Spanish capital for work, the first being an advertising film for director Nacho Clemente. How does the Spanish experience compare to the Brazilian one?
It is still difficult to make a comparison between the two ways of working. As my professional experience in Spain so far has been with advertising, I could only say about this segment and in this segment I noticed many similarities. For example: in both countries there is a need to do the best in a shorter period of time; there is a dialogue between the set and the client to approve what is being recorded, in addition to many other similarities in the field of production. Recording an advertisement in Brazil and Spain, in my opinion, has the big difference in the language.
If there’s one thing that affects many people even on short trips, it’s cultural diversity. What else has attracted you to Spanish lands and what was it like living there last year?
I can say that my relationship with Spain was love at first sight. My first time in the country was in 2011 when I went to Barcelona and I was already enchanted. I like the people, the food, the cinema, the music. The Spanish people are very receptive, they are happy and in this respect they are very similar to us Brazilians, which makes coexistence a lot easier.
The experience of living in Madrid was the best possible. In the beginning, my fluency in the language was still blocked and at times I got lost, but I soon managed to resolve this and communicate perfectly with people, and communication was a crucial factor in adapting. Madrid is a wonderful city with an incredible cultural structure. There are many theaters, museums, as well as beautiful parks and squares. There’s always something to do. And in addition to the cultural part, the city is also full of bars and has a very busy nightlife, there is programming for all tastes.
Despite being fluent in the language, you went through some studies with the masters José Carrasco and Dário Facal to be able to apply fluency in acting. Did the use of the language give you a lot of work at the beginning?
Studying acting with local professionals was of unique importance. There’s a big difference between communicating in everyday life and acting out a scene on set or on stage. First, because you appropriate the words of an author, second, because you have to be ready to dialogue in line with what is proposed by the direction, in addition to being available to your impulses in the face of what the other actor gives you. This dynamic in another language is often mind-boggling, because there’s no time to mentally translate it, you’re forced to think in Spanish and it doesn’t happen right away, you conquer this quality scene by scene. Some are frustrated by not being able to respond to the events of the scene in the ideal time, but when it happens, and it is possible to reach this time, it is very rewarding. At some point I started to have the same experiences as when I started studying acting, but with a broader understanding of the craft, so the experience is very profound. Of course, going through this process with these two enlightened beings that are Dário and Carrasco made all the difference, I believe that without them it would have been much more difficult and painful.
In general, how can studying languages help in the career of those who want to work with art?
I believe that studying languages breaks boundaries and gives you the possibility to exchange with a greater number of people and that is incredible. Speaking another language for the actor is the key to new stories, new characters. My choice to delve into Spanish came from the real possibility of acting in Spanish and Latin productions, to enter a new range of opportunities.
In addition to your long career, you participated in three Record works, which were “Jesus”, “Genesis” and “Reis”, which managed to faithfully treat historical moments of the Bible. Do participating in period productions usually bring more responsibility with the construction of characters?
In my way of thinking, the responsibility for building a character is the same in any story you help tell. However, telling stories linked to the bestselling book in the world comes with an extra responsibility, let’s put it this way. This extra responsibility comes from the fact that people already have a point of view about these characters, so you have to be very careful not to direct your performance to what is expected, much less to judge the character that comes to life through you. . It is a craftsmanship that shows in the details. It needs commitment and dedication, but in the end it is always very pleasant and rewarding.
Follow José Boni on Instagram