After leaving his career in chemical engineering to dedicate himself to acting, Bernardo Coimbra has been consolidating himself as a promising name in theater and audiovisual. The actor and screenwriter is known for the web series “Cidadão Não, Ator”, nominated in six categories at Riowebfest 2022, and for successes in theater, such as “AMIGAS”, directed by Ernesto Piccolo. Now, Bernardo is preparing to release his new comedy “Alguma Coisa Falta Aqui”, directed by Stella Rabello.
Bernardo, you left your career in chemical engineering in 2019 to pursue acting. What led you to make such a significant decision? Was it a natural process or did something specific awaken this desire in you?
Acting was always something I thought I could do at some point in my life, but I didn’t have much concrete experience. I studied theater for 2 years in school, but from 2009 to 2019, I had no contact with the field. In 2018, I saw the film “Call Me by Your Name” by Luca Guadagnino, and it awakened feelings in me that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. One of them was realizing that we spend a lot of time making decisions based on what people expect of us, both in terms of our sexuality and our careers. So I decided that I didn’t want to wait any longer, I would graduate, get my diploma and study acting. At the time, I thought that if I didn’t like it, I could just go back, but today I think, ‘how did it take me so long to make this choice?’
The web series “Cidadão Não, Ator” was a project in which you not only acted, but also conceived and wrote the script. How was it to reconcile these different roles and what did you learn about yourself during this creative process?
“Cidadão Não, Ator” is my favorite. I have a lot of affection for this project. I conceived it and created it together with my group of friends from CAL. A group of five students trying to put together an audiovisual product, none of whom had ever worked with it. It was a lot of fun. The first season was chaotic because of all the tasks, but it was essential for my personal and creative development. I wrote it, we recorded it, and we edited it. If we didn’t like it, I would write it all over again and we would repeat the process. We did it this way for five months. This allowed me to learn screenwriting in practice. Seeing the final result of something you wrote is very satisfying.
You were nominated in six categories at Riowebfest 2022, including best actor. What was it like for you to receive this recognition so early in your career? Did it change your outlook on your professional future in any way?
In the second season of the series, we invested more money from our own pockets and hired a larger team to do the technical part, so the six nominations at Riowebfest 2022 were very gratifying. Award nominations always give you a boost and a certain affirmation about the work you are doing, especially coming from a project that is very much my style. Being present as one of the nominees also helped me understand a path through comedy, which is an area that has always interested me a lot.
In “AMIGAS” you were on stage for more than six months, with great success with the public. What do you think made this play connect so much with people? Was there a memorable moment behind the scenes that you could share?
AMIGAS was a gift in my life. I was invited by Bel, Luiza and Julia to play the male characters and we had no idea how successful it would be. I think the play speaks a lot to young audiences, especially female ones, about subjects like sex, passions and friendships in a very relatable, light and fun way. I played 18 characters that the girls interacted with throughout the show and it gave me the opportunity to show how ridiculous some behaviors of men in our lives can be. Many people at the end of the play come up to me and tell me how I seem like some “trashy boy” they’ve been with. I think a curious thing about backstage is that throughout the 6-month season, the girls and I liked to innovate the script, so we used to make new jokes without telling the other cast members, which ended up generating a lot of laughter during the scene because it was always a surprise what might come next.
Now you are about to premiere “Alguma Coisa Falta Aqui”, a comedy written by you and directed by Stella Rabello. How did the idea for this play come about and what has the process of creating this new work been like?
“Something’s Missing Here” is a project that started in 2021 with the idea of putting together a comedy sketch play. It was my first playwright’s text, so it was another opportunity to experiment with what I liked or didn’t like about writing. And I’m glad that these four years have passed since the beginning of the process because I think I’ve matured a lot since then. I like to think that comedy doesn’t necessarily have to be a place to laugh and entertain only. Comedy is for people to be able to relate to deep issues through humor. Stella joined us this year and we should start the rehearsal process now! The premiere is scheduled for the second half of 2025.
You have worked in different formats — cinema, TV, theater and web series . Is there a medium that you consider more challenging or that gives you more freedom as an artist?
The greatest experience I have among these mediums is definitely theater. It is a place where I understand well how I function and how I like to work. I think that the long processes of theater and the fact that it is something collective, give me a freedom of experimentation and creation that makes me very excited and comfortable. I consider TV to be more challenging because of the speed at which its work is delivered and because it reaches a very large audience.
Working with renowned directors like Esmir Filho and Ernesto Piccolo must have been an enriching experience. What was the biggest lesson you learned from these collaborations for your work as an actor and screenwriter?
Neco (Ernesto Piccolo) was one of the coolest theater directors I’ve ever worked with. Not only was the script very entertaining, but he had already played the character I would play in the new version of AMIGAS, so we had a great exchange. He’s a very attentive director, very open to new proposals and with an incredible vision of the whole. I learned a lot from him. Esmir had a great touch with the cast and a great relationship with the crew. I’ve admired his work for a while now, so I was very happy to have the opportunity to work with him on a film as powerful as ‘Man with an H’.
Looking back at everything you’ve accomplished so far — from the screen to the stage — what would you say to Bernardo who was leaving engineering to pursue art? Do you think he’d be surprised by what you’ve accomplished so far?
He would certainly be very happy and surprised with the direction his life has taken him. When we change professions, we usually set an expiration date for things to ‘work out’. That’s so naive. As if ‘working out’ means continuing in a profession that doesn’t make you happy. I’m very passionate about my work and fascinated by everything I’ve absorbed since leaving the world of exact sciences. I think I would say to that Bernardo who was anxious about the change: “Calm down, life, it’s fine!” He wouldn’t know the song yet, but he certainly wouldn’t need to be so worried about the future.
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