Interview with EFA Ambassador Belén Rueda



You began as a host in television and played in TV series for many years before playing dramatic parts in film and also theatre. How did these early experiences help you as a character actress?
I was very excited and very keen on learning. They gave me the opportunity to learn acting. This is a gift. Everyday working in a TV series gives you the chance to develop characters in an ordinary way, and this routine becomes the best art school.

Your most memorable roles are strong women like your breakthrough role as a terminally ill lawyer in Alejandro Amenabar’s “The Sea Inside”, the mother in search for her lost child in “The Orphanage” or the woman losing her sight in “Julia’s Eyes”. What draws you to these characters?
My characters are strong women, deeply emotional who awake very strong sensations. You need time to look inside yourself and find every single detail to define these characters and make them real.

You recently played in a theatre adaptation of Luchino Visconti’s “The Damned”, directed by Slovenian director Tomaž Pandur. What is the main difference for you to act onstage or in front of a camera?
Plays bring you the opportunity to develop the character with no breaks. You are able to manage your own energy and feel the sensation of complete freedom. In front of a camera it is different, when you get to the set, 90% of the work is already done.

What does European film mean to you? Who or what would you consider your influences?
I feel closer to European cinema. Usually the productions are not as huge, but you can find a huge variety of films, always deeply rooted. I love it. Directors able to surprise and touch by telling stories. Despite what many people think, there are still many things to show and stories to tell through cinema. Social matters, little personal stories, or who knows…

What was the last film you saw in the cinema? What film impressed you most recently?
“The Hurt Locker” by Kathryn Bigelow. And “The Skin I Live In” by Pedro Almodóvar. Wonderful film!

What are your next projects?
I am now on theatre tour with “The Damned”, these days in Madrid. After this, I will be working again on a TV project, and shooting a movie at the same time… I am very lucky and grateful. Thank you.