A man with dark glasses, a beard, mustache and dressed entirely in black enters the scene. He sits in a chair and slowly lights a cigarette. He slowly blows out the smoke and lets it out, indifferent and utterly serious: “Good evening. Now I’ll tell you some jokes with the enthusiasm that characterizes me because I’m so happy as you can see today. You know what I’m saying..” No it is not Eugeniobut the actor david verdaguer, although the similarity to the above is surprising. The actor goes deep ‘They know it’that movie David Trueba He is currently shooting in and around Barcelona. legendary catalan humorist He died in 2001, making the transitional Spain laugh.
The director preferred to focus on the early stages of his career and show how fame came to him almost by accident, without looking for it. “I’m not entering the age of success, I was more concerned with the creation of the character,” explains Trueba. film From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, “I wanted to tell you how success in your business at something you thought would never happen has changed a person’s life by chance, and what effect it had on your family and partner,” says the filmmaker, who wrote the script based on some text. . Albert Espinosaused as the basis of two books Gerard JofraHe is the son of Eugenio, who also served as a consultant during filming and had a small role.
Because before he succeeded as a comedian, Eugenio jeweler. He didn’t appear on stage until he met Conchita AlcaideHis first wife in the 60s convinced him to start a family music duo What to say Els Dos. “She would talk between songs and had to do the ‘show’ alone when her mother had to take care of her sick mother. jokes “And the success began largely with word of mouth,” says Trueba amid a shooting scene that recreates the Barcelona venue directed by Eugenio and his wife at the Antic Casino in Sant Pere de Ribes. sasalitono more today.
Since most of the film is in this language and “in the comic rhythm of a comedian,” the director was looking for a Catalan actor to choose the protagonist. David Verdaguer provided him with both. “At first it scared me a bit, but Trueba immediately calmed me down. He told me that it wasn’t about making a ‘Polònia’, but rather that I needed to capture the energy of the character,” emphasizes the translator. He knew Eugenio well because “a comedian cow: Tuesday and Thirteen, Tip and Coll, Monty Python…”.
an hour and a half make up
The rest was taken care of by the characterization team, who managed to turn him into a clone of Eugenio. To do this, Verdaguer an hour and a half make up, especially for putting on the false nose. “This story is not only about a stage in Eugenio’s life that few know about, from being little known to becoming famous. It’s also a beautiful and sad love story with his wife,” emphasizes the actor.
match him Carolina Yuste, giving life to Conchita. “I take this film as a tribute to my mother, my grandmother, and all the women who have been overshadowed by men and promoted them. Because Conchita built Eugenio’s image.” Madrid gets along perfectly with the Catalans. “I spent a year in Barcelona and was learning this when I shot the TV series ‘Sin huellas’. But when I started filming, I wanted a teacher,” she admits. The tragic story of the movie has a lot to do with the character of Conchita, who will die of breast cancer in 1980.
Included in the cast Marina Salasas Eugenio’s sister; Peter Casablancain the role of your representative and Ramon Fontsere, as the owner of one of the clubs where the Catalan comedian has performed. There are also several character “camera cells” from the height of Eugenio’s career. Until the historical contest appears “One, two, three… Answer again”. According to estimates, ‘They know that’ will be released in theaters next fall, with filming closing in two weeks.