Argentine Juan Diego Botto (Buenos Aires, 1975) may have continued to portray the handsome man in the film, but the talent and great dedication inherited from his father, who disappeared during the Argentine dictatorship, allowed him to develop a very interesting career. dir-dir play writer (won the Max for Breakthrough Author award in 2015) and additionally award-winning actor theater reached six in cinema nominations for goya like an actorjoined this year Best New Director, for ‘in the margins‘. He has appeared in many TV serials. The last one, he enjoy “I don’t like to drive” (TNT).
It seems incredible that there isn’t a series on this all-too-common topic.
Yes, it is interesting that so many people who had to go through this process in the driving school and who went through this process, it is interesting that no one stopped and made a series or a movie about it. And when it’s done with the look and compassion that Borja (Cobeaga) does, things like this happen. Frankly, I think it’s a funny show, it’s very sensitive and a pleasure to watch.
How did you react when he proposed to you? Because, just like that, it might seem like a minor issue.
Borja called me and said, “I have something to suggest you.” We met for a coffee and I was very excited because I think Cobeaga is one of the best guys in comedy in this country. When he said to me, “A show about a guy wanting to get his driver’s license,” and left him there with three dots, he said, “Well, that’s bullshit!” It seemed little to me And he didn’t tell me more. But then he sent me the script and I thought it was great. It’s full of thousands of anecdotes we’ve all gone through during the process of getting a license, but in addition, it has a reflection on when we reach a certain age, when we become who we are and what we are likely to have. a second chance
He has character.
Lopetegui is a newly divorced man, his father died recently, he’s becoming unbearably grumpy and he has a chance to change. I find it very nice to face new things and start being different at the age of 45.
When there’s a clever person like Cobeaga behind it, and the plot and dialogue are brilliantly dispersed, there’s no trivial problem.
Yes, the series is very well written. Borja and his writing team did a great job. He also has a sense of humor that I bond very well with. Because it is not a series that chases laughter, but its sense of humor is disconnected from situations and characters and is very fluid. You laugh from time to time, but it is one of the series you watch with a smile all the time. And he has a very nice discharge of tenderness. It’s short but goes long. I really liked the fifth and sixth episodes. It wins and it wins.
Do you know why he thought of you for the role?
Borja is a big fan of the two movies I made with Víctor García León: Stay away from me and Europeans. He liked my characters. García León’s comedies are black with a lot of bitter humor. And I think that’s what he loved. This character is a grumpy character that is found in abundance in everyone. The only relationship he has is gentle with his ex. Maybe that’s what drew him to me.
You also learned to drive as an adult. Did you identify with Lopetegui on this issue?
Yes, while reading the script, I realized that there are many things similar to my own experiences. I myself started and finished in Cuenca.
Do these quick courses work?
Yeah yeah. I have dozens of friends who take me there. I am 47 years old and had it done at 41. Because it is intense and you have it in two weeks. I didn’t feel like studying for six months.
Come on, it’s pretty clear that he’s the ideal actor for the role.
There’s also something the show tells about: I’ve already had the experience of being surrounded by these young people. The feeling of what am I doing here with all these kids: I don’t understand their code, they see me as an old man, everyone calls you sir, they think you are a teacher…
Did you come to see the show? television Which images are included in the ‘second chance’ series?
I vaguely remember. Especially the title… That car that hit the stone… Yes, yes.
Lopetegui is one of those frustrated teachers who spew their agenda and don’t care about their students.
He feels superior to everything. He believed that he was destined for something greater, but life did not give him that greatness. Disappointed author. You are not where you think the world owes you. And he will realize that he is still not in debt.
The side characters are amazing. And players, ideal.
The cast is very successful. Driving school teacher Lorenzo was already hilarious on paper. But when we see David Llorente embody it. It was like it was written for him. We laughed a lot. The same goes for Lucía (Caraballo), who makes me feel like she is the character herself: nice, patient, charming, always smiling… And with Leonor Watling, who have known each other for many years but never worked together, it was a pleasure. That story of a couple who separated from each other and loved each other very much, I thought very well.
He says this series is a respite after directing ‘On the Edges’…
Let’s see, directing is a very long process, especially after writing the script, and it takes a lot of obsession to move things forward. When I came to the series, I hadn’t finished mixing the movie yet and I was reviewing it in the dressing room. Additionally, it came from a very dramatic drama: evictions. And he starred in another drama called A Moonless Night. So this comedy has been a balm for me.
Are you excited about Goya’s new director nomination?
Yes, but what excites me the most is that this work, which started with Olga Rodríguez and me, nominates Luis Tosar, Penélope Cruz, Rozalén and Christian Checa. This excites you, of course, but it makes you even more excited that your colleagues who chose your film, which is a new director’s film, and took this job with great devotion, receive this award.