Javier Rey, born in Noia, A Coruña in 1980, has built a career through standout roles in popular Spanish series such as Velvet, Bandolera, and Hispania, la legend. He first gained wide recognition playing Sito Miñanco in Fariña, a breakthrough that opened doors to a broader range of projects. Since then, his body of work has grown to include performances in Hache, Lies, Those in the Back Row, Doctor García’s Patients, Sin Fin, The Summer We Live In, and Summit. The next chapter finds him facing a demanding new challenge on Netflix with Last Night at Stremor, Oriol Paulo directing a screen adaptation of Mikel Santiago’s novel. The part promises intense emotional terrain and requires a performer who can endure hardship while delivering a convincing, piano filled presence on screen.
Did they recommend reading the novel or were you told not to? Oriol Paulo offered the actors complete freedom. As the series was turning a new corner, Rey chose not to read the book and trusted that the script would carry all the essential information. He told himself he would read the novel once filming ended, but today the world it describes feels distant, and he suspects it will take time before he revisits it.
Paulo’s approach allowed for a measured, in the moment performance. Rey appreciated the chance to explore the character grounded in the script while the source material stayed on the shelf. He felt the journey would reveal itself gradually, and he was patient about returning to the book when the moment felt right for him.
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Maybe because his character, Álex, endures extensive hardship throughout the series? Rey notes the arc is built on pain, but the suffering carries a specific root—an origin that is revealed slowly to help viewers understand why Álex acts the way he does. The director deliberately unfolds this backstory bit by bit, so the tension remains high and the consequences feel meaningful rather than sensational.
He admits that the character’s trials are central to the story and that the stakes would become overwhelming if the audience learned everything at once. The gradual unveiling keeps Álex’s suffering tethered to the present crisis, making each moment feel consequential and never arbitrary.
Was it appropriate to portray a character who goes through such a hard time throughout the mini-series, or was it easy to step away after filming? Rey explains that the process of building the character and then letting parts of him go is part of the craft. The project turned out to be more cinematic than many films, with a filming period that stretched across eight months. Because of that extended process, elements of what was built inevitably linger in the performer, though with time those impressions fade—yet occasionally they resurface and leave a lasting imprint.
It seems hard to shed the weight of Álex’s journey because the role consumes so much of the character’s inner world. Rey recalls being surrounded by a team that cared for him and offered protection, and he found himself absorbed by the collective talent on set. The experience of love and pain became intertwined as the project progressed, a shared emotional landscape that enriched the acting process.
This project isn’t the first time a series has adapted from a beloved novel. Rey recently starred in the film adaptation of Almudena Grandes characters in Doctor García’s Patients. The responsibility of portraying a character that many readers already imagine is always immense. Each reader visualizes a body, a voice, a rhythm, pauses, and reactions, and when the performance arrives, expectations are high. Rey argues that the team approached the adaptation with honesty and realism, aiming to translate the book’s depth without forcing a single interpretation. He believes viewers will find the series immersive and that their own imaginations will engage with the new dimension the adaptation opens up on screen.
His character has numerous piano sequences. Were piano lessons part of the plan? When the project began, Oriol asked Rey two practical questions: whether he should stop shaving and whether he should begin piano training. Rey decided to do both. He had been filming a movie in Seville, and after that wrap he began formal piano lessons. Because he did not have a strong grounding in music theory, the production devised novel ways to teach him how to play, using color codes and symbolic cues along with traditional instruction. The process was collaborative and inventive, enabling him to convey the character’s musical moments with authenticity.
Was the process overly complicated? Rey describes several stages. Technology played a role, but there were also hands-on assistants who helped on set. After long sessions of practice and countless takes, Oriol kept pushing forward while the camera followed the actor’s progress. Álex is not just a pianist; he is portrayed as a prodigy who began playing at a very young age and later directed projects, a backstory that demanded years of preparation. The actor found that working with the furniture and every detail of the piano added clues about movement, emotion, and intent. How the instrument is opened, how the lid is lifted, and how a scene is felt emotionally all fed into the performance and helped to shape Álex’s character beyond mere finger work on the keys.
Has Rey had enough of the piano yet? He smiles and says yes, though he cherishes the work. One of the most rewarding parts of the process was filming long flashback sequences that gave the audience a deeper sense of the characters in sustained, uninterrupted moments. These sequences were unusually lengthy, sometimes spanning 11 to 15 minutes, and they required maintaining a consistent tempo under varying filming conditions. The idea was to keep the rhythm true to life, rather than break up the moment with conventional cuts. The result is a powerful, continuous portrayal in which the piano becomes more than just an instrument; it becomes a narrative thread. Even so, Rey jokes that he would rather never touch the instrument again, given how intensely the process imprinted on him.
Did the experience influence his future directions in cinema? Rey hopes to pursue directing someday, recognizing that Oriol Paulo offers a singular, one-of-a-kind approach to storytelling. The collaboration left a strong impression, and Rey would welcome future opportunities to work with him again, drawn by the director’s fearless vision and ability to shape a production with a rare blend of precision and risk-taking.
And you were a cyclist, right? The anecdote about spinning wheels gets a playful wink. The humor extends to a self-deprecating moment about not having running legs for biking at the time, a reminder that some dreams fade as life changes. Rey emphasizes that he has found other athletic outlets and remains drawn to physical challenge, even if cycling did not stay part of his routine. The conversation ends with a note on staying active and continually exploring new skills, both in front of the camera and behind it.