Rodolfo Sancho has always lived surrounded by cameras. After so many years as an actor, he finds it difficult to choose a series or film that has shaped his career. Now the youngest son of actor Félix Sancho Gracia is returning to the big screen with “Silver Dolphins”.
They always talk about the value that a character should bring. What did curator Javier Gallardo contribute to you in “Delfins de plata”?
It’s given me work on something I really enjoy and it’s a big challenge. It seems a very stoic character. I always give the example of doctors. This doctor who lost two patients that day, who underwent open heart surgery and can go home and smile, get on with his life, enjoy his children and have a quiet dinner. I find it very interesting to work on the characters with this detachment.
What do you think you contributed to the character?
Interpretations are always personal. That’s how you see the character. I tried to give him that stability and knowing how to stay distant even though the guy lives them in extreme moments. I tried to instill that professionalism in him. I managed to see it in character. After watching the film, there is an aura of mystery. You don’t really know what’s really going on in your head.
Did you read Félix García Hernán’s novel to prepare for the role?
Yes, I had read the novel. I always try to inform myself, to document myself, but also to abstract myself from it and to interpret it personally. When it comes to working in the police force, as I have done with some police officers, I am well informed about how they work.
Do you still like to play police or are you already bored?
No, it amuses me a lot. you layer. It’s like stepping through the screens of a video game. See how they explain the problems of the investigation, that cold and critical look they have on things. At the same time, there is nothing to blame. It’s done with that detachment, that coldness, that involvement, without being involved, without being emotional. If a cop is very emotional, you can lose them in the investigation.
In the movie we can see how that security forces. What surprises you the most?
They are true shadow heroes. It is these people who protect us without asking for anything in return. I always give the example of the movie Some Good Men, where it says you criticize me, but deep down you love me, you need me on that border. I’ve made many police officers and the more I get to know this world, the more admiration it inspires in me.
Are we giving them the value they deserve?
I do not believe that. Hence they are shadow heroes. We are not aware that they maintain our way of life. You go out for coffee with friends, you go to the supermarket as if nothing happened, but they are there, defending our way of life. It would be very important to understand the society we live in if they were given this knowledge.
The film also shows other current issues such as homophobia or racism, which are the order of the day.
The film touches on many subjects. Unfortunately, it is the order of the day. Terrorism is something that is always there. Those people who are there to manage to sustain our way of life. Unfortunately, when it comes to homophobia or racism, these are very slow processes and steps are being taken very slowly. But you have to look positive. The world is not the same as it was 50 years ago. It may be another 100 years before it is fully consolidated.
It seems that the situation is threatened by the rise of some parties.
Yes, it’s complicated. Everything has its implications and its downside. When there are very strong waves in a trend, you end up with the other side of the coin. That creates, I would like to believe, a kind of balance. Listening to certain comments in the times we live in makes your hair stand on end.
Love is also the protagonist. Something necessary in a time of hate.
Absolutely. It’s a love for those who seem impossible because of the difference in race, the difference in age… It’s all very complex, and it shouldn’t be. It also touches on the love for children and what one is willing to do for children. I want to believe that love will always triumph. It’s a kind of battle between good and evil.
Speaking of difficulties: the minister has to face one: solve personal problems or do good, even if it affects him.
This plot is amazing. It’s scary and emotionally very powerful. Luckily, the commissioner is there to ignore orders and do the right thing. That’s something I really like about the character because it makes him a very brave person.
Do you skip orders?
I have to admit that I’m quite rebellious. I try not to be trampled on. Sometimes I get my social streak. They want me to work 16 hours today, but there are people who died because we worked eight hours.
In 1983, at the age of eight, you began acting in Los desastres de la guerra. Have you always known that this is your calling?
No, not then. You’re a kid playing and not really knowing what a job is. The vocation came only in adulthood. It was just a game then, the way a child should understand it. You can’t push a kid to go pro. There’s a lot going on in society. If you want to be a top athlete, you can run and start as early as six years old because they are Wimbledon champions at 19. You have to have a six year old coconut for that, which I don’t know if it’s positive for a child.
Do the older generations fear that those who are coming will take their place?
No, I don’t live in fear. Everyone has to find their place. Just as the new generations come and push, I was also a new generation and put pressure on them. You can’t see it as something good or bad, but as something bad.
Her debut was with the series “Al salir de clase”. What do you remember from those years?
I remember a fantastic time, lots of fun, lots of learning. It’s a daily series that requires me to work every day, learn a lot from the camera and study a lot. I had to understand at the age of 21 what this profession is like. It helped me alot. The calm you get later when acting when you already have 600 chapters in your body at the age of 23. It’s something I will always appreciate.
Was it difficult to keep your feet on the ground at 21?
The truth yes. I am fortunate to have at home the most popular actor this country has ever had. I could see what fame means at its highest. I could see at home that, despite this fame, the work is still complicated and a long career does not depend on success. There were colleagues who believed that everything was already done. If you have a youth success at the age of 21, nothing is done. History proves it. 90% of people who have teenage success by the age of 40 aren’t actors. I was aware of this and could keep both feet on the ground.
Would you change some of your roles?
No. I’m not one to regret anything in my life. Every step you take leads you to where you are in the present. I am very happy and satisfied with my gift.
The film hasn’t been released yet, but are you working on other projects?
I’m starting something in September but I’m calm now. I have another film premiering in September or October called A walk around the Borne which is a self improvement film. At some point the series “El Zorro” premiered for Amazon, in which I play the villain of the series, which I really enjoyed.
Is it easier to play good guy or bad guy?
Depends on. I don’t know whether to say simpler or less simple. Depending on the character, I usually have fun with all the characters I make.
