Pablo Cruz: The Challenge of Becoming Chespirito in New Bioseries
As the premiere of «Chespirito: Sin querer queriendo» approaches, the actors involved are sharing their experiences and the emotional journey of portraying such iconic figures. Pablo Cruz-Guerrero, known for his roles in «Las viudas de los jueves» and «Luis Miguel: la serie,» is stepping into the shoes of the legendary Roberto Gómez Bolaños. Cruz-Guerrero is currently detailing the complex process of embodying the beloved comedian, a task filled with challenges and profound respect for the original artist.
A Script Crafted with Family Insight
Based on a script penned by Paulina and Roberto Gómez Fernández, Chespirito’s children, the series delves into the early years of their father, his work as a writer for other comedians like Viruta and Capulina, the advent of television, and his rise to stardom. The series is currently chronicling the journey of Gómez Bolaños as he becomes one of the most recognized stars in the Spanish-speaking world.
Cruz-Guerrero notes the openness of Gómez Bolaños’ children during the production. «The children were always open to our interpretation,» Cruz-Guerrero mentions. «We were surprised by the great willingness they showed at all times, marking the tone, the essence, always willing to let us play. I feel that for them it was also important to return to the same thing they did in El Chavo's neighborhood when they were children, in the seventies, when they knew those spaces firsthand. In the end, that game was the most important thing.»
Stepping into the Iconic Vecindad
The actor describes his first experience entering the recreated «vecindad» as particularly moving. «I entered and there were relatives of Roberto who were very emotional, that made you feel a lump in your throat…» he recounts. To accurately portray Chespirito, Cruz-Guerrero underwent a physical transformation. «For the interpretation, there was also a physical adaptation: I lost weight, I had to be constantly shaving, because Don Roberto was hairless, so I had to remove everything, from the hairline, push it back, to shaving arms and legs,» Cruz-Guerrero shares.
However, the most significant challenge lay in capturing the essence of Gómez Bolaños’ intellect and wit. «But without a doubt, the biggest challenge I had was the part of the intelligence, because he was a brilliant man; also the play on words, because he had a great gift to play with them, and I hope that some of that has stuck with me,» Cruz-Guerrero explains. He is hoping to capture some of the brilliance of the character.
Eugenio Bartilotti as Señor Barriga: A Dream Realized
Eugenio Bartilotti, who will be playing Édgar Vivar, is currently expressing his excitement about portraying «El Señor Barriga.» Bartilotti describes this opportunity as a gift, especially because he had the chance to interact with Vivar himself. The actor is currently discussing his work with Vivar to gain insights into the character.
«The first person who called me was Isabel Cortazar, casting director, to whom I will always be grateful,» Bartilotti recalls. «I sent my casting and something didn't convince them, because the photos didn't work with the image of Edgar Vivar. Then I discussed it with my great friend Shaula Vega and she took other photos for which I changed the color of my hair, shaved and dressed in a suit and portfolio in a door, so they called me and in the end I stayed. It was the last character they chose and everything moved in my favor, fortunately.»
Bartilotti had previously worked with Édgar Vivar on «Plaza Sésamo.» «Édgar is a person I admire and love even more, he is an extraordinary human being, a great actor, a very cultured man, and it is fortunate to be able to contribute my grain of sand within the story,» he emphasizes.
Beyond Biography: The Story of Chespirito’s Ensemble
According to Bartilotti, the series extends beyond a simple biography of Roberto Gómez Bolaños. He emphasizes that the series is currently portraying the lives of the actors who surrounded Chespirito and what happened behind the cameras. Bartilotti clarifies, «It has fiction, but it is not a parody. Nor a recreation of the sketches nor a new version of «La vecindad». It is the biography of Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who has been a great among the great, with an endearing story in which the other characters appear.»
Arturo Barba as Rubén Aguirre: Embracing the Legacy
Arturo Barba is currently stepping into the role of Rubén Aguirre, known as Professor Jirafales. Barba was chosen due to his physical resemblance to Aguirre. «I am very happy to be in the series, because it talks about a program that marked an era throughout Latin America,» Barba shares. «From the beginning we worked with a lot of original material and the conclusion I come to is that this type of figures and stars are no longer given, at least in Latin America… But having the opportunity to embody this and do it for a moment, is wonderful.»
This series, according to Barba, focuses on the personal lives of the actors rather than their characters, adding complexity to the project. «To build the character of Rubén Aguirre, in my case, we had free rein. Of course I read the autobiography that Don Roberto wrote and very beautiful things about it, we nourished ourselves a lot, although in the end it is a fictitious project. It was not intended to make a copy of Roberto Gómez Bolaños, but I think it was very cool,» Barba states.
Cameos and Metafiction: A Touching Tribute
Barba reveals that Édgar Vivar and María Antonieta de las Nieves will make cameos in the bioseries. «That is a very nice detail, you will see them, it was very emotional the moment of talking about the series with those who made it, and that suddenly they said let's record, shouted action and we were with them on a set, are things of metafiction,» he mentions.
Barba expresses surprise at discovering Aguirre’s resemblance to Professor Jirafales. «He was a gentleman, very educated, who loved to dress in a suit and wear a bowler hat, he was an executive too. My great friend Luis Eduardo Reyes says that there is a metaphysical casting and characters that come to you because of how you look and move; in the end we were both skinny and the voice worked quite well,» he explains.
Barba acknowledges the high expectations surrounding the series. He concludes, «We know that a lot of hate is going to rain on us, but that will also feed the spirit of the series, because there will be much more people, I am sure, who will love the tribute that Roberto's children are fundamentally paying to their father, and that seems beautiful to me.»
Behind the Scenes: A Dedicated Team
The series is being directed by Rodrigo Santos, Julián de Tavira, and David Ruiz. Annai Ramos serves as the costume designer, while Marc Bellver and Diana Garay lead the cinematography. MariPaz Robles is responsible for the image design, and Francisco Blanc oversees the production design.
The cast also includes Paulina Dávila (Graciela Fernández), Arturo Barba (Rubén Aguirre), Andrea Noli (Angelines Fernández), Miguel Islas (Ramón Valdés), Paola Montes de Oca (María Antonieta de las Nieves), Juan Lecanda (Quico), and Karina Gidi (Elsa Bolaños), among others.
