The actor reveals preparation to play Fernão Magalhães who traveled the world under precarious conditions in a new series
At 47 – who will complete in August – Rodrigo Santoro shows an enviable physical shape. There is no secret: “I play a lot of sport, I always surf and I don’t need my yoga mat, which I carry around”. Physical fitness helps in the work of the actor. Right now, this Friday 8, the Prime Video series that Rodrigo has made in Spain debuts. Without Borderswith direction of Simone West, is based on the first voyage of circumnavigation of the globe which, among other things, turns 500 years old in 2022. The author of the undertaking was a Portuguese navigator, Fernão de Magalhães, who obtained the support of the Spanish court to carry out the voyage. Who was this man?
“I knew the basics of him, who believed that it would be possible to reach the East by always traveling from West to East. From the East came the spices and Fernão not only managed to reach the so-called spice island, which was not an island, but His return to the globe also proved that the Earth was round. It was already well into the 16th century! ” But it wasn’t easy. His epic was marked by difficulties. On August 10, 1519, five ships with 250 sailors, captained by him, departed from southern Spain. Three years later, only 18 of them returned, in precarious conditions, to the only ship that survived the crossing, led by a Spanish sailor, Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Rodrigo believes in preparation. In the case of Fernão de Magalhães, there was a Portuguese and Spanish accent. “The Castilian spoken in Spain is different from Latin American and from what is spoken in the United States. The” S “have something similar to the North American th. So, I prepared myself to handle the dialogues, but there was also the essential question . Who was Fernão? Searching on the internet and in books, I came across a historian who opened the doors to me. Through her I also discovered the travel diary of the Italian who documented the journey. But there was still there. ‘essential, man. Fernão was an orphan, he was not part of the upper echelons of the Portuguese court. He believed in the mission and that there was a strait to reach the other side of the world. I started building it in my head “.
As terrible as it was, and still is, the pandemic has somehow helped. “When the first birth took place, I stayed at home for nine months, researching and preparing.” In Madrid, even before shooting, another stage has begun. “I had to learn combat choreography and interact with the stuntmen. I like to do my own scenes, even the dangerous ones, but there are things insurance companies don’t allow. “The production was shot in different parts of Spain: Basque Country, Navarre, Seville, as well as the Madrid studio. And two weeks in the Dominican Republic. A good part of the six chapters that make up the series takes place on the high seas. Actors and technicians often complain about these scenes.
“We have traveled the world many times without leaving the place. Almost all of the open sea was done in a hangar, in the reproduction of the boat on a blue background,” he says. Did being a surfer help Rodrigo? “West is an experienced action director. Most of the time it was the camera moving around us to simulate the ship’s instability and wave motion.”
Rodrigo Santoro doesn’t see much difference between movies and series. “It works, what matters are the characters and the story being told. The difference is that, in the series, we have more time to develop what in the movies, in two hours, can be shorter and more direct.” He says the biggest challenge during the pandemic was filming Without Borders with all security protocols. I already knew the actor Álvaro Morte, who plays Juan Sebastián Elcano, the second most important character in the plot, the navigator who brings the few sailors left from the expedition back to Europe. “The plot is based a lot on our relationship and I had already seen it in the Spanish series The House of Paperwhich is very good. “
Death is a strong theme Without Borders. “I got excited in the defining scenes of the characters’ relationship.” Speaking of speaking Portuguese on stage, he says: “It was all in Spanish, but I managed to get Fernão to speak Portuguese with Duarte Barbosa, played by a great Portuguese actor, Gonçalo Diniz”. Rodrigo gained experience in the North American series, lost And Western world. “In terms of size and features, Without Borders it is on the same level. It was a great job, which involved a lot of people. “Director Simon West has made films like The general’s daughter it is the first tomb Raider, with Angelina Jolie. “Besides competence, I think everyone’s primary concern was safety. Because of the covid, we were all worried, alert. So it wasn’t just the story, nor the character. It was the surroundings, which required double attention.” .
Surfing, which Rodrigo loves – and practices – is more than a sport. “From the outside, people think it’s just a question of balance on the board, but it’s actually so much more. This wave, the next wave, the wind. It’s another kind of physical balance, not being on the board. surfing gives a kind of alertness, control of the body. And yoga, of the mind. “
As an actor, Rodrigo takes roles very seriously. But there is another that, according to him, requires much more. “As Mel’s father, I don’t have a script to guide me on what to do or say. Being a father is a constant discovery and I am very attached to my daughter. I already talk to her about issues like machismo, the role of women in the world. And I’m not talking about a superior position. I like looking Mel in the eye. “
Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
