In the case of Roberto Peloni, talent and recognition go hand in hand. He wowed with an astonishing Hugo d’Or in 2015 for his astonishing portrayal of Lord Farquad in Shrek the Musical an authentic physical and acting feat that has remained in the memory of the public that returns to meet this show in the winter holidays.
On the other hand, Peloni also gratefully treasures the Konex Award obtained in 2021 as an outstanding artist of the previous decade in his role as Male Musical Performer. He still remembers his one-person “Pelonintensive”. With a history full of emblematic titles such as “A Chorus Line”, “The Lost Men’s Cabaret”, “The Rocky Horror Show”, “The Producers” and “Sweeney Todd”Peloni prepares to talk with NEWS in a comfortable meeting room of the legendary Maipo Theater.
News: What are your expectations regarding this return of Shrek?
Robert Peloni: All. It was a dream since the audition, it was a role that I wanted to do and I thought they were not going to take me into account. I’m fascinated by theater for children because children have an impunity that arises from their purity, they don’t hide anything, they express their emotions. They celebrate everything, they laugh a lot with my character. It is very said, but don’t underestimate guysthey require tremendous energy but it is impressive what they give back.
News: Why did you end up opting for the musical?
Peloni: I started understanding theater at the Municipal School of Lanús where they trained you in a wide range of performing arts and their specific languages, but “Drácula” was the first musical I heard at 12 years old. It was kind of by chance because a neighbor had the cassette and I couldn’t stand it. It sounded like a bunch of people yelling to me (laughs), but the man told me, “Hear it like a play.” And there an imaginary horizon opened up for me, something of the conjunction between music and image that also referred me to the cinema. There is something magical that allows you transit more colorful worlds and with an exploded imaginary. So when I graduated I started studying at the Julio Bocca Foundation School.
News: There weren’t that many schools dedicated to musicals back then, right?
Peloni: There weren’t so many options, there were Pepe Cibrián, Valeria Lynch and Ricky Pashkus, who I didn’t know but was associated with Julio Bocca and gave me the idea that it was the place for me. And there I also found that he was linked to the Maipo Theater because Lino Patalano participated in the Foundation. I studied with Julio Chávez and some time later I shared the stage with him in “Sweeney Todd”. I went all the way that a young actor can go, from being part of the general cast, through the replacements that teach you a lot, to achieving a prominent role.
News: Who do you consider your teachers in this profession?
Peloni: A Antonio Gasallawithout knowing him personally, was the first that captivated me through television, his characters caught my attention. of bigger Ricky Pashkus, Enrique Pinti, with whom I was lucky enough to work a lot and be his friend. It is not necessary to talk about his talent, but we must mention his deep humility, his vocation for work, his companionship. Pinti spoke to you as an equal. I feel sad for his departure but happy to have shared so much with him.
News: Someone who also left very recently with whom he shared a lot is Gerardo Rozín. What memory do you have of him?
Peloni: Gerardo was the one who encouraged me to get into television because when you study theater, television is hell, it’s everything you don’t do. He was very affectionate, he tried to highlight his talent, he loved that I was a bug from another side and that he was there doing La Jesusa. I appreciate everything, I spent six years sharing the program, I have the best memory and the saddest also because it left too quickly.
News: You are an only child and when you don’t have siblings it is very common to play alone. Do you feel that this paved the way for your activity?
Peloni: Totally. When my mother went to work, I stayed for hours alone since I was 7 years old, which was when my father died, I had my responsibilities such as taking care of the keys, turning the kitchen on and off… there is still something of that responsible child that continues to accompany me. I used to play with a little sword that became a ball over time, others were given to me but I wanted to play with the original old patched-up sword, because for me it was like the arm of an imaginary person and I invented stories where I mixed little drawings with the characters of Gasalla… I was in a soliloquy all afternoon and the neighbors told me: “Robertito, speak lower than we are sleeping” (he laughs). A month ago, I was showing the lyrics of a one-man show that I’m going to release for the first time. I got excited because I had the feeling of being that little boy again that he felt happy with the magic sword. I saw myself playing seriously when I was almost 42 years old.
News: Other than “Shrek,” where are you going to be next?
Peloni: I will be in the third season of “The Garden of Bronze” (HBOmax). I also shot a couple of movies, among them “Lennons” by José Cicala. They also called me from “Planners” the Star+ series with Celeste Cid. She said: “A participation, direct Barone and I make myself known”. It was to play a petisero. As soon as Barone saw me he realized that he couldn’t find the physique du rol and they suppressed my dialogue. Two days holding a horse in silence, I’m waiting for it to be released to tell the anecdote because it goes beyond paper, they are things that make the job. he
by Leonardo Martinelli
