An artist with all the letters, one of those that no longer remain, not only because of his multifaceted nature, but because the trade is something that runs in his blood. It goes without saying that he is the son Ana Maria Campoy and of Jose Cibrian and that in his curriculum his iconic works stand out for the history of the Argentine theater culture, but he is also a laborer, who does not rest on those laurels of success, not only because his spirit asks him to get back on the stage, but because he also has the financial need to do so, and he is not ashamed to say so.
It’s over 40 degrees when Pepe Cibrian Campoy receives NOTICIAS in his mansion in Pilar, but the artist of more than 70 years is well predisposed to talk and to take photos, despite the heat wave that is hitting the country. His house is cozy, with a style that paints it to the nines, collectibles in every corner and works of art that not only hang from the walls but even from the ceiling. With comfortable and cool clothes but with his hands dressed in his mother’s jewelry, he talks about everything.
Pepe Cibrián: They say I’m very demanding, I’m not demanding, I’m responsible, things have to be on time. Many times they sin from this obsession of waiting until the last minute. In my 56 works I have never postponed a premiere. I am committed to my vocation. Being punctual is not being demanding. Commitment to vocation must be impeccable. They already know that if they want to work with me they have to be punctual, know the lyrics and not screw around. Everything else is rehearsal, preparation. There I also demand but the first that is demanded is me. I am 73 years old and I do it the same as when I was 40, it is my way of life, my choice.
News: How does someone so organized deal with the unforeseen events that arise from the pandemic?
Cibrian: One cannot foresee it, they have nothing to do with non-discipline or non-commitment. We try to comply with all the protocols and then it’s life.
News: How do you prepare for the return of “Dracula”?
Cibrian: I am very excited. It is a milestone. Tickets were put on sale and there are already thousands sold, people have a very particular passion for this work.
News: How was the reunion with Angel Mahler after spending so much time apart?
Cibrián: It was very beautiful. They were so many years of being together, it always happens between friends, family, that one distances oneself, it is enough to chat for two minutes and that thing that never left, which is love, comes back. We have met again with great joy.
News: How do you maintain creativity through the years?
Cibrian: In a period of my life I learned to enlighten myself, but now I am in a deeper stage of enlightenment towards others. I’m looking for new projects that make me happy at a time as hard as the one we’re going through. Hopefully for the next generation it will be a harsh memory.
News: How do you manifest yourself politically?
Cibrián: Complaining, I find what is happening a horror, what happened, it seems a horror to me for presidencies, not just this one. We are used to pain, to impunity, it is terrible. There is always corruption in the world, but now nothing is done. I disagree. I do not feel happy. I didn’t even go to vote, I have the right not to vote. There is nothing that inspires me on one side or the other. That’s sad.
News: Do you go to work because you need it spiritually or financially?
Cibrián: From every point of view. I have to keep my house, the people who work for me, it’s a brutal expense, I have to go out and try to solve it, one does what one can. I want to move out of this house, I want to go to Buenos Aires, have less pressure. I love my house with passion, but I feel far from the effects, from everyday life. I have to be close to my friends, I’m very isolated. I have no family, my family was my marriage and that was lost. I need this house to no longer be a ghost.
News: What is happiness for you?
Cibrián: Happiness is moments. They tell you: “Enjoy life, you have everything, you have to enjoy it” Yes, I enjoy it when I can enjoy it. One can have everything that people think is to have everything and not have it, because there is something that causes you anguish. Happiness is moments, those moments are barbaric, but later come other ghosts that deprive you of those moments of happiness.
As he drinks coffee and remains attentive to all the details related to the work that occupies him, he maintains: “I am very melancholic, that also leads me to write, I need to feel those ghosts”.
Cibrián: The pandemic anesthetized me, I couldn’t write, I don’t feel like it, the only thing I want is to see my park, I don’t even go to the pool. Yes, it amuses me to rehearse and perform.
News: Do you have any regrets?
Cibrian: No, I can take responsibility for things in which I could have been wrong, of having hurt someone, but in general I am a good person, incapable of causing deep damage.
News: What would you like to do at this point in your life?
Cibrián: I would like to go live in the mountainsbut I can’t because I need Buenos Aires, the people.
News: During the pandemic, the experience of being a jury in “Cantando” was also encouraged.
Cibrián: I wasn’t amused, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but it was an experience that didn’t give me anythingThey were all lovely and very nice.
News: Didn’t you have good experiences on television?
Cibrian: It’s always been very bad for me, I don’t know how to do television like it’s done here. LPeople are wonderful but vertigo does not allow you to create freely.
News: Do you consider that the medium continues to produce artists?
Cibrian: Before, being an artist was a way of life. There was a lot of work, a lot of cinema, many theater companies, there was a lot of glamour, elegance and a very particular way of living the profession. Today there are no such figures, it is another world, it is neither bad nor good. I have more fun than before…
News: Now there are many celebrities emerging from social networks.
Cibrian: I don’t know what they have gone through to be invited to a television program or occupy a space that a person with a career should occupy. Not to despise them, far from it, but now it only matters how many followers they have. I don’t hire an actor for how many followers he has, people don’t pay you a ticket for that.
News: How do you get along with success?
Cibrián: I always cared a lot about success, transcending, I always cared a lot about being recognized, I come from a family of successful people and when you are the son of successful people you are either nothing or you have to fight to overcome that barrier. When one achieves that success, one can only begin to fail. Now they believe that people who don’t even go up already fail. Being successful is fulfilling your dream wherever it is. Of course, filling Luna Park is very nice, but the success lies in having done such an important work.
News: What do you think when you look back?
Cibrián: I don’t look back, the most beautiful thing is today, the present is being aliveI have to adapt to reality. Life has given me the opportunity to stay relevant, it is a privilege.
News: How does the media treat older people?
Cibrián: There is a lack of respect for older people. In the United States they have respect for great actors and actresses, here they do not have that place. It is a world of assholes, who are not necessarily good actors and actresses.
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