The premiere of a new version of “It’s us” allows the meeting of Fede Bal with NEWS. The play in which he stars alongside Sofía Pachano and in which he shares a cast with Denise Dumas, Lionel Arostegui and Germán “Tripa” Tripel, serves as a prologue for a relaxed talk after the rehearsal.
Owner of admirable versatility, full of tattoos that tell infinite stories, actor, producer with the soul of a filmmaker, director, presenter, tireless traveler, possessor of anecdotes that can liven up any meeting, successful dancer in remembered television series, heir to parents consecrated in comedy and acting, but for years with a well-earned name for himself, Fede Bal starts 2025 with work. With desire to enjoy. And luckily, wanting to talk.
News: What will the public find when they see “This is us”?
Federico Bal: We are happy with this work because it talks about a very current topic, and that is what would happen if your partner told you that he fell in love with another person and that this does not necessarily influence wanting to separate, but rather that in that life there is another person who is not you. . I think that for the audience it is an attractive proposition and there is a talk that can begin after the theater to resolve many things and unblock others. In that sense I find it interesting because it brings into discussion the issue of not wanting to lie, many people believe that by lying they protect the bond and here the character of Sofía needs to tell me, not lie to me. We are the central couple, Tripa is the third in contention, Denise Dumas and Lio Arostegui play our friends. With Sofía and Tripa we had already shared “Kinky boots” and we are working together here because we adore each other. Sofi had already done this work, so she put this whole thing together from the start, we wanted to get together again.
News: This year he has to spend the season in Buenos Aires. Does that bring any benefits?
Bal: Yes, I think I personally needed to stop a little, downshift. In Carlos Paz and Mar del Plata there is a kind of adrenaline and whirlwind that eats up the summer, everything happens very quickly, you have to move, go to another place and be at a thousand events. There is a very beautiful stillness here because I am in my house, with my friends, my things, my people, my dogs. That gives you a little peace, the summers brought me a lot of madness, guests, parties, going out and a lot of cell phones. I choose to stay here, there are also many tourists who come to see theater, it is a square full of artistic and gastronomic proposals, Buenos Aires is great!
News: Reading material for this interview I found out that you studied film, how did that go?
Bal: Yes, I studied at SICA and at FUC, I didn’t finish my degree, but I love cinema. It seems to me that it is a place to explore other paths, I filmed a film with my dad, I worked on another thriller and a horror film, I want to continue there, I want to return. For now my life is more about theater and TV, but cinema is my great passion.
News: Does it continue “Rest of the world” in 2025?
Bal: It continues and they want me to continue being the driver, so surely starting in March we will be back on screen. It will be my fourth season, the show has been going for 22 years now! Iván de Pineda, Sergio Goycochea, Liz Solari and Emilia Attias have served as drivers. Everyone contributed their own thing, but I think what I contribute is curiosity. I wanted to escape that place of the driver who knows more than the viewer because I don’t know more than anyone else. I love traveling, eating, going out, meeting people, doing water sports, jumping from a skyscraper. I’m a fan of everything that happens when you travel and doing it with a cameraman who is a great friend and a producer who is a genius makes it the perfect mix of fun and work. We had a great time, I think we gave it a more documentary spin, we made the program a little younger and more real.
News: If you had to rescue three places that impacted you, what would they be?
Bal: Tel Aviv as number one. I had to go and when we finally arrived I was very moved by the love of the people and the happiness they have in being alive, there is a need to enjoy each day as if it were unique. I was shocked to see the weapons at the doors of the bars, the kids and the girls who come in to have a drink and leave their weapons outside, they are on duty all the time because it is a country hit hard by war. The island of Crete is also another wonderful place and finally I can tell you that I come from Cuba and it was a tremendous experience.
News: What reality did you encounter in Cuba?
Bal: I found that there is a constant celebration among the people, the town is the most beautiful thing I saw. Havana is a little affected by the years of secrecy that the island has suffered, there are many energy and natural problems, such as earthquakes and hurricanes. But the people are amazing, they eat rice, chicken and dance all day. Here we complain so much and they, having so little, are so happy!
News: Is it true that on a trip you learned to ride a bicycle at the age of 33?
Bal: Yes, it was in Amsterdam, which is a city completely taken over by bike paths, I suddenly saw a three-wheeled bicycle and I felt that it was a little easier so I took the plunge. I tell you, it was like driving me during rush hour in Cerrito and Corrientes (laughs). Something incredible happens when you need to move from one place to another and you have no choice but to learn. When we came back here I bought one and that’s it, it’s not that difficult either (laughs).
News: I read somewhere that there was a theatrical proposal with Julio Chávez going around, what did that become?
Bal: It was an idea from producer Miguel Pardo, the adaptation of a very nice film. I adore Julio, we have shared a new year in which he came home to Carlos Paz, we have a good relationship that includes my mother, Ricky Pashkus and a group of very cool actors. Obviously I really want to work with him, it would be a dream, something I want to do in the future.
News: Speaking of dreams, did you spend your 18th birthday in Las Vegas with your old man?
Bal: Yes, it is a city that I love, I have been there like ten times, every time I can I come back. On one of the trips I got a marquee tattooed, I’m a fan, I like everything about Las Vegas, the night, the shows, the fun, the food, it’s a very real city. My father and my wife and I liked to travel once or twice a year, they would save money so I could see shows. We went a lot to Europe, the United States and Central America, we liked to see shows and have a good time. That 18th birthday was a great night at the Bellagio, dad reserved a table and it was a lot of fun. My parents were having their best time, doing theater, they were doing very well, there was a lot of love…then, well, everything happened (laughs). Life, right?
News: His father played a well-remembered role in “The Simulators.” If the film is finally made, is it worth calling Szifron?
Bal: Do you say I play the son of my old man’s character? Be careful, it’s good. I’m ready to call Szifron! What awakened my love for cinema a little was accompanying my old man to that recording, I wanted to be like Szifron.
News: A fundamental question that not even “The Simulators” will be able to solve. Has Ángel de Brito ever returned your Balenciaga glasses?
Bal: Never! It cost 600 euros, can you believe it? I was a fan of those glasses, we won the Martín Fierro with “Rest of the World” and at the after party I put them on Ángel as if playing, he took them out and told me: “I’ll give them back to you when you return to LAM.” There’s no way I’m going with those bugs who always talk bad about me, I’m giving them to you (laughs). We fooled around a bit and laughed ourselves to death. Then time passed and I bought the same ones again.
News: You knew how to be a great tweeter. A tweet is still remembered where he highlighted some skill in certain lovemaking techniques. Do you regret it or identify it?
Bal: I like how you describe it (we laugh). It identifies me and I think it was a hit, today someone retweets it and a flood of favs and retweets comes. It happened that I turned on the TV and everyone was talking bad about me, I had danced once with Tinelli and suddenly in “Intruders” an ex-girlfriend was already sitting there criticizing me, a comedian saying horrible things, Yanina sending atrocities, and I had been there for two minutes! on TV! That tweet was a bit of a product of anger, but I added irony and a comedy punchline. You can find it, it starts with: “Bad son…” and ends with that ability to perform oral sex on a woman that you so subtly described (laughs). And yes, it relates to me because I think I’m pretty good at doing what I tweeted.
