Itziar Ituno She presents herself on her Instagram account as a Basque actress. Quite a definition. It is not difficult to imagine her as one of the formidable creatures that populate the universe of “Patria” by Fernando Aramburu, but the whims of the profession and the designs of fiction had another chapter reserved for her for her own story. The captivating phenomenon that “La casa de papel” became ensured visibility, international projection and job opportunities in perpetuity.
In a great season, Ituño recently premiered “El cuco de cristal” on Netflix, a Spanish series based on the novel by Javier Castillo and presented at the Mar del Plata Festival “Lateral thinking”a film directed by Mariano Hueter, a charismatic director who is an unusual presence on the national scene, a filmmaker with the appearance of an actor and the body of an athlete, in his debut film he had the pleasure of filming his own version of “Perros de la calle” with a woman as the protagonist.
In the middle of her promotional tour, the actress receives NOTICIAS in the San Telmo neighborhood, very close to the Paseo de la Historieta.
News: A few years ago I had to interview Álvaro Morte, and Pedro Alonso also visited NEWS. I imagine that when the time comes for you to promote any work, the topic of “La casa de papel” comes up. Are you tired of being asked forever about that series?
Itziar Ituño: It is true that it is a recurring theme and it is what put us on the map a bit, but there are times when, ugh! (laughs) When you come to promote a movie, in this case “Pensamiento lateral”, or some other series, the topic usually deviates and in the end we always end up in “La casa de papel”. It is logical that it happens, but it is too much, because that is already a bit part of our past. It was important, there are people who still watch the series, the fans are still full, but for us the work continues and there is more life after “La casa de papel”.
News: Was the idea of a good leading role what attracted you to “Lateral Thinking”? Because it occurs to me that on an economic level it must be more advantageous to work in Spain than in Argentina
Ituno: That’s already very personal, but I’m not so tempted by the economy and money because right now I’m doing well, at another time in my life maybe I couldn’t make ends meet, this job is like that. Since I am fortunate enough to be able to choose today, I lean towards stories and characters that challenge me as a person, regardless of what the cachet is. I choose, I even think I feel closer to the projects built with more effort, that seems admirable to me and I have a lot of respect for them. The other thing is easier, when an entire entity already supports you and there is a lot of money to do something, you start with an advantage, which is not always necessarily good. I believe in people who start at a disadvantage and advance until they are at the head of the pack, I take my hat off to that!
News: Mariano Hueter has a lot of experience making series and is very loved here, but this is his first film as a director and screenwriter. What was it like working with him?
Ituno: Mariano is a super fast director, he sets up the cameras, he doesn’t repeat each shot many times and since it was his debut in the cinema, beyond the fact that he is very successful in the world of series, we talked a lot, we consulted things and we rehearsed a lot. He took care of the acting aspects in depth, but also the technical aspects because directing a film is not just working with actresses and actors, it is a whole thing. At that time Mariano was going through a difficult time on a private level due to things that happen in life and yet he was always there for us, being part of this group that has raised the film and at the same time leading it.
News: Did your character require a lot of talking?
Ituno: Yes, because it is difficult to enter into the psychology of a person who is captive and tied to a column all the time, you don’t know when they are cold, afraid or angry, they are half dazed and sometimes they are not even clear about what hurts them. All those little things that you should take into account, details such as if your foot has fallen asleep, I consult them with the director and Mariano is a very nice person who is always available because you know that there is everything, like in a pharmacy! (laughs) There are directors who ask you to skip the text and make it your own, who give free rein to improvisation and leave the script, but there are also those who prefer that you say everything as it is, some even set the tone with which you should interpret it… I don’t like that too much because it robs you a little of your ability to contribute something creative to the project. Some are convinced that actors are a bit of puppets and that is not the case, we also have a lot to contribute because we are building the character from within, it is a whole process.
News: You share the film with Alberto Ammann and something very Argentine happens, he calls you Galician, but you are Basque
Ituno: (Laughs) I adore Alberto! If “I’m not Galician, I’m Basque”, that turn was inevitable because here they call Spaniards Galician, right? This is my third time in Argentina and I already learned it, it is part of the Argentine idiosyncrasy, that and all the turns of language, lunfardo… I am passionate about the different ways of saying in each place taking into account that we all speak in Spanish. That’s nice, and since I have a musical ear, I’m making it a bit my own. When I return to the Basque Country, expressions like “I’m cool” or “I’m cool” (laughs) stuck out to me.
News: Julia, your character, on the one hand has to appeal to her most animal instinct to survive, but at the same time she is very cerebral and manipulates everyone. As an actress, is it interesting to explore that dichotomy?
Ituno: Of course. Julia accumulated a lot of baggage listening to her patients and a little bit analyzing who she is in front of, the three individuals who have kidnapped her are at the mercy of her ingenuity, she has no choice but to use her head to find out how they relate to each other and be able to free herself. Getting into their minds with all the information she has in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neurology is going to be her weapon and her strategy. With one he tries to empathize, with others he stands up to provoke their anger and use it against them, thus the braid is weaved between these three individuals. We also don’t know who she really is and to what extent she is involved. It’s a mystery and it was so fun to ask all the time: “Does she know more than she’s saying or not?” That’s super interesting for an actress.
News: Speaking of a certain animality, are you a pet owner?
Ituno: Yes, I have two kittens that I recently adopted on a shoot. A long time ago I had had two cats that died and I had such a bad time that I had not wanted to repeat the experience, plus my house is small and an animal in an apartment is not entirely happy. But these two kittens and a third were brothers from the same litter, my character in the movie went to the sea to drown them, finally he pardoned them and they climbed up his skirt. When the feline performance was over, they said: “The time has come to separate them, this kitten goes with the camera and the others…” There they asked me if I wanted one and I kept both. I couldn’t separate them, I fell again! (Laughs) Now I think they are missing me, when I call on the phone they stick to their cell phone to listen to me.
News: They say that cats are more independent, is it ultimately a myth?
Ituno: Yes, the cats miss you and when you come back for a while they don’t forgive you until we get it together and make peace, at this moment my parents who are close to home take care of them. I lived in Madrid for a while, but I returned to the Basque Country, to the neighborhood I have always known, to be with what you consider your people, your usual friends, the places where you played as a child, that is what sustains me, I am very attached to my land and my family. Depending on your age, success can make your head a little dull and in the neighborhood they put me in my place when I complain, you don’t know how they scold me! You have to have your feet on the ground, be grounded (laughs)
News: Did you always want to be an actress?
Ituno: Well, I had more bullets in the chamber, at one time I wanted to be a painter, at another a poet, I also sing, but being a singer is different, it is a long and expensive professional career, I take it as a tool to open my range as an artist, you don’t have to be afraid to try different things, it is very fun to create.
News: What is the best thing about being an actress?
Ituno: The best thing is that it is one adventure after another. It is not just about telling stories and embodying different roles, it is like playing at living several lives, each job is a journey, but not only on an interpretive level but also on a vital level. You share everything with the team with whom you spend many hours, what remains is the film, but everything that happens behind the scenes, how you relate to the rest, the friends you make, what you learn and talk about life, that is what in the end remains in your memory.
