Passionate about maps and geography, Juan Minujin He seems to have traced the coordinates that place him as an omnipresent face on the Netflix screen, without opponents for the throne.
Throughout this year it has already premiered two seasons of “The Fringe”awaits the arrival of “Matrimillas”the comedy directed by Sebastián De Caro and is now in full promotion for “The God’s anger”, a film in which he stars alongside Diego Peretti and Macarena Achagathe long-awaited adaptation of the novel by Guillermo Martínez, “The Slow Death of Luciana B”.
Martínez himself is fascinated by the characterization of the nephew of Martha Minujin. He confesses to NOTICIAS: “For me he is one of the great Argentine interpreters, his acting is impeccable. The faces of doubt and perplexity in front of Luciana’s story, the bad faith that barely appears in the relationship with Kloster, her progressive sinking into alcohol and the duel with Peretti in the confrontation between the two… it is excellent in all the scenes”.
This impeccable moment in Minujín’s career comes after a long road that began in independent theater with “El Descueve”, a cameo in the emblematic “Poliladron” and his work as a comedian in the classic “Ardetroya”.
With a career that seems to be governed by numerology, he became a revelation in “Dos plus two”, met success in “100 days to fall in love”, lived “A Year Without Love” and aspired to international projection with “The Two Popes”. ”, in which he embodied Jorge Bergoglio, before he became Pope Francis.
Although in Diego Lerman’s new film he appears as “El Suplente”, Minujín is a player all over the field, always as a starter. He confirms it in this talk with Noticias.
News: In the last season of “El Marginal” your character had published a book and in “La Ira de Dios” you are a writer and journalist. Is this your way of approaching the world of literature?
Juan Minujin: It could be (laughs), the truth is that it is a coincidence that my character from El Marginal, without being a writer, ends up publishing a book and that this character, being a writer, cannot publish any. The relationship is interesting, I see a certain irony between the two roles.
News: You always have to give so many notes to promote your work. Now that she had to play a journalist, do you understand us a little more?
Minujín: I tried to put myself in his place. I consulted with two journalists, I spoke a lot with them, I would have liked to go to their places of work but since the film was shot during the pandemic, the newsrooms were closed. I would have loved it, and that is what I usually do, go to the scene of the events, try to be there, look at the nature of the people, see what dynamics occur.
News: Did you discover any unexpected aspect of the trade?
Minujín: I would tell you that what I worked on the most with these journalists who selflessly gave me a hand, was what the internal dynamics are like within a newsroom, what are the most prestigious stories, the ones that no one wants to do, the journalists who like each other, the ones that they don’t like each other, the schedules, how the star firms get along with their peers. In other words, what interested me most was the internal thread in a newsroom to see what is the daily life of this guy I play beyond the police plot.
News: You are an actor, you write, you direct, you draw, you like maps and geography. How do all these facets coexist within you?
Minujín: They coexist naturally. My job is acting, that’s my job and what I live on. The other things are a bit more adventures and tastes, although in recent times writing and directing have taken more important places. For example, in “El Marginal 4” I was an associate producer and in the fifth season I co-directed some episodes, there is something there that is taking up more space. Regarding drawing and geography, they are things that I love and that is why I made this project called “Atlantis” with maps to draw. I’m curious.
News: Speaking of curiosities, when he was in London he worked as a living statue. Did it help him in his career as an actor to work on concentration?
Minujín: Not really (laughs), but working on the street helped me a lot in life because it has its own rules, it’s a more hostile world, different. It was a very nice experience, all that transit through London, having studied theater there, working as a living statue… these are all things that shape you at different levels.
News: Returning specifically to the cinema, how was that path starting with the sadomasochism of “A Year Without Love” until you reach “The Two Popes”?
Minujín: What a nice ride, right? (laughs). Now I have to go the other way, from the Pope to sadomasochism back. I am super grateful with the career that was taking place, with everything that I was able to build. In general, I chose all the works I did and they represent me in a large percentage so I feel very lucky, beyond the talent, the perseverance and blah blah blah, I think there is also some luck.
News: At this time there is a demand from female film directors, they are awarded at various festivals, including the Oscar. She has worked with several of them in Argentina, with Lucrecia Martel, Ana García Blaya or Anahí Berneri, for example. Was it something that she gave herself by chance or is it the result of her search?
Minujín: It was something completely casual, but indeed, in addition to the directors you named, I worked with Lucía Cedrón, with Jazmín Stuart, I filmed with many female directors although, when choosing a project, it does not weigh in the balance if the direction will be in charge of a man or a woman. But I am very happy that the cinema, and not only in directing, continues to add female directors of photography, electricians, cameras, roles that were previously more destined for men. That seems important to me, we still have a gigantic route to go.
News: To all this, we come from “The Two Popes” and “The Wrath of God”, are you trying to resolve some religious issues with the cinema?
Minujín: I wish it could! But really I have no religious formation. My parents are atheists, my dad’s family is Jewish and my mom’s is Druze, a religion that is only found in the Middle East. So I lack training in that sense, that’s why, when I made “The Two Popes”, one of the things that I took care of the most was precisely to investigate the subject because I didn’t know anything, I had no idea of the Our Father.
News: You have been the face of a well-known beer advertising for a long time, excessive alcohol consumption is an issue in our society. Did you have any internal debate with yourself when accepting the proposal?
Minujín: It seems to me that, although excessive alcohol consumption is a problem, excessive sugar consumption is also another problem, for example, one in the middle is dealing with these things but the truth is that it did not generate an internal debate.
News: You started doing theater when you were very young, at this point in the game, did you become the actor you wanted to be?
Minujín: Not yet, I need a bit (laughs). But I am very happy with the journey, both from the training, and in the theater and in the cinema. I’m happy with everything that’s happened to me so far, but I don’t feel like I’ve gotten anywhere, I’m still on the road.
by Leonardo Martinelli
