CĂ©sar Vicente
Acting
âI was 12 years old when I set foot on a stage for the very first time,â Spanish actor CĂ©sar Vicente says. âIt was the year-end dance at my school. I realized [then] that performing would be part of my life; it allowed me to be confident in a way that I wasnât before.â Chasing that sense of invincibility, Vicente enrolled in the dramatic arts program at Sevillaâs Viento Sur Teatro. Following four years of intensive training there, he soon began landing parts. These included the role of ElĂas, a clever groundskeeper at an all-girls finishing school, in the 2018 series A Different View, and a young HernĂĄn Cortez, the Spanish imperialist who defeated the Aztecs, in the 2019 historical drama series HernĂĄn. Though each of those characters played a role in Vicenteâs development, it was his role as Eduardo, a local laborer learning to read and write, in Pedro AlmodĂłvarâs 2019 film Pain and Glory, that put him on the global map. âMy experience as Eduardo was the most wonderful time of my life,â he says. âIt was an opportunity to develop my hidden potential and to put into practice the skills I had learned in the Academy.â Eduardo is an ancillary but potent figure in the life of Salvador Malloâthe filmâs protagonist and a loose analog for its director. In building the character, Vicente met with AlmodĂłvar on multiple occasions. â[AlmodĂłvar] described the character meticulously to get the most out of my abilities,â Vicente says. âIt [was] an honor to play this important role in the directorâs life.â Vicenteâs mission is not only to be a conduit to a filmmakerâs vision, but also to prove his craft. âI am always trying to learn from the mistakes I make. Even if I keep failing, I never give up,â he says. For instance, his next red carpet will likely be a smoother affair than that of the Pain and Glory premiere: âThat was a challenge,â he recalls. âAll the recognition and promotion was fun but very intense for me.â If his parting sentiment is any indication, Vicente is ready to savor the spotlight that awaits him: âI feel a burning desire to conquer the world.â
