Diana Gómez: "When I was five, they signed me up for theater so I'd lose my shame."

BarcelonaThe conversation with actress Diana Gómez Raich begins in Igualada, where she was born in 1989, continues in Capellades, where she was already doing theater at the age of five, and goes through Barcelona, Madrid, London, Sabadell –where she lives with journalist Roger Escapa and her three-year-old son– and ends in Miami, the city they are going to this summer to see one of Leo Messi's last dances on a soccer field. Discreet and magnetic, Diana Gómez only seems to lose her temper when Barça is playing. You can find her on Netflix (Valeria and The Money Heist) and soon on 3Cat, in the second season of the series Vintage.

How have you slept these last few nights?

— Terrible, terrible. And I'm a person who really likes the heat, and I'm quite sensitive to the cold, but I'm having a bad time. Plus, we only have one fan at home, no air conditioning, and there are three of us in the bed, because my son sleeps with us and, on top of that, he has this habit of always seeking contact. So I spend the night putting it in the middle of the bed, and there are also nights when I wake up and go to the couch, where it's cooler. Plus, the thing about if I turn on the fan, I wake up with a sore throat and runny nose. Terrible, terrible.

Would you vote yes in a referendum to make today the last day of summer?

— No. Despite all the heat, I'm happy. I really like summer.

Do you already have a vacation trip planned for this summer, or are you one of those people who wake up at the last minute?

— We have the flights, we have the accommodations, but we still have to organize everything. I'm usually pretty last-minute, but if you want your flights to work out even slightly, you have to plan ahead.

And where are you going?

— To Miami. I'm really curious to see that city, but it's also true that it's a bit of a conflict for me, because I don't know if this is the best year to go to the United States.

You need to check your tweets, because depending on what you've said about Donald Trump, they might not let you in at the border.

— I don't think I've talked much about Donald Trump, although my son, every time Trump comes on TV, says, "This is the one you don't like, right?"

Does going to Miami have anything to do with Leo Messi?

— It has a little to do with it, yes. We want to go to an Inter Miami game, because I think it'll be the last time I'll see Leo Messi on a soccer field. His career has an expiration date; it'll be over soon.

You have been the protagonist of Valeria, a Netflix series with four seasons, which has premiered in 190 countries. In Miami, you may have seen Valeria.

— Maybe. Plus, there are a lot of Spanish-speaking people there too. Look, just yesterday we did a dramatized reading at the Sala Flyhard in Barcelona with my theater company [42 km], and in the audience was a girl from Brazil, who lived in Italy and was on vacation in Barcelona, and she bought a ticket to a reading in Catalan to see me and meet me.

I said that because it could be the case that it was Leo Messi who wanted to see you.

— Man, that would be really strong. But I don't think he's even seen the series.

Since we're talking about Messi, what was the last day you lost your temper with Barça?

— I had a really bad time when we were eliminated by Inter Milan. I was in a bad mood, the next day I was sad, I couldn't stand every time I saw Gerard Martín tackle... For me, Barça is a way to unwind. In normal life, I'm a person who finds it hard to get angry; I'm quite politically correct, and Barça is a space to let loose. Also, football has that very easy thing about it: you go with some people and, therefore, you go against others. It's black or white. There are no half measures.

To close this topic, what do you think of the images we've seen in recent days of Lamine Yamal on vacation with Neymar in Brazil or on a yacht in Ibiza?

— You know what I'm feeling? I think he's still a minor, and we're showing his private life and talking about it. It feels strange to me to comment on his privacy. Obviously, like any other teenager, he shows his life and wants to show it off.

Doesn't it make you suffer, like it does a section of Barcelona fans?

— I just don't want to suffer. We have to give him a vote of confidence. Then, on the pitch, he'll show that he's very good and very intelligent. So, trust us, and we'll see. It's not up to us to take care of this; that's what will happen within the club.

What is the ultimate meaning of being an actress for you?

— I don't know. Since I was enrolled in theater at a very young age, sometimes I wonder if it's something I chose or something that came about because of circumstances. They enrolled me when I was five because I was very shy. I blushed a lot, and the school tutor told my parents that theater might be a good tool to help me communicate more easily. And they took me to Capellades one summer, and I fell in love with it. I started working when I was fifteen, and I don't know if I've ever made the adult decision to "want to be an actress." Playing other characters has been the great outlet for everything I struggled to express, explore, and grow.

Would you say that your parents' ultimate goal, that you lose your shame, has been achieved?

— No, they haven't quite succeeded. I'm still shy, but I've found my habitat, where I have fun and find adrenaline.

How is this shame expressed?

— For example, in a group of people, I'll be quieter and not as expressive. Some people's first impression of me is that I'm an unfriendly person. And professionally, the red carpet moment is awkward. I have a really hard time when they ask me to host an event, or, for example, when I gave the opening speech in Igualada. My legs were shaking. And people say to me, "But you're an actress!" No, because that's where I'm the one who stands out.

When was the last time you thought you couldn't make a living as an actress?

— Before ValeriaI was having a pretty tough time financially. I'd just moved to London and spent all my savings there. I lived at my parents' house for a few months, then moved in with a friend. It must have been 2017 or 2018. I had to look for work in other fields, but I had no experience. I studied history, but didn't finish. And I found myself at 26 or 27, having to look for work without knowing what to do. I worked as a waitress at Sónar for a couple of years, serving drinks at a bar, and then I had a fantastic job: working as a tour guide in Barcelona and Catalonia.

Where did you take them?

— There was a tour It started at the Mercat de la Boqueria, Portaferrissa, a stop to taste Catalan cured meats, and then I took the opportunity to teach them a few things about the city's history. Then there was another route to Palamós, where I walked a section of the coastal path, ate shrimp, and ended in Pals. And I'd also been to Montserrat a couple of times. Also, since I'm from Igualada, along the way I told them the legend of the Timbaler del Bruc.

These are the last non-acting jobs you've had to do. But then comes Valeria, a starring role on Netflix, and I guess it allows you to enter another phase.

— I don't know. Financially, definitely, because I have savings now. Yes, the public knows you more, your name is familiar, they know you, but I don't know if my career has changed either. They don't send me projects, and I'm not here with jobs to choose from. Our profession, especially for women, is a pyramid. When you're young, in your 20s, there are many opportunities, and it's as if we can all access them. But that pyramid narrows, and by 30, it's like a pyramid. impasseI am very lucky to have done Valeria And now I may be able to access some tests that many of my colleagues don't get to.

Would you dare to say categorically that you will be an actress for life?

— I think I can try. There will be bumps, but I can get there.

When was the last time you were interviewed by a journalist and ended up married with a child?

— [Laughs] Well, six years ago, really hard. I didn't know him. Besides, it was an interview I was going to with my mother, and she almost didn't want to do it.

It was a section that Roger Escapa did in The supplement, from Catalunya Ràdio, which was called Sea love.

— Yes, first they interviewed her mother and then they opened the phone lines in case the listeners guessed who the daughter was. I convinced my mother at the last minute. I thought, "How handsome, how nice." Then we started talking and arranged to meet one day for lunch. And bam, bam.

And now, one of the last interviews I've seen you in is when you went to The Eclipse, the program Roger hosts for 3Cat. I thought he was a little afraid you'd take him to live in Madrid.

— Yes, but we'll never live in Madrid. That's a given. There may be times when I'm in Madrid more, and it could happen to us like it did: if it falls in the summer, it's easier for us all to go to Madrid. I know it won't be the best summer of our lives, but it's the easiest and most viable option, with a child. Or maybe I'll be away all week and come back on the weekend, which is what happens when he's working.

But aren't you pushing to move to Madrid?

— No, I've already done it. I've had the experience, and I wouldn't live in Madrid again. My base is here, in Sabadell, and we're doing fantastic.

Are you the same actress in Catalan as in Spanish?

— Probably not. Catalan is my native language, and emotionally, it's easier to access certain places in Catalan than in Spanish. After long periods here, if I get a job in Madrid, I need to regain the ability to speak Spanish. I remember doing a TV movie about Verdaguer, and we did a presa in Catalan and a presa in Spanish. It was interesting because the character and tone changed a lot. Catalan has a very high-pitched, sharper sound, while in Spanish everything ends lower, it's harsher.

What's the last tweet you wanted to tweet but held back for fear of losing a job?

— I think it's been a while, actually. Also because Twitter is a space I'm lazy about now. I use it for football and some promotional stuff. Maybe there were times when I did consider what I would say or not say. But I don't know if it would make me lose a job. Maybe it's a fear you have because you think you're the center of the world, and I don't know if people are that attentive.

What were you demanding at the last demonstration you attended?

— It was a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Let it end now!

And the latest news that has impacted you, what is it?

— The death of the two-year-old boy locked in a car shocked me deeply. It gave me goosebumps. Five hours there, how horrible!

The last two are the same for everyone. A song you've been listening to lately.

— I listen a lot to Mishima's version of Bad Bunny's song. DtMF, and that they title HdHFMD. It's wonderful.

The last words of the interview are yours.

— I don't know, thank you very much. And, despite the heat, have a great summer!