Javier Cámara: "If you have the privilege of being known by people, don't be a bad person."

BarcelonaJavier Cámara has finished filming a new movie in Girona with Berto Romero, and when we met, he insisted I speak to him in Catalan because he wanted to practice the language, which he's learning thanks to friends and colleagues. The actor was one of the guests at Serielizados Fest, where he presented his new series. JakartaIn the drama, which premieres this Thursday on Movistar Plus+, he plays Joserra, a depressed badminton coach who believes he has found the sport's next big star, Mar, a teenager played by Catalan actress Carla Quílez.

Your character, Joserra, is at a very low point, but the viewer gradually comes to understand him. Was it important for the performance to be subtle?

— Yes, Diego [Saint Joseph] and Elena [Trapé] They told me that, at first, this character hides a lot. Physically, he's broken; he's a man with serious problems. We played a bit with the viewer's opinion, which was very important to us. The fact that they gradually discovered him could fuel prejudices against him: Joserra could be dangerous, Joserra does things that aren't normal, and he's in front of a minor. He's someone we don't like, and we wouldn't want our children around him. This was our initial approach, but without emphasizing it. At the beginning, we had to do more nuanced work.

Was the physical aspect of the character important?

— Yes, we worked on it a lot, and many departments were involved. Marta Murillo, who is an incredible costume designer, was in charge of finding the tracksuits. In this series, I've worn every tracksuit in the history of badminton and tennis. Rita Noriega, who was the director of photography, made sure that Joserra was never lit from the front; there was always a part of the character that you didn't quite see. There was a beautiful use of light and color that really helped to build the character.

Has the narrative of dividing the world into winners and losers increased in recent years because of social media?

— The language of winners has increased; losers don't exist on social media. Nobody wants to lose on social media because it implies they'll be laughed at. This means the loser doesn't do the work they should be doing as a loser: drawing conclusions from their loss. Did you try hard enough? Were you as lucky as everyone else? What does defeat evoke in you? Envy, anger, self-awareness. Defeat is always much more interesting than victory. The winner is celebrated, but there's no lesson to be learned.

Are we somewhat obsessed with success?

— But there's a lot of confusion about what success is. What is success? Professional success? I think it's not just that. How's your real life going? We're old enough to know that nothing is that simple. I always separate my professional life from my personal life, and often they don't go hand in hand. One might be in Jakarta and the other in Kuala Lumpur. So it's necessary to look at everything in moderation. Success is very attractive, it generates a lot of nervousness, and I don't like that. For me, success, as it exists on social media, is quite overwhelming.

Is your profession more likely to make this distinction between success and failure?

— Yes, especially because of how we market things. We're selling a series we want people to watch. Sometimes I've had to talk about things I wasn't happy about, but that had to be sold. This double game we always have to play can be a little unsettling. It's very difficult to be honest in front of the camera.

When an actor is successful, their personal life becomes a topic of discussion. You've managed to avoid that quite a bit.

— I think mystery is very important. It's difficult to maintain when you've been doing this job for 40 years, but it's important. In each new project, you have to be a new person, and if people know you too well, it's very difficult. If you're talking about your life all the time, or about how much weight you've gained playing some character, the magic disappears. If you want to move people, they shouldn't know everything about you all the time. It's a nightmare. Besides, they don't just ask you about the show; sometimes they ask how you are. If they catch you in a moment of sincerity, you explain your life, and then the headline is "the bad time of..." and they forget about the show. It's true that I'm modest, but I do think that talking about your life is a double-edged sword. For example, people have asked me, "Can we talk to your mother?" No, I can't talk to my mother, who is 93 years old and lives in her hometown. My mother is a beautiful woman, but why would you want to bother her? I'm famous, and it's already a drag. Leave my mother, sisters, and partner alone. Maybe I'm wrong, but I like to keep things mysterious.

Joserra has a thorn in his side: his defeat at the Barcelona Olympics. Professionally, do you have any thorns in your side?

— No, I've received a lot of accolades, though some I didn't deserve. I'm overwhelmed by some wonderful moments. I've worked with amazing people, learned so much, and put in a tremendous amount of effort. There were so many talented people at drama school, and I was one of them. I wasn't the best-looking or the most talented, but I had my own charm, and I entered the world of comedy. I used to be more shy and focused mainly on making sure no one discovered I was a bad actor or that I didn't know my lines. Now I'm less self-conscious, and I dare to do more things; I go to the set more relaxed. It's also true that you have the protection of knowing people have laughed a lot with you, and that's really cool. You've earned the privilege of people saying, "This guy's awesome," and you have to live up to it. If you have the wonderful privilege of being known, don't be a bad person. Behave well; people are very affectionate. You have to maintain a healthy distance from all the praise and all the failures. It is also true that there are people who insult you for failures, and that's unnecessary.

In Jakarta You've shared the screen with Carla Quílez, who at 17 already has a remarkable career. Have you had time to talk about the profession?

— When I was 17, I was living in my hometown and didn't know what I wanted from life. I ended up asking her for advice. She's a very serious person, very down-to-earth, and has a great support network.

In your profession, is it important for someone to bring you down to earth?

— Yes, and what's more, it won't be the best actor who brings you down, it'll be an extra. And that's a good thing, because you realize that everyone has their own worth and that everyone can put you in your place.

You also worked as an extra. What did you learn from that experience?

— Yes, before drama school. Then, when I graduated, I did very small theater things, little scenes. Honestly, I didn't deserve more. I was shy and reserved enough to say, "I'm on a stage, which is what I want, and for now, that's enough for me." It was all very slow. The jump to television was like, "Wow," and fame was a shock; it went to my head a bit, which was kind of absurd. I had a low moment, but you get over that feeling quickly. Fame, film, and television weren't what I expected. When I talk to Carla, I tell her that we're both satisfied, we're both privileged.

Joserra is a big defender of cheating. When was the last time you cheated?

— Since I have young children, I don't cheat at anything. In the summer, when we're with a lot of people playing cards, I have to be moderate because I'm teaching little ones. But cheating also teaches you things; it's a way of learning. I haven't cheated in a while... Yes, to avoid lying, I don't usually tell the whole truth. I don't know if this counts as cheating. The NOW will judge. [laughs]