Marcel Borràs: "I had the warning that I couldn't imitate Serrat, almost for legal reasons."

BarcelonaMay is the quintessential Eurovision month, as it's when the song contest traditionally takes place. Just a few days before this year's edition—which will take place on May 17 in Basel—the The song, a Movistar Plus + miniseries about how Spain won the competition for the first time with Massiel and the The, the, theIn the production, which premieres on May 8 and was presented at the BCN Film Fest, Marcel Borràs plays Joan Manuel Serrat, who was originally supposed to represent Spain at the festival in 1968. When the Poble-Sec native asked to sing the song in Catalan, he was replaced by Massiel.

You play Joan Manuel Serrat, a character we all know. Is it easy to avoid imitation?

— I tried to do what actors should do, which is to listen to the directors and creators of the series. At no point was it my intention to try to imitate or anything like that. They wanted the series to explore many tones, encompassing comedy, social criticism, and even... thriller. In addition, they also wanted to create a very clear blend with the real material recorded at the time. They prioritized finding an energy that could respond to speculation because, after all, many things have been said about that time. They created a version based on written documents from the time without intending it to reflect a closed reality. In this sense, my work was to put some soul and body into the life moment that person lived.

Do you sing in the series?

— Yes, I also had the stipulation that I couldn't imitate him, almost for legal reasons. He [Serrat] wouldn't give up his vocal rights, and therefore, legally, I couldn't try to imitate him. My talent as an actor wouldn't have allowed me to imitate him either, because this man has such a peculiar and characteristic voice, and such quality, that even with a lot of rehearsal, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. In this sense, they calmed me down and told me, "Let's find our Serrat." These are characters that serve to tell a story that was beyond them.

Have you ever sung?

— I had sung in theater, but from a very different place. From a very free place, where mistakes could be conceived within the piece, because it was a game. I like to sing, but I'm not a singer, and when you get started, you realize it's a very complex thing to do. One of the things that happened to me was that I greatly admired this man for his vocal ability, his charisma, and his voice changes, which I analyzed with a coach.

Did you know this episode from Serrat's life?

— No, I didn't know anything. I didn't know Massiel had won Eurovision—that's the level. I didn't know what Massiel looked like! I only knew Serrat, from that whole story. When I started investigating, I was deeply impressed by the courage of both of them, each in their own time and in their own way. I found that, given their youth and the times they lived in, they were very brave to do what they did.

Serrat asked to sing in Catalan at Eurovision and ultimately didn't attend. This hasn't changed much, as Catalan has never been sung in a Eurovision final.

— I don't know if many artists have asked for it. It's different now because the selection is through a competition, and the songs submitted in Catalan haven't won because the vast majority of the public votes for songs in Spanish. What would have happened if Rigoberta Bandini had won and said, "I want to sing in Catalan"? We don't know.

Do you think there's more openness in Spain regarding the other languages of the state?

— I don't see much openness regarding linguistic diversity. When did Catalan become co-official in the Congress of Deputies? Two days ago, basically. Obviously, we didn't live under Franco's regime. In fact, I was quite surprised that Serrat dared to ask to sing in Catalan because it shows that Catalan was very present in society, hidden but very present. His main objective wasn't to represent any political movement, but to be an artist, and he considered Catalan to be a language that represented him. If he ended up asking to sing in Catalan, it's because, for him, it was normal and natural enough. This, aside from all the political connotations it has from the people who refused, is for me almost a document that shows that Catalan was very present, which is something I don't know about because I wasn't born at that time.

Do you feel that artists are required to be politically committed?

— I think artists, because they are artists, have the ability to avoid commitment, if they want. They can excuse themselves by saying that they're doing something that has nothing to do with politics. I think those who commit do so because they want to commit, or because they've experienced situations like Serrat's that made it necessary. I think it's fine if an artist wants to use their voice to tell the world what they think.

There is also the opposite situation: when a musician or actor speaks out politically, he is often criticized.

— Yes, it often happens. I was thinking about artists who make a commitment, but if you compare it to what this man [Serrat] did, it's nothing. He couldn't contemplate the consequences of his statement. The letter he published, which he considers super-coherent, had important consequences. We're now in a time where this is happening again: everyone is afraid to say things because you think, "Oh, maybe I'll say something and it will be misinterpreted or used elsewhere to justify certain discourses." We're in a time where it's very difficult for your ideas to be conveyed clearly and transparently.

You've already said you're not a Eurofan, but do you have any memories linked to Serrat's music?

— Not too much either. He wasn't an artist I played at home, and I haven't listened to him much either. This gave me the false idea that his responsibility wasn't too great, but it lasted two days. When I started telling people I was playing Serrat, I realized he's very important to a lot of people. Many people have him on their list of favorite artists. In the end, the fact that he's so well-known has also been a great boost for me.

What is your best memory related to music?

— Live music is what I've enjoyed the most. One concert I'll always remember is A$AP Rocky's at Sónar 2015. I went in with a fever of 39 and left feeling cured. It was two hours of bouncing around in the front row.