Mexico's Gael Garcia Bernal: Found in Translation
"Zorro Reborn," announced as an upcoming project through 20th century Fox studios, will be a futuristic take on the classic fictional Spanish hero and outlaw Zorro, who was continually able to fumble villains with his superb athleticism, swords-wielding abilities and skill in hand-to-hand combat. The script will be written by Glen Gers, Lee Shipman, and Brian McGeevy. Tapped to play this role is none other than the incomparable Guadalajara, Mexico-born actor and director Gael Garcia Bernal.
Garcia Bernal began his career as a teen, playing dime roles on telenovelas, before coming into his own as a 19-year-old soap opera heartthrob, compelling women of all ages with his attractiveness and raw talent.
He then left Mexico for London, so that he could study drama, and soon enough, he earned a role in "Amores Perros" thanks to Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Garcia Bernal's film career progressed, and he began to gain roles in acclaimed feature films such as "Y Tu Mama Tambien," "El Crimen del Padre Amaro," "Bad Education," "Motorcycle Diaries" and "Babel." The man who once said, "Talent survives and remains while beauty is diluted," proves his worth as an actor with every commitment that he makes.
As the actor's 34th year comes to a close, and his 35th birthday approaches, he gets to celebrate with a stunning career that has translated from its humble Mexican beginnings to its current standing as a major attraction in Hollywood, earning him an international audience. And despite the fact he has become internationally known, the actor and director has remained committed to his Latin American audiences, though he no longer lives in Latin America.
He has convincingly portrayed strong characters of different backgrounds and ethnicities; while always giving a nod to where he is from, and the talent that thrives there. He co-owns Canana Productions, which produced a series of documentaries about the unsolved murders of 300 women in the border city of Ciudad Juarez. Also, he co-directed four short films in collaboration with Amnesty International called "Los Invisibles," that examined the lives and hopes of migrants from Central America in Mexico.
The Mexican star has two films in development for 2014, "The Ardor and Rosewater." He will also star in "Mozart in the Jungle," written by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartman and Alex Timber.