Alejandro Philips and the Joyful Odyssey of Becoming Teófilo

We spoke with the young actor portraying one of Cuba’s and the world’s greatest boxers, Teófilo Stevenson, in a film directed by Alejandro Gil that recently completed its shooting phase.

How did you come to the role?

I had recently auditioned for the ISA, and that’s where I met Hoshi, who was then the vice dean. He later met with Alejandro Gil and told him he needed to find a Black actor, someone tall, you know, with the potential to play a specific character. Hoshi immediately thought of me and told Alejandro, “Don’t keep searching, I have the person.”

Then he called me and said Alejandro Gil wanted to meet me for a project. We met at a café in Havana, and over coffee, he began talking to me about the film, all the research he had done, about Teófilo Stevenson’s legacy, and the tribute he wanted to pay to Teófilo as an athlete and to Cuban sports as a whole.

Right then and there, I started falling in love with the project, without even realizing they were considering me for the lead role. After all that background, Ale asked me if I would be interested in playing Teófilo. Of course, I was nervous and didn’t even know what to say, but I told him, “Absolutely, I’ll do it, sounds perfect.” Later we met again, he gave me the first draft of the script, and that’s when the training began, the whole process of preparing to embody this character.

You’ve often said this role has been a gift in your career, but it clearly came with big challenges. Which were the toughest?

Without a doubt, the most difficult part was the physical preparation. Learning a sport like boxing from scratch was incredibly challenging. I always say, I didn’t even play board games, and suddenly I had to start boxing, a sport that looks simple but demands coordination, strength, endurance, and physical capability that is hard to acquire.

I remember when I arrived at the Trejo gym and told the trainer, Alberto Caturla, “Coach, I’m the actor who’s going to start training,” and when he saw me—so skinny—he said, “What worries me most is whether you can physically last even 30 seconds in the ring.” I didn’t understand at the time, but the first time I got in the ring, I realized just how crucial physical endurance is.

During training, I ran six kilometers a day to build the stamina needed to handle the technical aspects of boxing, which are very demanding. On top of that, I had to gain weight, because visually, we needed to respect Teófilo’s image. No matter how much we wanted to capture his essence, the appearance had to match. I started weight training and followed a strict nutrition plan.

I received support from Dr. Barreto, head of the Nutritional Support Group at the Ameijeiras Hospital. He advised me on what to eat to gain muscle, how much sleep I needed, and what supplements to take. The Institute of Sports Medicine, led by Dr. Montesinos, did a bioimpedance analysis to assess my physical potential. I found myself surrounded by all this technical equipment and thought, “God, I’m in way over my head.” The physical preparation was intense.

And I imagine that was just one of several challenges.

Of course, there was also the challenge of portraying Teófilo himself. Alejandro Gil did not want an imitation of Stevenson, but rather for me to capture his essence. I began researching, watching videos, and speaking with people who knew him. The more I learned about who Teófilo was, the more pressure I felt. It was a huge honor, but also a tremendous responsibility.

That responsibility made me more disciplined, more driven, and helped me see sacrifice as part of the journey toward something bigger—the final result of the film. I dedicated almost two years to this, on my own. I worked in a restaurant to afford my training, gym time, and diet. It became part of my daily life.

In those three years of constant training and waiting, did you ever feel like giving up? What kept you going?

Of course, during those three years, I faced a lot of uncertainty. I was giving it my all for a project that had not yet come together. I went through many phases and turned down other opportunities and projects to commit fully, body and soul, to Teófilo.

During that time, my son was born, and becoming a father made me question things even more. I asked myself if it was worth dedicating so much time to something still not guaranteed. But when you ask me what kept me going, the answer is simple—Alejandro Gil.

It was the trust Ale placed in me from the very beginning. Alejandro is someone who commits emotionally, spiritually, and in every way to his work, and that energy rubbed off on me. Plus, I was already in love with the idea of playing Teófilo. That gave me the will to keep training and preparing. Time passed, and eventually, the project came together. Today, I am happy.

Not only was this your first time in a film, it was your first time in front of a camera of any kind. Given that, it must have been a tough process. But were there any beautiful moments during filming?

Yes, stepping into cinema with a lead role, carrying that responsibility, especially being my first experience, was extremely difficult. But the support of the entire team gave me peace of mind, and I am infinitely grateful for that. I learned so much from everyone.

There were so many beautiful experiences—it felt like a dream. But one of the most special things about working in film is the friendships that form. I made many lifelong friends on this project.

Another deeply moving experience came from Teófilo’s family. They supported me and helped me throughout the process. On the first day of filming fight scenes at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva, Teófilo’s wife showed up. After I finished the sequence, she came up to me in tears and said, “I’ve been crying all night. Watching you, I couldn’t stop remembering my husband.”

His daughter, who lives in Mexico, also visited the set one day. She looked at me and said, “Seeing you feels like seeing my father.” What more could anyone ask from life?

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translated Staff