Lily Bergues: "Work is a Challenge and Fun"

Liliana Bergues Ruiz, artistically known as Lily Bergues, began her acting training at age five in the city of Santiago de Cuba.

When she came of age, she joined the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), where she ventured into different artistic manifestations and mainly, in various theater groups.

Lily acts the character of Marina in the Cuban soap opera Asuntos Pendientes, directed by Felo Ruiz, in which she also shares the stage with her children Leo and Leah Sofía Inglés Bergues.

- How do you receive the proposal to participate in Asuntos Pendientes?

«I had worked with Felo Ruiz on the soap opera El rostro de los días, in a small role that entered the first chapters and the conflict was practically closed at the moment.

"One day he called me to tell me about the character and I fell in love with Marina."

-What was it like working under his direction?

«Throughout my career I have worked with many directors and the experience with Felo was wonderful.

«He considered himself a feminist given the great empathy he had with the actresses, based on respect and consideration; besides, he would sit next to us to do table work before the scenes and offered us the possibility of repeating them if we were not satisfied, to achieve a better result ».

- How much of Marina is there in Lily Bergues?

“We are quite similar, which was a challenge because the characters I have played on other occasions have been very different, and that is also gratifying.

«Playing a similar character is just as complicated because you have to get it away from you and not get carried away by everything it gives to you.

«Despite the fact that I’m a person who is always willing to help family, friends, animals, and everyone in general, Marina ratified this trait in me forever.

«She knew from the beginning what she was up to, and it’s now evident that after making a decision, she punishes herself because she is aware that she affects a third person, and it’s something she cannot allow.

«Many things from her have stayed with me, especially empathy; she is an extremely loyal and grateful woman ».

- Was it planned that Leo and Leah, your children in real life, would be part of the soap opera?

«Not at all, Felo told me that they were looking for an infant with the characteristics of Leo, who already had a base in acting after previous work in film and television, and that’s how he became part of the cast.

«In the case of Leah, she had also performed in previous productions and she is a very communicative girl; she told Felo during a filming session that she wanted to participate in the soap opera and he -between laughters- accepted and inserted some small flashback scenes with texts, at her request.

«It was very difficult since the recording process was carried out during COVID-19, but they are very mature for their age and they were already used to being part of the recording sets, because on certain occasions they had to accompany me and we even got to work together."

- What were the greatest lessons that the soap opera left you?

«Marina it’s actually a before and after in my life; thanks to her I understood that in the world there’s a great diversity of thoughts and values because the audience is made up of different ages, strata, and likes.

«I thought that everyone was going to like her but it has not been like that; many feel identified, others don’t, and even hate her, which they manifest through social networks and daily life, which is why I learned to channel my emotions by being so exposed to opinions, like never before.

«Another of the lessons is that you can work with someone without having had a prior approach, like in the case of Tulio Marín –Rolando in Asuntos Pendientes-, as well as the importance of letting go.

«Acting under pressure is also possible and there are things on television that cannot be changed unlike the theater, so you must be calm with that; on the other hand, to be more optimistic, positive and to channel certain feelings such as fear, which will always be there.

Lily Bergues, in line with her character in Asuntos Pendientes sees in values such as empathy and loyalty, the salvation of humankind; yet another trait that makes her brings her close to the character she performs now.

As for sharing cameras with her children Leo and Leah, she assures that the most important thing is not to impose and respect each other, as long as the need to do things well and seriously is clear; "Work is challenging and fun, so we must maintain harmony."

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff