FROM TELEVISION: Clarita García, “the best mother in the world for Rodo”

She captivated us from the very first episode, and we have already become accomplices to her love—and even to the secrets we have yet to discover—because Clarita García has once again put her soul into her work. If Amalia once connected with us, I have the feeling that Magaly, Rodo’s mother, will soon become part of every Cuban household.

On the occasion of her participation in the series Las reglas de Rodo, which recently premiered on Cubavisión, we spoke with her.

—The Magda González Grau–Clarita García formula, after Calendario, is undoubtedly a good omen for the audience, given the success of Professor Amalia. To what extent does it also become a challenge?

“From the very beginning, I felt nervous about facing something new, something different from the series Calendario, especially under Magda’s direction. But it was also a great blessing, you know? Working again with a script by Amílcar, and reuniting with the team from the three seasons of Calendario, all under Magda’s wonderful, magical, and wise direction—that helped ease my nerves and opened the door to confidence, as always. It allowed me to surrender to the process that came through Rodo. I remember one day during rehearsals, Magda told me: ‘You can’t be afraid, because this has nothing to do with Amalia; I’ve made it my goal to have you play a completely different character, and I’m going to achieve that.’”

“There will always be certain similarities because, in the end, we’re all human, but the story of Rodo is truly beautiful, and the situations are completely different from everything I experienced with Professor Amalia. Yes, it was a challenge, but it also became an everyday joy on set—sweet, focused, and full of the concentration needed to play Magaly and to remain attentive to everything in Rodo’s world. We truly hope the audience receives her with great affection.”

“One of the most beautiful aspects of the series is that Amílcar wrote it, as always, masterfully. His writing allows you to understand what needs to be done—it conveys all the love surrounding Rodo’s world and awakens in the audience a sense of empathy and compassion for these special individuals who are, in truth, just like us; their condition does not define them. The series constantly carries this message: accepting them as they are, looking at them with love, and seeing these mothers and their children as normal, because when you truly research autism, you discover so many beautiful things about these beings. The series embraces this idea from the very first episode—that we are united in our differences—and that, I believe, is one of its greatest strengths.”

—How did you manage to become “Rodo’s mother”?

“The most beautiful part was immersing myself in an entirely unfamiliar world—the world of autism. I didn’t know much about the topic, and portraying such a character led me to conduct deep research, full of detail, and to meet mothers of autistic children. That was one of the most rewarding parts of the process.”

“Magda wanted us not only to do the usual character work—building a biography, analyzing the scenes—but also to meet people who are truly living through these experiences. I was fortunate to meet several mothers: one from Santa Clara named Diana, whose son is Fabio. With great tenderness, she shared her story with me through WhatsApp, for which I am deeply grateful. I also met two mothers from Bauta, where I live—Yania and Rebeca—whose children, Pastor and Ariel, I was able to observe for three hours. Those hours were profoundly intense; I listened to their stories, asked countless questions that helped me better understand Magaly—why she said certain things, why she looked at Rodo in a particular way. And beyond that, Amílcar’s script is filled with truthful yet heartwarming moments that can make you smile. When I visited these mothers, I realized how real it all was: they have such an open way of seeing life, and they speak to their children with such naturalness, because they are simply normal, happy children. That was truly wonderful for me.”

“Another blessing was working alongside such a genuine, generous, and disciplined actor as Ignacio Hernández, Nashi. Everything was easy with him. Our connection was deep from the start, and we didn’t need to rehearse excessively—the scenes just flowed naturally. For me, it was effortless, because more than acting opposite a colleague, I felt as though I truly had Rodo before me. That made me become, and believe I was, the best mother in the world for Rodo.”

—What lessons did this character leave with you—as both a mother and as a person?

“The most beautiful thing about this work we do—and what often saves us—is the mission we carry as artists and the beauty that each character can leave within us, despite their flaws or virtues. If Amalia, in Calendario, helped me become more conscious and a better person, then Magaly, Rodo’s mother, has helped me want to be a better mother—with all that entails: gratitude for my son every day, gratitude for his health, and unconditional acceptance.”

“And I say this on behalf of all mothers in Cuba and around the world: sometimes we complain about our children’s behavior or that they don’t listen. But what a mother should do is be deeply grateful—first and foremost—for being a mother, which is an immense blessing, and for accepting her children as they are, with patience and love, guiding them always. That is one of the most beautiful lessons that Magaly has given me: the strength, willpower, patience, and love that we must always have as mothers—to love our children above all else, to help them, and to be there for them, no matter what.”

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff