Of course, we've seen Daniel Barrera several times on the small screen, and specifically in the soap opera time: Diego in El derecho de soñar, Fabián in Viceversa, or Yam in Renacer; however, I think none have raised riot like Henry, the character he's currently playing in Regreso al corazón. Speaking of which, we talked with this young Cuban actor.

—How did you come across Regreso al corazón and, especially, the character of Henry?

—I wrote to Loysis's assistant director because I heard he had a new project at hand, so I told her I'd like to work with her and Eduardo Eimil again, since I'd already been with them on Viceversa, but it was a very small project. Then the assistant replied: Yes, Dani, Loysis is holding a casting call for the soap opera. Let me ask her what day you should come in for the casting call. Indeed, I think I did two casting calls: the first one was quite massive and lasted several days, and then they chose me for the second round, when we were already a smaller group. They tested me for various characters: they tested me for Enmanuel and for Henry in the argument scene that was already in the cabaret dressing room. A few days later, Loysis wrote to me saying she wanted me to play the character of Henry. She sent me the scripts, and that's how I ended up with Regreso al corazón and, especially, the character of Henry.

—This isn't your first time in a soap opera, but I think it's a more complex character. How do you feel about the result we're seeing on screen?

—I think so, it's been one of the most complex; rather, one of the most nuanced, with several strong storylines. I'm happy with the result I'm seeing on screen, not entirely, because I'm a person who always tries to push myself to the limit and I judge myself a lot. I strive for perfection. I know I'll never achieve it, because perfection is never achieved, but at least that drives you to do your best, and that's why I say yes, I'm happy.

—There are things that could have been improved, but overall I'm quite satisfied with the result and, above all, with the affection of the people and the audience, who, in the end, are the ones we work for. They've accepted the character of Henry, they've also criticized it, but I feel quite satisfied.

—What were the biggest challenges Henry presented to you?

—One of the biggest challenges was from a physical standpoint, because I had to look older. Loysis told me I needed to add age because, somehow, the character was released from prison, so I had to start training to gain muscle, to look bigger. In fact, I gained an inch and a half in arm weight before starting the novel, training. I trained every day, going to bed when I got home from filming, around 9:00 p.m. to get up at 3 a.m. and train from 3-6, showering quickly, eating breakfast. There were even times when the car would come to pick me up and I'd go to eat the first bite of bread and wouldn't have time, I'd have to leave without breakfast. That was one of the toughest challenges, above all, of perseverance, consistency, and discipline, and also the fact that Henry was a double act, both as a clown and in drag. For me, that was one of the biggest challenges I've faced, drag, because it's something I'd never done before and it's very different from me, from my personality, from my physique...

—And the greatest satisfactions?

—I think it's precisely the biggest challenges I've faced. Henry explained that these were also my greatest satisfactions: being able to demonstrate to myself the perseverance of exercising throughout the entire shoot. Also, meeting many of the actors from Regreso al corazon, working for the first time with some I already knew, and for me it was an huge pleasure and a great satisfaction to be able to share time with many of the actors from Regreso al corazon, like Loretta, Mayelín, Alicia Echevarría, Jorge Pedro… actually, all the actors I met were a huge satisfaction for me. Also, being able to get to know the world of drag, great artists from that world with whom I now maintain a friendship after filming, a fairly close friendship. Having done drag was a great satisfaction for me from an artistic standpoint because it was something totally different. They were probably the two most complicated and at the same time most beautiful days of filming I've ever experienced.

—Does the fact that you're portraying an actor make it easier?

—I think so, that the fact that I'm playing an actor makes it a little easier, simply because there are points of contact and things I understand about the character.

—How much do Henry and Daniel have in common?

—Henry and I have several things in common: first, we're both actors, and another thing we have in common, I think, is our closeness to our mother. I'm quite close to my mother, as Henry is to Eloísa, even after finding out everything that happened.

—Current projects?

—A play is in the wraps with the Kilómetro Cero group, my theater group. There's also a series, and right now I'm filming Felo Ruiz's novel Entre Aguas.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque / CubaSí Translation Staff