When Acting is an Act of Boldness

Every August 26 marks the International Day of the Actress and Actor in honor of Saint Genesius of Rome, a third-century actor who, during a performance in which he mocked baptism, converted to Christianity and proclaimed his faith before Emperor Diocletian. This act cost him his life, but made him a martyr and the patron saint of actors.

The date commemorates his legacy and celebrates the art of performance. More importantly, it recognizes the passion, discipline, and courage of actors and actresses who, from ancient times to today, connect with audiences through stories not their own and with deep personal commitment. On this occasion, we asked several Cuban actors to share the boldest moments of their careers.

Denys Ramos, ready in four hours

“One of the boldest things I have done was having only four hours to prepare for another character in a play. The cast had run into problems and I had to switch to a more complex role, with greater participation. That happened, and I am one of the actors who has experienced such a situation.”

Alfredo Felipe, a singular Yarini

“Gerardo Fulleda León, whom I admire and care for deeply, decided to restage Requiem por Yarini, a very successful production of his at the Rita Montaner Theater. He wanted his Yarini to be played by a Black actor and offered me the role. It was a difficult moment for decisions, because in my opinion, the chance of failure was right around the corner. I had to study every detail in depth. Fulleda asked me to lose some weight, and I accepted that challenge as well. It was difficult to give a different face to the myth, since there are photos and abundant bibliographic material, and moving beyond that was both complex and unusual.”

Leydis Díaz, against all fears

“I would say the boldest thing I have done was getting on a horse, despite being afraid of it, and the moment the director said ‘action,’ forgetting my fear and delivering the scene as if I had been doing it all my life. But the boldest act of all has been doing theater. Going on stage every night, knowing that you either do it well or do it well, there is no second chance, because each audience is unique and will go home with the impression you left them.”

Januel Hernández, with old tricks up his sleeve

“I think the boldest thing I have had to do in my career was while filming Sábados de Gloria. I had a shooting day with 17 scheduled scenes, plus 4 that were added that same day. Of course, I had not had time to study them, so I had no idea what the lines were. I had to place the text under the bar, on the floor. I would bend down, glance at the script, pick up a drink, put it on the bar, and deliver the line, trying to make it look as organic as possible. I think that was the boldest thing I have done, and it is not entirely mine, since great actors such as Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando have admitted to using that kind of trick at some point.”

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff