Actor Quim Gutiérrez (42 years old) decided to take the reins of his career to guide it in the direction he wanted it to go. This is how today, the interpreter of renowned comedies such as Cousins ??or Tres Bodas de Más, is presenting The Red Island (L’île rouge), a French drama by director Robin Campillo (120 beats per minute), in which Gutiérrez is puts himself in the shoes of the director’s own father. “I would have made a lot more money following what the industry proposed,” says the actor in a telephone conversation, but these are the characters that in the end give him the most satisfaction, “characters that are not designed with a highlighter” and manage to strengthen before the eyes. of the public his versatility as a performer.
The Red Island is located in Madagascar, in the early 70s, in one of the last air bases of the French army. Based on director Robin Campillo’s own childhood, Quim Gutiérrez plays Robert López, a father of a military family of Spanish origin. He is sparing in the expression of his emotions, demonstrating his virility through physical strength but, at the same time, capable of being very affectionate with his children at certain times. The proposal that fascinated Quim Gutiérrez came to him “by a series of coincidences,” without the director or the producers having seen any of his previous work. This gave him the opportunity to perform in a selection of the roles he is most proud of. “It is paradoxical that in France they offer me what I thought I was most gifted for when I started my career,” says the actor, referring to his first work in Catalonia, before moving to Madrid. “Then you do comedies and they are more successful than your dramatic characters and inertia guides you in that direction.”
Quim Gutiérrez affirms that, although in recent times he has leaned towards dramatic roles, his intention is not to limit himself to a single genre. “For me the ideal is to combine quality projects in as many records as possible.” The actor, who made the leap to Hollywood in 2018 with his participation in Jungle cruise, alongside Emily Blunt and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, reveals that the French film industry has something that not even the American one has. “The viewer develops a unique bond with cinema that does not exist in any other cinematography in the world.” Cinema, in addition to entertainment, can also be considered a cultural manifestation, and he would love for this to also be seen in Spain, where “the options are more limited” and thrillers and comedies predominate. “Going to see different things generates more curious, informed, compassionate and intelligent societies.”
This year, the actor also stood out in another dramatic character in the Netflix series The Body on Fire, alongside Úrsula Corberó. “Proposing myself for that character was not the obvious casting and that is why I am very grateful to Jorge Torregrosa, the director of the series.” The resounding success of The Body on Fire was reflected in the recognition that the actor is experiencing among the public, which requires greater exposure. “I really like to expose myself in the context of work, but in my private life I am a reserved person who needs many moments to be alone.”
Looking ahead to next year, Quim Gutierréz prefers to wait and not create too many expectations. “The truth is that what happened last year makes me feel very lucky,” referring to the possibilities offered to him by directors whom he deeply admires, such as Robin Campillo (The Red Island) or Jorge Torregrosa (The Burning Body). It is these opportunities that allow him to continue growing as a performer through new challenges. The Red Island arrives in Spanish cinemas this Friday, October 20.
