A Elena Rivera (Zaragoza, 1992) we do nothing but watch her suffer and we confess that we like it. Because it is in those roles full of drama where she shows her great potential as an actress. We now have two brilliant samples, currently on air: ‘Dawn’, on Antena 3Y ‘The heirs of the earth’, on netflix. In both he gives life to a young woman who suffers sexual abuse. In the first she is a current girl, and in the other, a slave who finds respect and love in the protagonist of this series based on the homonymous novel by Ildefonso Falcones that follows in the wake of ‘The cathedral of the sea‘. A character who is like “a little light in a world of shadows.” She has been projecting her light as an actress for many years. Since she “enrolled” at the “Cuéntame Academy” at the age of 12. But before that, she had already poked her little nose out of the TV imitating Paloma San Basilio in ‘Rain of stars’. And, in addition, she sings. And one dreams of it in a musical series. .
He’s doing a double. And both series are hits. Double congratulations.
It is not normal to launch so many projects, and less being the protagonist of the story. That in such a short period of time both coincide on broadcast –and ‘Drought’ recently on TVE-1— is something to be happy about.
How has it been participating in the Netflix series?
A gift. First, because I really wanted to work with Diagonal (Banijay Iberia), a production company that I had heard wonderful things about. And, in addition, Jordi Frades captained the entire series. We wanted to work together, but the opportunity had never arisen. And when he told me: “There is a role that suits you like a glove. If you can by dates, it would be wonderful”, it was an incredible compliment for me. Because I have always followed Jordi’s work and I really like how he directs and I know that what he does is equivalent in quality. And with a second part of ‘La cathedral of the sea’ you see that you enter something ambitious and very careful, and with an impressive cast.
He also doubles in the dramatic aspect, because in both he suffers a lot and goes through sexual assaults.
I go from drama to drama… and I shoot because it’s my turn (laughs). Although I enjoy it, because as an actress it puts you in often extreme situations from which you learn a lot. And since each director gives you different notions, you gain a lot of experience. But, yes, there is also a lot of suffering here, because she starts out as a slave. And at a time, moreover, when women only served as a child-making machine and to be used as a rag and little else. I did like that this character has a very nice transformation. She begins as a woman mistreated by life and by the cruelty of the time, but that guardian angel who crosses her path, who is Yon González’s character, Hugo Llor, rescues her from a horrible world. And she gives him respect and love, when she thought that there was no longer a person who would give her a minimum of affection.
Caterina, his character, accompanies him on those missions that he naturally has to be a good person.
They are very kind characters, despite all the hardships they suffer and there are always people who trip them up. They rise and fall again. But she is there with him all the time. Supporting him. Even when he has no hope and ends up in the worst, taking to drink. She returns to support him and take the reins. She wakes him up. She tells him that there is a solution. The character is very interesting. He starts out as a little bird and over the years becomes Hugo’s Jiminy Cricket. In the unconditional support of him.
When he hesitates, one look from her is enough.
I used to go to scenes where I say things. But there are many scenes like that, it’s true! With a single glance you already know which way you have to go. You need approval, rest assured. And if she tells him, it’s for a good thing. That is very beautiful.
That scene in which she offers herself to other men to help him is also wonderful. What generosity!
Yes. He does whatever it takes to help. Even if it hurts you. It is that she does not stop being a survivor. She has been used to suffering a lot since she was little and continues to use her old ways to help him. It is a very generous act. This woman is like a light. Everything is full of shadows, everything is very gloomy, very cruel, but from the moment the two meet and their eyes meet, you can see that for him time is paralyzed. She is a light in a world of shadows.
Had you read the book before shooting or was it better not to do it?
I talked about it with Jordi: “Do you prefer that we read it or not?” Because sometimes they don’t even want to. As always I try to guide myself in the path that the director wants to mark, better to ask. And he told me that it was not necessary, that the scripts had already been approved by the author and knowing that there was a green light, well, let’s work from there. We created a story very faithful to the novel, but giving them our little touch. .
He had already done period series, such as ‘Inés del Alma mía’. Are they more difficult?
Everything that encompasses production is more difficult. Because you have to recreate scenarios, look for locations in streets where it seems to be the time. Don’t let any car or someone passing by sneak up on you and you have to stop filming. But at the level of interpretation, there are things that put you in a situation. And the locker room helps you get in. The time puts you in a different posture and in the way of speaking. Although without engolar, normalizing it. Because you have to tell that this is fiction and if not, you get a lot out of the viewer.
Karina from ”Cuéntame’ will always go with you, right? In fact he has grown up with her.
I literally grew up with her. I started when I was 12 years old and I was 13 in that series.
And that will have marked him at the level of learning.
The beginnings always mark, and since I had not interpreted anything before, for me it was the beginning of everything. It was learning a profession. A school. It is a gift for any actor or actress to learn already working. You skip a step and go directly to the practices without doing the theory. And, when leaving the series, when embarking on other projects, the technical team itself told me that for my age I had a background and a career like those of 40-year-old actresses. An experience, that’s what you get. Because not everyone has it and it is a plus.
I’ve been wanting to sing this for a long time…
Let’s see what you think 🥰🥰🎶 pic.twitter.com/t0wShzANn8— Elena Rivera (@Elena_RiveraV) April 7, 2022
In ‘Cuéntame’ he sang once. Because you sing. Would you like them to exploit that facet of yours more in the series?
I like it a lot and I started in the artistic world when I was very young, imitating Paloma San Basilio in ‘Lluvia de estrellas’. There are videos out there and now I think: look, she was very small and without realizing it she acted. Because she made me interact with the dancers and for me it was all in one. I have it as a very beautiful moment in my life. And music for me is very important. I always say that if the story that is being told allows that at some point – in fact in ‘Cuéntame’ this is how it happened: sometimes Karina sang for the plot and everyone was delighted – welcome. Because it is something that I have there and I enjoy it a lot. But it’s not a matter of continually having to play singing scenes for me.
Netflix has premiered in the musical series in Spain. It would be nice to see Elena Rivera in one and that she was not suffering or controlling.
Yes. Everyone tells me: “You do it very well and you manage to get us into the role a lot with you, but, my God! what a suffering! Let’s see if you do something lighter”.
Though if he didn’t suffer, we’d miss out on a great performance..
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Knowing that this is only fiction and our work, within the suffering, I enjoy it.