Emanuel Soriano in revealing interview: “They turned me into a being that I never wanted to be”

Emanuel Soriano (Lima, 1989) has given life to characters as diverse as the teenage saint Domingo Savio and Django’s son on the big screen, as well as a ‘cholo power’ and a member of Group 5 on television. In theater, he played army captain Pantaleón Pantoja and currently plays a tyrant and Machiavellian king in Richard III. He is an actor of chameleonic talent, capable of transforming, freeing himself and creating with great mastery. In this interview, he remembers his most memorable projects and reveals how a sad experience of school bullying now serves as inspiration for him to create. He also shares what has been the most challenging role of his career and what role shaped his life after emerging from a major depression in his youth.

Soriano Talaverano discovered his vocation for acting in his adolescence, when his school teacher recommended him to pursue this career after seeing him act in the film “Domingo Savio.” Following this advice, he enrolled in Bruno Odar’s workshop, continued his training with Alberto Ísola and, in parallel, studied Communication Sciences.

“I started doing theater with Bruno and Alberto, then Eduardo Adrianzén called me to star in ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’. That was the first play I did in the British Theatre. Prior to that, at the age of 17, I was in Chicho Durand’s film, ‘El Premio’ (2009), with Melania Urbina and José Luis Ruiz. For that film I did casting twice. The first one they didn’t choose me, possibly because of my braces. Six months later they resumed the project and cast again. Finally, I stayed. Both this film and ‘Chronicle…’ are very important for my career because they gave me visibility among the producers, directors and actors of the medium.”, he points out.

A year after debuting on the big screen with Chicho Durand’s film, Emanuel came to television as part of the cast of “Puro corazón” (2010), a miniseries about the life of Group 5. “I played Jimmy Yaipén, one of the brothers in the group who handled the logistics part. He didn’t sing, he was behind“, Explain.

His history of collaborations with Michelle Alexander’s production company continued with “La Reina de las Carretillas”, “Mi amor el wachimán”, “Cholo Powers”, “Amor de madre”, “Mis tres Marías”, “Mi Esperanza”, “ Colorina”, among others.

The weight of fame

He also states that acting is a deeply empathetic job, since putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes often requires exploring our own shadows and darkness. Among his darkest moments that he often resorts to to create, she remembers a particularly difficult one from his school years, when she was a victim of bullying by his classmates.

“At school I was bullied out of envy, because I was an actor. They hacked my email, among other things, they turned me into a being I never wanted to be. I didn’t understand what was happening, until I confronted them, there was violence and everything. What I felt that time, in 2004, I had never felt before. Personal experiences are ultimately what will allow you to represent other lives in a more reliable way.”, clarifies the actor.

Among the characters that arouse the greatest interest in Soriano are the antagonists, such as Montana from “Django: Sangre de mi sangre” or Pedro García from “Mi Esperanza.” However, he comments that one in particular, who was noble and good, brought him greater satisfaction than any other.

“There is a character with autism that I carry in my heart and that I hug deeply. I played him in the play ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’. This role came into my life at the age of 27, just after overcoming a strong moment of depression due to a breakup, and I wanted it to caress souls and raise people’s awareness. One day, someone from the audience sent me a message that said: ‘Thank you for caressing my soul with your work.’ That was magical for me. There I realized that in this work I am not the protagonist, but the story, the work. I am just an instrument”, he points out.

From Peru to the world

In 2022, Emanuel was part of the cast of Peruvian actors who participated in the third installment of the Telemundo production “La Reina del Sur”, filmed largely on Peruvian stages. The actor played Armando, the son of a powerful drug trafficker.

“It was interesting to work and see the rhythm of an international recording, where we all had doubles. They marked the scenes, especially action scenes, then they taught us. It was a very thorough and inspected job, especially with the issue of weapons. They checked them to the millimeter because at that time what happened with Alec Baldwin, the actor who accidentally killed the director of photography while filming the movie ‘rust‘”, he narrates after highlighting the acting talent and professionalism of Kate del Castillo. “I trained a lot to be able to be a Latin Lara Croft from ‘Tomb Raider’”he jokes.

Acting has brought him great satisfaction, but Emanuel recognizes that it is not a simple task, but quite the opposite: it is demanding and exhausting. An example of this is his participation in “Ricardo III”, where he has the main role and must delve into the darkness and the curses that the character receives.

“One would think that it does not affect us because it is just acting, but over time I realized that acting is a very imaginative work, and when depression and anxiety attack us, it is our mind working around ideas and thoughts that affect our emotions and body. . We get sick because we are mental beings. With this character that’s happening to me, that’s why I’m doing rituals to cleanse and tell my mind when to stay on stage and when to leave.”, he points out.

New Projects on the Horizon

In 2023, Emanuel Soriano brought “Autorretrato” to the stage, a work written by him and starring Reynaldo Arenas. This dystopian proposal tells the story of a man who falls asleep on the shores of Lake Titicaca and, upon waking up 30 years later, discovers a country that has not changed. After this experience, Soriano will bet on his own dreams and stories. He plans to direct and write his future projects.

“For now, this June 6 we premiere a film by Jesús Álvarez, ‘Dad by surprise’, in which I play a cherub, which in some way helps to create harmony between the links that exist in the film. He is a super different character from all the ones I have played so far. Then comes the third film in Joel Calero’s trilogy (“Family Album”), which should be released next year. Then comes ‘Ramón’, the film I recorded with Salvador del Solar. This still does not have a release date”, he remarks.