He meets Dad’s little girl by surprise: she started reading at 4. She is 11 and has already read more than 230 books

Almudena Garcia He started reading at 4 years old. Currently, at eleven, she has already read more than 230 books, some of which she has revisited more than once, such as the captivating Percy Jackson saga, written by Rick Riordan. At the age of 8 she created Almu te tells, a virtual space in which she shares his experiences and gives her opinion on various topics. At that age, she also debuted as an actress in the series “Junta de neighbors.” Today, she takes a significant step in her career by reaching the big screen with the movie “Surprise Dad.” “I want to be an actress and writer, create incredible fictional worlds based on real events, like the genius Mario Vargas Llosa does. That’s what I want to get to”, he tells us smiling.

His name, derived from the Arabic term ‘al-mudayna’, which designates walled military enclosures, seems to reflect the strength and protection that, at his young age, García Benavides offers through his words and actions.

In “Daddy by Surprise,” a film directed by Jesús Álvarez Betancourt and Renzo Amado, Almudena plays Luna, a sweet girl who is passionate about singing and dancing.

“She is a little girl like me, outgoing and responsible. We look a lot alike. I loved the character. I got along very well with Gonzalo Ramos, the Spanish actor who played my father. Since I lived for a while in Spain, we agreed on several things, such as, for example, a taste for paella. And Amy was like my mom on and off the set. She took care of me and advised me at all times.”recalls the actress.

This Spanish Peruvian production, recorded a year ago entirely in the city of Arequipa, will hit theaters this June 6.

“I knew Arequipa because my mother’s entire family is from there. My grandparents live there. I was able to share with them, it was wonderful, They were excited to see me fulfill my dreams. Now I have more beautiful memories of that city”, he shares.

Her interest in acting was born when she was younger and she imagined herself being the protagonist of the Disney children’s movies that she used to watch.

“With my videos I received the first casting proposals. People began to see me, follow me and understand what I wanted to convey. The first time I acted I was 8 years old; I played Martina, the daughter of Sergio Galliani’s character, in ‘Joint of Neighbors’. It was very nice to meet him. He’s a great actor“, says the talented girl after recognizing as her main foreign acting reference Meg Donnelly, the American actress known for playing Addison Wells in the Disney Channel movie “Zombies” and its sequels.

Passion for reading

Two bookshelves filled with his favorite titles adorn a corner of his cozy room. In the center of it, a hanging chair has become one of Almudena’s favorite refuges, where she spends long hours immersed in the stories that she loves so much.

“I love literature. I started reading good night stories and continued with other exciting stories, like those of ‘Percy Jackson’. I struggled with that saga. I also read novels. Among my favorite writers are Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. I like ‘Don Quixote of La Mancha’. Mario Vargas Llosa is another of my references. I was hooked on ‘The Children’s Boat’. It was one of my best reading experiences.”, he assures.

Almu’s corner

Passionate about communication and activism, Almudena found her voice and her audience three years ago, when she opened with the help of her mother, María Pía Benavides, Almu tells you on Instagram, which is still valid with more than 20 thousand followers.

“Initially, I wanted to pass on my love of reading to others. Then, I realized that I could also use the space to talk about issues that are happening in the world and that we children also need to understand. My Instagram channel continues to be a reflection of my enthusiasm for expressing myself. I firmly believe that we should all have the opportunity to express ourselves and be heard, but we must always do it responsibly and under the watchful eye of our parents. Our voice must never be silenced”, he emphasizes with conviction.