García Bernal, Gael (1978–)

Mexican actor, director, and producer Gael García Bernal was born on 30 November 1978 in Guadalajara to actor parents. He acted in various theatrical productions before starring in the Mexican teleno-vela El Abuelo y yo (The Grandfathers and I) at the age of fourteen. He was invited to attend the Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London to study acting formally. While still in the program, he auditioned for and won the part of Octavio in Amores perros (2000; Love's a Bitch, 2005), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Amores perros was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and it was on the basis of his work in that film that director Alfonso Cuarón invited him to work on Y tu mamá también (2001; And Your Mother, Too) His next project, El crimen de padre Amaro (2002; The Crime of Father Amaro, 2002), was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award in 2003 and was followed by his portrayal of revolutionary leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara in the critically acclaimed Diarios de motocicleta (2004; The Motorcycle Diaries, 2004). He has since then worked with famous Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar on Mala educación (2004; Bad Education, 2004), and his most recent project, Babel (2006), reunited him with his Amores perros director, González Iñárritu. He recently established a documentary film festival, Ambulante, with his Y tu mamá también, co-star Diego Luna.

See alsoCinema: Since 1990; Cuaron, Alfonso.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mena, Ennio. "Gael García: Es un imán de buena suerte." Actual 12, no. 139 (April 2005): 20-24.

                                         Stacy Lutsch