Colombian actor Fabian Rios, who plays the irrepressible Guillermo “Willy” del Castillo in Telemundo’s soap opera “Corazon valiente,” defines himself as the anti-star par excellence.
“Stars are only in the sky. I’ve always believed that art – music, acting – is a medium to reach people, not to sell an image,” he told Efe during an interview conducted in Miami.
The handsome actor from Curiti, a town in Colombia’s Santander province, has an inviolable professional credo: creating real characters of flesh and blood with whom the public can identify.
“I get uncomfortable when I read unreal speeches, that the public feels are false. I don’t believe in wooden leading men. I believe in giving life to a character who, when people see him, can describe something of himself or others,” he said.
Rios feels that, as an actor, he bears a responsibility to go beyond simply entertaining the public, because to be in front of the camera or on a stage “has consequences,” he said.
“Sometimes we don’t notice, but art is a responsibility. From the moment that an actor enters a set, he has the responsibility to set an example because there are people who follow us, who believe in us,” he added with conviction.
In his own case, he has seen how people recognize him as the man behind Willy of “Corazon valiente,” and they come up to him and greet him and tell him that they know people like that character.
“Willy didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s a human being with shades of meaning, of flesh and blood. He reminds me of myself 10 years ago, when I was living day to day, freely,” he said.
But the reality is that, in contrast to Willy, Rios always had a clear goal: to be an actor. That was the reason he left his hometown to settle in Bucaramanga and began taking acting classes. Some time later, he moved to Bogota, where he continued his studies at one of Colombia’s most prestigious schools for the dramatic arts.
In 2002, he made his debut in the youth romance series “Siete veces amada.” From that moment on, his career began to blossom and he landed all sorts of roles, but all of them with various nuances.
In 2011, he starred in “Los herederos Del Monte,” produced by Telemundo.
At that time, Rios, who is married to Colombian actress Yuly Ferreira and has a 3-year-old daughter with her, devoted himself to exploring options. His goal, he said, is not to secure leading roles or get to Hollywood, but rather to always aspire to be an apprentice actor.
“I have as a goal to make myself into an actor; to do things better each day. I’m a guy who’s in the full process of apprenticeship. I’m convinced that I don’t know anything, but every day I learn something new,” he said good-naturedly.
Apart from enjoying his family and his career, Rios loves sports, reading and outdoor activities. He lives and works “as if (each day) were the last. I want to get to age 80 fulfilled and smiling,” he said.
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/05/16/colombian-actor-fabian-rios-carves-out-role-as-anti-star/#ixzz1vEGOwFgW
