Eric Masip: ‘The nicest thing to be an actor it´s to help people. Films changed me and inspired me to be better, so be capable of giving it back.’

Eric Masip: ‘The nicest thing about being an actor it´s to help people. Films changed me and inspired me to be better, so be capable of giving it back.’

Eric Masip is one of Spain’s most promising actors. Since his debut on television he has not stopped. We have seen him in numerous series and movies, playing all kinds of captivating characters spanning genres such as intrigue, action, mystery, and love. What else can we expect from this talented actor? If you enjoyed his performance in ‘Through the Window’, then you cannot miss the anticipated second installment of this saga, which premiered on June 23. His character, Artemis, is back with more strength and we will enjoy his leading role on screen.

In this fascining interview, he engages us with fascinating anecdotes, shares his cherished hobbies, and reveals other intriguing curiosities that have come to light. Don’t wait any longer to get to know this enchanting actor in depth.

• In the last three years you have experienced a great growth in your career as an actor, what would you say is the role that made a real change in your career? And how did you experience it?

I think that the role that made a great change in my career was, first of all, ´Veneno´. That was my first step to something bigger, then led me to Alba and then to ´Through my Window´. ´Madres´ was a great thing and then we were doing the sequel to ´Through my window´. So pretty good. I wouldn´t say one but I think that Alba would be the biggest one in that matter.

• Could you explain what the process is to prepare for a role? How do you get into the skin of a new character?

It’s different every time, it requires a different part of you, a different energy. It’s something that you cannot explain, it’s whatever it comes in the moment. You have a preparation, when you study acting for many years there’s some stuff that you use from class that helps you to get in that helps you, but it’s what it’s in the moment.

• • What role does social media play in your career? Do you feel connected to your fans?

Yes, very much because they are really nice. In my case, it’s been really a blast, especially with ‘Through my Window’. That’s the saga that has more of a fan movement. It was really nice because they came from books and they had the character in their heads, but not on the screen. And now, when I was announced, I was met with a great deal of nice comments and everything, so it was nice.

• Are there any characters you’ve played in the past that have been particularly challenging to you?

Alba especially, because it was the first protagonist that I played. And everything that touches the character, the story, we had to be very careful and we have to go very deep.

• Can you tell us about your screenplay projects and what the future holds for them?

I started a project at a moment when I wasn’t getting roles and had this with my friend Miguel. We were both studying together, and we were like, ‘Man, they’re not giving us roles. What should we do? Maybe we should write it for ourselves’, a bit like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s story. We just started. And then I started working more as an actor, right after the pandemic and we put it on standby, but now we’re going back to it. We finished it. And now we’re in the process of selling it and let’s see how it goes.

 

• • How do you manage and prepare for intimate or romantic scenes? What challenges and considerations may arise in those moments?

I mean, the challenge is not really a challenge; it’s just about communication. But there’s always it’s good to have an intimacy coach, that’s great. But it’s also important to have good communication because you never know, you’re touching. Even if you’re around a lot of people, you’re still really getting into the intimacy of yourself and the other person in a very delicate situation.

So, I think the challenge is knowing how to communicate well, and to communicate with the other person, and know the limits. Know yourself and your limits too, the limits that you have with the other person, and really what works and what doesn’t work. And make a team with the other person and really be there for the other. That’s really something.

• One of your favorite directors is Tarantino, how has his work inspired you and how has it influenced your career?

He has something different in making things. He has this specific humor that I can connect very much to it and especially with his last movie ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. I can discover things about myself in that movie, and I just started to incorporate into me, and I actually discovered that it was there from the start. So, it has been a lot of changing experiences to watch these movies for me.

• • What makes you different from other artists in the industry?

I not going to say something different, but I can say that I really love this. I’m talking about myself, but it’s the specific things that I really love, and it’s really something that I appreciate a lot and I’m really grateful to be capable of working on it, and it’s really a blessing.

What makes me different, actually, will constitute that there’s only like seven percent of actors working. So, I’m lucky that I’m working. Maybe that’s the only difference, but that doesn’t make me any more talented, or any more hard-working, or any more hungry than any of the actors who, unluckily, are not working because it’s a tough world.

So, maybe what makes me different is that I was lucky.

• What aspects do you enjoy most about being an actor and which do you find least enjoyable?

First of all, I think the nicest thing about being an actor is that you can help people in a direct way. I feel helped by movies and actors that have inspired me for a long time, and they have changed me to be better and that’s what really motivates me. I would like that someone can look up to me like I can look up to other people and be capable of giving it back. I have some idols in my life and one thing I would hate is to go there and really share what has been to me from the heart and not receive it. So that’s what I try to give.

• If you could become a fictional character, which one would you like to be?

Oh, that’s hard because usually the characters that I like really don’t end up well or they have a lot of stuff. Well, I really liked DiCaprio in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’.

• In ‘Through my Window’, your character, Artemis, takes on a more prominent role. How much freedom have you been given to interpret it? And how have you experienced his development?

It was so much fun. Everyone was so nice, from the director, the costume designers, the team. I could give a lot and bring stuff from me. It’s a project that was created from scratch, not from scratch because the author of the book was there with us, but there’s a lot of stuff that we knew also. So, there was a lot of teamwork in the matter that, ‘Oh, you should do this’ or ‘We could try this because I know this from the first movie, and you know this one from the book’. So, it was a really fun process, and his development is nice. Because he’s still a tremendous character, it’s good to keep them tremendous because if not, is bored.  

• Do you have a secret talent that very few people know about?

I like writing poetry.

• How did you experience the last concert you went to?

It was great. It was a tribute concert of Fito and Fitipaldi in Jerez (Spain), which we just stumbled upon because we went to see the Moto GP and we suddenly just walking with a friend, and he was like “Whoa, this is great, and they were really good.

CREDITS:

Director: Alejandro Bernal

Photographer 1: Eduardo Picabea 

Photographer 2: Javier Melero

Production: Alex Romero

Assistent of production: Alba Manso

Makeup and hairdressing: Andrea Madruga, Paula Casamayor 

Styling: Luciana Romano

Sound production: Tamara Pérez

Photographer and editor: Mario García

Edition: Eduardo Picabea

Text and interview: Silvia Laso

Special thanks to:

Ayuntamiento de Villaviciosa de Odón

Casa Palacio Manuel Godoy

Joya Mba – YLVP