For the latest in our WISE WORDS interview series - where stars from a whole range of fields share the important life lessons they’ve learned along the way - we’re posing some of the big questions to actor GAEL GARCIA BERNAL.
García Bernal was BAFTA-nominated for ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ in 2005 and in 2016 won his first Golden Globe in 2016 for his role in ‘Mozart in the Jungle’. The same year, Time Magazine named him in the annual Time 100 most influential people list.
His latest work sees him take the role of Police Prefect Oscar Peluchonneau in Pablo Larrain’s critically acclaimed film ‘Neruda’, about the famous Chilean politician/poet Pablo Neruda, who accused the government of betraying the Communit Party and was impeached. Police Prefect Oscar Peluchonneau is assigned to arrest the poet, and a game of intriguing cat and mouse ensues. Neruda, however, sees this struggle with his nemesis Peluchonneau as an opportunity to reinvent himself.
To mark his latest critically-praised role, Gael sat down with HuffPostUK for some Wise Words...
What do you do to switch off from the world?
I can’t tell you. I can’t tell anyone. That’s part of it.
How do you deal with negativity when it crosses your path?
I’m a Sagittarius, and we’re always pretty optimistic. I get frustrated by things like everyone else, but it doesn’t stay with me for very long. I try to think long-term. And I remind myself, stay open, to good and to bad, always stay open.
When and where are you at your happiest?
With my children.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
To make sure you do what you like. It sounds silly but it makes complete sense to me. Anything else is a waste of time, and you won’t commit enough energy to it.
What has been the hardest lesson to learn?
As a man, love is something you think you have to obtain and conquer. But that’s bullshit. Love is something you should enjoy.
What would you like to be able to tell your 13-year-old self?
Don’t worry, and don’t care what other people think.
What are the three things at the top of your to-do list?
Go to India; work under water; learn how to pilot a plane.
What do you think happens when we die?
In rational terms, nothing. In spiritual terms, everything.
When or where do you feel in the presence of something bigger tan ourselves?
Many places. I was in Spain for the supermoon, and it was very special.
What quality do you most prize in relationships?
The capacity to contemplate together.
What keeps you grounded?
I don’t wake up famous. I pay attention to my own introspection, but I also attend to what other people are saying. It’s never always about me.
What was the most recent act of kindness you received?
My kids telling my they love me.
Gael Garcia Bernal stars in ‘Neruda’, in cinemas now.