The talent of Mr. Jorge López, star of the Netflix series ELITE
Actor, dancer, musician and model. Jorge López boasts of a career that began in Chile, leading him to work worldwide. And to (also) dance with Madonna.
It was a great trip for Jorge López who, starting from Chile, became one of the undisputed stars of the Netflix TV series “Elite” . Musician, singer, model and dancer - which allowed him at the age of twenty to perform with the queen of pop Madonna . In recent years, to pursue an acting career, he has lived in Chile, Argentina, Spain and now Brazil.
OFFICIEL HOMMES ITALIA It's a delicate moment, what do you say if we start with a simple "how are you?"
JORGE LÓPEZ: I would say that's pretty good! Even if it is a difficult period, especially for our sector: the pandemic has forced us to adapt and reinvent ourselves. Working is complicated and personal leisure is practically non-existent, considering the protocols and the thousand attentions that must be had. During the first quarantine I was in Madrid, and it looked like an Apocalypse, everything stopped.
LOHI: You're shooting a new series ... what's it about?
JL: It's a Netflix project, it's called “Temporada de veraõ”. It's about a group of young people who work in a boutique hotel on an island of FlorianÓpolis. I play Diego, a character with some inner conflicts and, some love stories ... I can't say more to avoid spoilers! For the shooting I learned Portuguese, I got out of my comfort zone, I like to test and try to overcome my limits, even if the pandemic, as I said, has made the challenge more complicated than expected.
LOHI: You are originally from Chile.
JL: Yes from Llay-Llay, a town 90km from Santiago de Chile. The name means "wind-wind": it is located in the Aconcagua valley, a verdant place, full of rivers and lakes, beaten by many winds, from here its name in Mapudungun, the ancient Chilean dialect. The Mapuche are our indigenous ancestors, they had populated the whole country.
LOHI: How and when did your career start?
JL: Around the age of 17 in Santiago, as a dancer - I started studying ballet and modern at the age of six. At 19, then, I approached the dramatic arts and the world of fashion. The first international work came with the Disney Channel, with "Yo soy Luna". It was a musical TV series about skating, a format for kids that allowed me to also do concerts and shows all over the world. It lasted four years and it was a great school for me.
LOHI: In 2014 you also danced with Madonna!
JL: I won a competition, they were looking for the Latin representative - along with others from different continents - to dance with you for the inaugural event of “Hard Candy” (your brand of gyms), in Toronto. It was incredible: an hour and a half masterclass without ever stopping. Very funny!
LOHI: Then Netlix's “Elite” series took you to global success. How did you manage it?
JL: It has changed my life in many ways, it has given me great visibility and made me known worldwide, to a more adult audience. It was the thing that excited me (and scared me) the most at first. Sometimes it's complicated, everyone expects to always see you on top. I am human, and I also have my bad days, but I always try to be kind to the people around me, their demonstration of affection is magical.
LOHI: Elite, tells the life, and the dramas, of some Spanish teenagers. How did you experience adolescence?
JL: Mine was different. I have always been a responsible student, I participated in the artistic and creative activities of the school. My social and nocturnal life only began after I moved to Santiago, but it was still an innocent and peaceful time.
LOHI: Valerio, your character is very complex, unpredictable, problematic and lives an incestuous relationship with his sister. Was it difficult to interpret it?
JL: It took me some time to get into the part. The script does not always show all the nuances of a role and sometimes you risk falling back into the stereotype. I worked a lot on empathy and on the psychological aspect, because it is the respect with which you see your character that leads you to defend him and interpret him in a credible way.
LOHI: You are a multifaceted artist: model, musician, dancer and actor. Which role do you prefer?
JL: In all of them, and I never stop learning. However, I am focusing on acting, dance and music can bring added value to it. While for fashion it is a separate matter ...
LOHI: What does fashion mean to you, and how would you define your style?
JL: It's something very personal, related to identity. A lifestyle that is also combined with the professional career, the state of mind. I change constantly and that amuses me. I like to shop in vintage stores and I am inspired by the 70s, 80s and 90s.
LOHI: You have 11 million followers on Instagram . What is your relationship with social media?
JL: I'm not addicted to it. I use them to show the different aspects of my life and my work, especially the spontaneous moments.
LOHI: On your profile you put Pedro Lemebel 's aphorism: “I have no friends, dear, I only have loves. Friendship is bourgeois, a bourgeois and masculine construction ... ” What did you want to communicate?
JL: Lemebel is the Chilean artist I admire most. It represents the fight against inequalities. He is a visionary, a pioneer of the movement since the 1970s. It has character, content, humor and a lot of art. His point of view on the country is the one with which many of us identify. He is a tremendously loved character. I would like a message of strength and temperance to pass through his words.
LOHI: Chile last year experienced several moments of tension, clashes and revolutions. How is the situation now?
JL: It is very complex. Thanks to the social movements of recent years, something historic has happened in the country: the change in our political constitution. An important and positive first step for the Chilean people. Not everything will change overnight, but over time we will be able to freely elect our representatives and have new laws that will translate into concrete answers to the various problems. I hope it will happen soon, because the people will not stop and the only solution for the leaders in power is to listen to them. Last year I was in Chile for Christmas, and I had the opportunity to participate in the demonstrations with my artist friends; it was exciting to hear all those people united to defend their rights.
Model Jorge Lopez @ MEGA MODEL BRASIL
Photography Ricardo Abrahao
Styling Thiago Ferraz
Text Giulia Gilebbi
Grooming Clo Abrahao
Set Design Josephine Cho
Retouching Closer
