Montserrat Marañón, actress of the series ‘María de todos los ángeles’ to the film ‘Totem’

Actress Montserrat Marañón She has gained public recognition, mainly, by giving life to Betzabé in the comedy series Maria of all angelswhich made millions of people laugh.

But after a lot of work in theater, television and film, now the actress assumes another recognition: that of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences for the Totem tape.

Thanks to his character as Aunt Nuri, The Mexico City native was nominated for best female supporting actor for a film that has multiple themes such as grief, joy, chaos and love, all set in a family home.

In addition, on July 26th it will premiere at the Hellenic Cultural Center of Mexico City the play Panorama from the Bridge, with performances from Wednesday to Sunday. Marañón says that he loves telling different stories.

You started out in cabaret and theatre shows, and you have been fortunate enough to combine film, television and theatre. What is it that attracts you to this profession?

What interests me as an actress It is about moving people, whatever the format, I feel that they have different challenges, all three put me in a place where I have to work, raise or lower the volume of emotions. Of course, I like to tell stories that are current, with which people identify, characters that have something important to say, that is what moves me, above all that I have fun, not necessarily a comedy, one can have fun in any genre.

There was a character you played on television, in María de todos los ángeles, and that was an important point in your career. What did that mean to you and did you feel that it was difficult to get into dramatic roles again afterwards?

I played a character that has remained in the Mexican collective and that is incredible. People still come to me and say ‘I know someone like Betza’ and that is a huge honour for me. Of course that has meant a before and after in my career, because maybe they don’t know who Montserrat Marañón is, but they do know who Betza is, so having that reference well positioned is a privilege. It is a character that I enjoyed very much.

I have been very lucky because I have met directors who have not only considered me capable of doing comedy, but have also asked me to play other characters, and it is difficult to find one that does not pigeonhole you and I have fought hard to do different things, to get out of the Betza and not because I do not want to do it, but because I like to tell many types of stories.

You participated in Tótem, with director Lila Avilés, who is always interested in showing everyday life and making the viewer see themselves reflected in it. How did you get involved in the project and how did you get involved in the narrative?

This film came to me through a casting like everyone else, and for me it was an enigma, it was a casting that I didn’t understand much.

Beyond telling a scene, which is what actors usually get, on this occasion the information was very brief, and little by little I found out what it meant to make this story, in addition to the quality of the director that Lila Avilés is, who seeks to go beyond a gesture and is trying to observe what happens to your character through their eyes. Regarding the theme, which is the family, it seems universal to me.

We’ve all had crises at some point and we have to continue with life, there’s no other option than to get up and do things while you’re in immense pain. That’s when I got hooked on the story and on Lila, who from the moment we met we had a special connection, she told me what I needed and understood the nature of the film well.

Something interesting about the film is that it tells us the story through a girl, since we are not currently giving enough value to childhood.

As adults we assume that children should not know or do not matter, without realizing that they are the most fragile souls, the ones who must reach understanding and containment of situations like those of Totem.

Lila is an absolutely sensitive woman and I think that as a mother from a young age she realized the importance of talking about these issues, highlighting the emotions of a child in a difficult situation. I am also a mother and I feel very identified as a mother observing this. I think it was a goal to speak from that point of view. In addition, we have some actresses who are brutal, the two girls did everything that had to be done.

Having made this film earned you an Ariel nomination. Any recognition in general has many implications. How do you feel about this nomination?

It’s a huge emotion to be nominated for the Ariel, to be recognized by the Academy, with people from the industry, with whom I’ve worked. I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I’ve done many different things. I love working on different productions, in different formats, and suddenly, people who know about cinema, who have been in the industry for years, say ‘you’re also nominated’, it’s a huge invitation. I cried all morning when I found out. Being an actor or actress is a job of endurance, whoever says no is lying. Eventually there is a lot of luck, but you do have to endure, you have to be sure of your vocation, and for me this recognition is like ‘yes, it’s good that you’ve decided to be an actress’, it’s very moving.

You are currently working on a new theatre project, Panorama from the Bridge. What are the challenges you take on?

First of all, it’s about creating American realism. It’s the first time I’ve taken on a project like this professionally. It’s a very hard story, about immigration, toxic masculinity, family violence, human relationships. It talks about human values, where we women focus when we find this violence in our home, what our resources are. It talks about a character, Beatriz, whom I play, who has unconditional love and is the wife of Eddy, who is the protagonist, splendidly played by Roberto Sosa. When you have an actor who gives you that motivation, it’s easy to work. Whatever happens, my character is going to do whatever it takes to rebuild, so that her family doesn’t break up and so that her husband is safe. It’s a challenge because we’re also in times where everything is ephemeral, couples can’t put up with anything anymore; and this woman is clear that it’s worth keeping this family together.