“A profession is a way to feel useful, to stay active and to earn a salary. A vocational profession is a passion. A kind of calling, of inner certainty that is storm-proof. I love what I do,” he says. Silvia Abascal. And more than three decades of career support it. From that first opportunity that Chicho Ibáñez Serrador gave him in One, two, three… answer againat only fourteen years old, in the role of a possessed girl, today, with a solid career in television, film and theater. The path has not been easy, the stroke she suffered thirteen years ago led her to the difficult and complex process of relearning from scratch, something she did since a serene and positive placewith a lot of learning and humility. Quite a journey (as she titled her book) that has brought her here, to her current moment of health, love, work and excitement. with the actress We talk about her career, dreams, new projects and how she reconciles her unconditional love for her six-year-old daughter, Leona, with her passion for the profession.
© JUAN MIGUEL HERRERO—After 31 years in acting, what do you still fall in love with every day?
—The more time passes, the greater the my respect and love for this job. My curiosity and fascination with him. I feel that it is a continuous adventure of learning about oneself and the other. About the human beingabout its lights and shadows. A creative immersion in countless ways of being, being, thinking, reacting, expressing… An opportunity for research, to beat different personalities, realities and times.
—If we travel in time, what memories do you have of ‘One, two, three’? You were a girl!
—A fourteen-year-old girl full of enthusiasm, without any professional experience, but firmly convinced that acting was her thing. I remember being very brave, in that courage that comes from not being aware of many things. I remember and will always thank Chicho, Narciso Ibáñez Serradorfor everything I learned with him, for his commitment to me, for giving me the most difficult opportunity: the first.
—Is there any job that you feel more proud of than any other or is it impossible for you to choose one?
—In audiovisual, be it cinema or television, several of the most significant jobs For me, both on a professional and personal level, they are linked to two very important people in my path: Manolo Iborra and Verónica Forqué. With them I did Pepa and Pepe, The time of happiness and The silly lady. In theater, perhaps it is Days of wine and rosesalong with Carmelo Gómez. Paradoxically, some of my most fulfilling flights I have not shared with the public. They have been in the privacy of a school, in the studio, with the guidance and hand of my teacher and friend Juan Carlos Corazza.
—What is, today, your interpretive dream? What challenge would you like to face?
—My interpretive dream today remains the same as always: to work with rich texts, batons and companions; It is my constant aspiration. Have an inspiring script on your bedside table. In the mind and the heartbeat, a character that provokes me challenge, respect and desire.
“My daughter is my greatest treasure. I know of no greater dimension of love and responsibility than motherhood”
© JUAN MIGUEL HERREROThe passage of time
—If you can tell, what projects are you working on now?
-In Internal Affairsfor TVE. It will be released at the beginning of the year. A series that I feel very proud to be part of. He is a character that I have enjoyed and suffered in equal parts. And now I start recording another series, for Amazon Prime Video. On the other hand, I’m working on an idea that I had a couple of years ago, but it’s now that I’m moving on. A very special project… in which I am not an actress, but it couldn’t be more starring actresses. I am very confident in being able to share it in the near future.
—With the schedules of filming, recording, and rehearsals, is it difficult for you to reconcile?
—Everyone who conciliates knows how complicated this process is. In our profession, the greatest difficulty is not having any type of regularity in schedules and locations. To be present and give the best of oneself, both in one’s home and in one’s profession, one must organize more than well, give many turns on the pillow and, sometimes, yes, sacrifice projects. It is a constant mental load, but the satisfaction that comes from taking care of and getting involved in both areas, being able to do so, is also immense.
“I will always be grateful to Chicho Ibáñez Serrador for everything I learned with him, for his commitment to me and for giving me the most difficult opportunity: the first”
© JUAN MIGUEL HERRERO—For actresses, is the passage of time more cruel?
—In our industry, the reception of aging is not the same between men and women. The mature actor is more interesting than ever. To the actress, however, “You can already see his age”. Well of course. Let’s wait. There is life and experience so that we are not noticed. It is true that now too, there is a lot of editorial, advertising and red carpet feeding our promotions, but we cannot fall into the absurdity of believing ourselves to be models or demanding of ourselves what is demanded of them. It is not what we know or what we prepare for. We are actresses.
—What are you more afraid of: the passage of time or loneliness?
—To lack of health. In my loved ones or my own.
—What would you say with the voice of experience to the Silvia of 20 years ago?
—Trust. What you feel is.
“What have the difficulties and hard moments of the past taught me? That every profound difficulty is also a profound learning opportunity”
© JUAN MIGUEL HERREROYour trip
—Did the health episode you suffered in 2011 make you a different person?
—Transform me into a different person, no. But important physical, mental and emotional channels did open for me. I am not able to summarize it in a couple of sentences. That is why I wrote a book. It is the greatest exercise of consciousness that I have been able to do on this trip.
—What have the difficulties and hard moments of the past taught you?
—That every profound difficulty is also a profound learning opportunity.
—What is your concern today? What keeps you up at night?
—Man… In more than general terms, I am concerned about the evolution of this species that we are and this planet on which we live. Watching a news program literally ‘breaks me down’. And then, yes, I also have our personal nonsense of worries.
—What you appreciate most.
—My beings.
© JUAN MIGUEL HERRERO“My interpretive dream today remains the same as always: to work with rich texts, batons and companions; it is my constant aspiration”
© JUAN MIGUEL HERRERO—Your greatest treasure?
-My daughter.
—Would you say that motherhood has been the great revolution of your life?
—I don’t know a greater dimension of love and responsibility.
—How does Silvia Abascal disconnect? Where and how do you find peace?
—In nature. In the countryside, the mountains, a lonely beach. In meditation, the absence of noise. Seeing and hearing a storm from bed. In front of a fireplace, a wine, a good book…
—What is your vital moment?
—One of health, love, work and enthusiasm. Give appreciation and thanks to this today.
“In our industry, the mature actor is more interesting than ever. The actress, however, ‘is already showing her age’. Of course. Life and experience are enough for us not to notice!”
© JUAN MIGUEL HERRERO