As the star of The Mole Agent, Sergio Chamy, says, “there’s always a Chilean around”; and in the world of showbusiness, it’s a statement that isn’t far from reality. From appearances in movies on the big screen, to roles in television series popular throughout the world, Chilean acting talent has been gaining more and more prestige in recent years.
Imagen de Chile presents some of the Chilean artists now currently starring on screens around the world.
Pedro Pascal
After portraying Prince Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones in 2014, and playing the role of Javier Peña in Narcos between 2015 and 2017, José Pedro Pascal, better known as Pedro Pascal, has risen to worldwide fame. Born in Santiago de Chile in 1975, he moved to the United States at a young age, where he studied acting at the Orange County School of the Arts and at New York University. He made his first film appearance in the movie “Earth vs. the Spider”, in 2001.
Pascal recently made headlines by starring in Star Wars saga “The Mandalorian”, in 2019. During 2021, it was announced that HBO Max was working on an adaptation of the well-known game “The Last of Us”. The Chilean actor will take on the role of Joe, one of the protagonists of the story. The series will premiere in the first half of 2023.
This year, Pascal made the top three in Fundación Imagen de Chile’s most internationally well-known Chilean cultural icons.
Daniela Vega
Known for her starring role in “A Fantastic Woman” (2017), the first Chilean production to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Daniela Vega Hernández is one of the Chilean actresses who has recently seen her career take off. In 2020, she starred in the Chilean series “La Jauría” (The Pack), released in Spain and Latin America via Amazon Prime.
Vega received six prizes for her performance in “A Fantastic Woman”, among them the Platino Award (Spain) for Best Actress and the Caleuche Award (Chile) for Best Leading Actress in a Feature Film. She was also ranked by Imagen de Chile as one of the 10 most well-known Chileans in the arts and culture.
Francisco Reyes
Famous for his television work during the golden age of Chilean soap operas, Francisco Reyes Morandé has been part of several audiovisual productions that have been watched around the world. In 2011, he co-starred in the HBO drama series “Fugitives”, and in 2017 he worked alongside Daniela Vega in “A Fantastic Woman”, the first Chilean film to win an Oscar.
Throughout his career, the actor has appeared in 24 films and more than 40 series and micro series, which have been aired on television and streaming platforms. Among the awards he has received are two TV Grama Awards for Best Leading Actor, a Copihue de Oro for Best Actor, and a Wikén Award for “Best Chilean Actor of All Time”, for his work in the first 50 years of Chilean television.
Alfredo Castro
During his extensive career, Chilean actor Alfredo Castro – trained at the Universidad de Chile and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art – has played well-known characters in film, television and theater. He has also worked as a screenwriter and director.
Since his appearance in the film “Fuga” (2006), which marked his entry into cinema, Castro has starred in 22 Chilean and international films, and has received widespread praise for his acting talent. In 2019, he became the first Latino to win the Starlight International Cinema Award at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in “White on White” (2019). He has also been honored in Spain with the Platino Award for Best Actor (2018) and Best Supporting Actor (2021 and 2022).
In 2021, the 23rd FILMAR Latin American film festival, held in Geneva, Switzerland, paid homage to Castro. His films “Karnawal” (2020), “The Dogs” (2017), “My Tender Matador” (2020) and “Rojo” (Red, 2018) were screened as part of a retrospective of his work.
Paulina Garcia
Paulina del Carmen García Alfonsín or Paly García is a prominent Chilean film, theater and television actress. Over the past decade, she has gained international fame for her work in Chilean productions; particular praise was reserved for her outstanding role in the film “Gloria” (2012). This role earned her the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival 2013, making her the first Chilean actress to receive the award.
Among the productions in which she has participated are “Casa de remolienda” (Grind House, 2007) and “Cárcel de mujeres” (Women’s Prison, 2008). Her 2021 film “My Brothers Dream Awake”, directed by Claudia Huaiquimilla, has been nominated for an Ariel Award in Mexico.
Leonor Varela
After studying acting at the École du Passage and the Paris Conservatory, Chilean actress and model Leonor Varela Palma has been recognized for her roles in various US, Latin American and European series and films.
Among the productions she has been involved in are “Blade II” (2002), by Guillermo del Toro, and the Mexican film “Innocent Voices” (2005), in which she played one of the main characters, receiving an Ariel Award nomination for Best Actress. Her other awards include an APES Award (Chile) for Best Actress in a Feature Film and an Imagen Award (USA) for Best Supporting Actress.
Aline Kuppenheim
Born in 1969 in Barcelona, Spain, Aline Kuppenheim Gualtieri is famous for her career as an actress in Chilean theater, film and television. Her debut came in the successful “Ellas por Ellas” (Them for Them) on Canal 13, one of 12 Chilean soap operas in which she has starred.
On the big screen, the actress has been part of the cast of more than a dozen Chilean films, including “Machuca” (2004) and “A Fantastic Woman” (2017). She also appeared in recent Netflix series “42 Days of Darkness” (2022), which spent a week among the platform’s most-watched programs, and has accumulated almost 10 million viewing hours since it premiered.
Kuppenheim has won several awards, including the Altazor Award for Best Television Actress, and the Pedro Sienna Award for Best Lead Actress Performance.
Benjamín Vicuña
Renowned actor Benjamín Vicuña Luco has developed his career over the past 20 years mainly in Chile and Argentina. He has participated in 25 big-screen productions and 30 television series. His most prominent roles in recent years have been in “Jailbreak Pact” (2020) and “Karadima Forest” (2015). He recently appeared in the Chilean-Spanish series “Inés of My Soul” (2020), a historical drama based on Isabel Allende’s novel of the same name, which was distributed by Amazon Prime.
The Chilean actor has received several awards throughout his career, including two APES Awards, two Copihues de Oro and four TV Grama Awards. He also received the Best Supporting Actor Award at New York’s Latin ACE Awards 2009 for his role in the Spanish production “Chef’s Special” (2008).
