Ander Puig, actor of 'To be or not to be' and 'Elite': "I don't see myself as a 'trans' reference"

When he was 17 years old, Ander Puig (Barcelona, ​​20 years old) announced to his classmates in the second year of Baccalaureate and to his close circle that he was a boy.

Joel, the character he plays in the series

(premiere Wednesday on Playz on RTVE Play, RTVE's video-on-demand platform), has begun his transition at 16, when he begins the Performing Arts baccalaureate, and He is not sure whether to take advantage of the presentation monologue that the drama teacher gives them as the first task to tell it and, therefore, be the trans boy for his new classmates, or hide it.

With a naturalistic style and a sincere and, at times, emotional and funny tone, this production by The Mediapro Studio tells the story of a trans boy who begins to train as an actor.

To the barrage of changes typical of age are added those of a much deeper process than in the series —six half-hour episodes written by Coral Cruz— it is shown with the care of someone who knows that he is signing a story with which one can identify many young people.

Ander Puig knows better than anyone all that barrage of emotions and experiences that Joel goes through.

"We are alike in many things, because we have experienced something very similar, but I try not to let that touch me personally when it comes to acting," says the actor.

“Joel is a very sensitive boy, so am I.

But he is more cautious, I am more direct”.

Ander Puig and Júlia Gibert, in 'To be or not to be'.

Making his debut in acting with a series that deals precisely with a subject that touches him so closely was a challenge for Puig.

“It makes me dizzy, but I also really wanted this to happen to me.

I wanted to explain what it's like for a trans kid dealing with high school, because it's something I've recently experienced.

I stumbled upon this and thought, this I can do.

It's vertigo and excitement, but I'm more excited than scared."

Puig describes

as "an inspiring series."

“It has a lot of light, it's very natural, a bit

.

Although the characters have significant conflicts, it is approached from a light perspective and invites you to take off things that do not go with you, to strip the things that have been put in your head and do what you want, "he adds.

Although the actor assures that he has provided information from his experience, he believes that the script already had sufficient documentation in origin.

The project had the professional advice of two members of the

collective , the sociologist Miquel Missé and the educator Damian Díaz, who have helped with the preliminary work and writing.

In addition, the creator of the series was inspired by the case of a friend's trans son.

The actor Ander Puig, last week in Madrid.

INMA FLORES (THE COUNTRY)

“I also confessed in front of my class saying that I was a boy, and whoever liked it was fine, and whoever didn't, too,” remembers Ander Puig talking about the similarities with his character.

“Now I am 20 years old and I am more advanced than him, I started the transition at 17. He is at the beginning.

It was different, because it is not the same story.

When he was starting his second year of high school, I told the class and those around me and I began to take hormones.

He does it a little earlier."

He also bonds with Joel's love of acting.

“I had always liked him, but I hadn't researched what I liked before because he wasn't very good with myself.

When I started to open up more, I saw that I could try things that I wanted to do before and I didn't dare because it wasn't right.

I tried the interpretation, which had always caught my attention,

and I saw that it made me happy.

Besides, I think I'm good at it."

I don't care if he pigeonholes me now.

I know I can go further, I'm not here just because I'm a trans guy

The naturalism with which the series approaches the subject made Puig relive some moments that he had already overcome.

“There were scenes in which reality and fiction were mixed because, whether you like it or not, it is a subject that I, Ander, have also experienced and touched me personally.

It was a bit difficult to be there and not fall apart.

There were several scenes, like when I put on the

[compression shirt to reduce the notoriety of the chest].

It's something that costs, I've already overcome it, but you live the situation again, you feel a little like before and you scratch a little.

But I tried not to take it personally, now I know who I am and I'm at peace."

Ander Puig, in a moment of 'To be or not to be'.

After debuting in acting with a leading role, Ander Puig's career has picked up cruising speed and he has been shooting the sixth season of

for two months (the fifth premieres on April 8).

Are you ready for the explosion that participating in a global phenomenon such as the Netflix series will entail?

Puig has no doubts: “Yes, I really want to.

I am assuming it, I have been assuming it for a long time, but I love acting and I think that media and network exposure is a consequence that comes if I do things.

Acting exposes me to people, and if my job involves that, I'm fine."

When asked about the process until signing for

, Puig's eyes light up and an instant smile appears.

“I did a

that spread throughout Spain.

They called me for a face-to-face test in Madrid.

I left quite happy and then they told me that I would surely be the possible protagonist of

, but it was not certain.

And that was the moment

, it was very strong.

The following week my representatives called me on Facetime, all gathered at a table.

I thought something big was going on, or they were going to scold me or something.

And they said he was in

and it was brutal.

I was at my grandparents' house, my grandmother was behind the call... it was brutal, ”she laughs when she remembers it.

Now I know who I am and I am at peace

In

, again, he will play a trans boy, although it can be intuited that in the effervescent adolescent series the matter will be approached from a different perspective than the intimate

.

Aren't you afraid of pigeonholing yourself in trans boy roles?

“There are not many trans people who are actors or actresses, there are but not many.

Since it's something that has to be normalized, I don't mind if it happens now and it pigeonholes me, because it's something that people don't see much on a day-to-day basis.

But I know I can go much further.

I'm not here just because he's a trans guy."

Do you feel an extra responsibility for becoming a reference for many people?

“Give some respect because in some way you are telling something that many people live and can see reflected.

I think that with

we can help a lot of people, and that to a certain extent is a responsibility.

But I don't think that what I say goes to mass, I'm not a politician or anything like that, I try to live my case as best I can and there will be people who will not agree and people who will, but I don't think I have the maximum responsibility or be a reference in the transsexual issue.

And if people see it that way, I don't identify with that."

You can follow EL PAÍS TELEVISIÓN on