Diogo is featured in the cover story of the November issue of "Lux Woman" magazine. Our ever amazing friend Dina wonderfully translated this incredible interview for us, which can be find right below the article.
(article courtesy of Lux Woman)
Diogo Morgado
Portrait of the artist as a young man
He’s divine, seductive, tricky, bad guy, good guy, Hispanic, Italian and Jewish.
Diogo Morgado can play all these roles, but in real life hot Jesus is a real "boy next door." Even so, simple with no airs of a star, he is still our international superstar.
By: Ana Cáceres Monteiro
Photography: Pedro Ferreira
Production: Filipa Carriço
It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it and, as such, I embraced the "sacrifice" of interviewing "hot Jesus." In person he seems more like a "kid" than on television. He arrived in his Smart car, comfortably dressed and with a more relaxed air of the world, smiling from the top of his 6' 2" frane, extending kindness to all he dealt with, from the journalist to employees of the hotel where we agreed to talk. Half a year after the miniseries "The Bible," for which he was pre-nominated for the Emmy, Diogo Morgado returned to the small screen, on the premiere of the third season of "Revenge," in which, in a cameo, he gave life to "Jorge Velez." His performance on the ABC series, starring Emily VanCamp, one of the most watched in the US, and that can also be seen in Portugal, on Fox Life, was the target of highest praise. The mysterious doctor he plays may or may not return to the show, as it also depends on if the schedule of the soap opera "Sol de Inverno," airing on SIC, where he plays the villain Eduardo Telesde Aragão, allows for it. He's a family man, likes routine and everything that is simple. As an example of this unpretentious attitude, he chooses his own house when we asked what his favorite restaurant is. Diogo Miguel Morgado Soares was born in Lisbon, on January 17, 1981. He is the zodiac sign Capricorn, is 32 years old and has a brother named Pedro. Discreet regarding his personal life, he lives on the South Bank with Cátia Oliveira, and his son Santiago, 4 years old. The name of his son is the same as the character he played in the telenovela “Vigança,” a work that he highlights as one of his favorites. When asked what experience he would repeat, he replied without hesitation: "go back to being a dad."
How was beating Cláudia Vieira? Your new character, Eduardo is bad...
Cláudia Vieira beat me up inside, right? (laughs) He is bad,"just a little." I often say incompetent is a better word. He thinks and acts according to what he believes, but he's not competent, and he has a temper. He is prejudiced and petty, was born with a silver spoon and had all the opportunities in the world, and this has made him become someone whose views, including on good and evil, are messed up. And voila, that is my Eduardo. Poor thing.
What has been the reaction to being so evil? Do you still have "credit" for having starred as Jesus, or do they hate him [Eduardo] already? Does the public confuse the character and the actor?
I don't think that has happened for 10-15 years. Although I still remember when it did. Still happens, for example, in Brazil, in remote areas, where access to information is more precarious. Despite not having a starring role in this series, in this short time people have responded positively, at least to me, and tell me precisely the contrast between these two characters. My work on "The Bible" is still very present, and it comes up that this character is diametrically opposite. Jesus is the ultimate definition of altruism, kindness and love of neighbor. And Eduardo is anything but that. Maybe that's why they ask about the prejudiced attitude of this guy, maybe there's a little more shock at the way he talks, always very egotistically, three levels above who he is talking to, and always on the move.
What was it like to participate in the series "Revenge" (which can be seen on Fox Life)? What was the atmosphere while filming?
It's a production atmosphere of one now in its third season, with many episodes per season. They work well with each other, all have their roles well defined. In my case, it went spectacularly, they received me very well, knew what I had done, had seen "The Bible." Madeleine Stowe in particular was very kind to me, gave me a number of accolades, which left me like "Hang on, I am a fan of you." It was fantastic. I'm Dr. Jorge Velez, a character who could return. One of the obstacles to going back now is the series I'm doing. But this could be coordinated with SIC and SP so it is not necessarily ruled out.
About the famous scene in which you are eating hot dogs with Oprah and she called youu "hot Jesus" ...
Oprah did not me "hot Jesus," she just took a trend that started on Twitter, that nickname, and had fun with it. And the fact that we are eating a hot dog made the pun on "hot Jesus."
Was it unpleasant that your physical appearance is the first thing that stood out in a character that meant much more than that?
The image is obviously a tool, an instrument, but not a support that can serve as a replacement. A model, who can do very well in their work, has to thank their parents for them coming into the world that way. As much as I can work on my body, genetics are critical.
What I do is this... I can use what God gave me, but my job is not to be on display. Good or bad, I have to do something. I obviously would rather get recognition for my work than for my appearance. But it's good that we are talking about it, because what happened is that I did not appear in the early episodes, I only appeared in the New Testament, and when the series began, there was a great curiosity to see who Jesus was and what appeared "out there" were photographs of me, the actor, just one or two as the character, so obviously what they saw first was my image. Soon, the first comments that were made were about my looks. But what made me happy was that as soon as my work began to air, my appearance began to lose importance at the expense of my interpretation.
(quote from Diogo on page 4) "I don't give a damn about political correctness."
When you're not working, what do you like to do? Lead a glamorous life, from party to party?
No! I don't want any of that (laughs).
So? It's home and work? Very attached to the family?
Yes. That's pretty much it. I live most like this and when I don't have it, I feel out of balance.
You seem to have your feet on the ground. Was that learned or is it your temperament?
A little bit of both. I was brought up to be happy and live satisfied with little. And I adapted that philosophy of living. I treasure the simple things.
But always in motion.
The fact that you are always being tested and having to be as good as the last thing you do can create pressure, and cause us to have to make choices. And when we got to a point where we can comfortably choose, it is time to take chances. There are people who live very well doing the same thing all their life.
I'm not like that, I'm dissatisfied by nature, that's why I spent two years and hosted programs without knowing if I liked hosting. Today I know what kind of host I can be, what kind of comedian, and I know this because I exposed myself to it, because I humbled myself in this field and therefore know what weapons and tools i have. I am not, for example, an excellent host. I have hosted three programs (“Lux”, “Mundo VIP” e “Dá-lhe Gás”) and realized that it's not in me the thing of hosting, which is not to say that I cannot adapt to it. This has to do with the dissatisfaction that characterizes me. I can't be accommodated. Quicker to go away, or say "no thanks", as has already happened. I don't accept everything they give me, because I think "I've done this, it's time to do something else." Maybe a tenth of the value, but it will allow me, in the long run, to be more consistent.
It's not the money that motivates you?
It's not. Provided I have enough for me and for my son, for my family, I'm fine.
Your goal is to invest in an international career? The casting that is done abroad, are mostly done via video and you only travel if absolutely necessary and usually are accompanied by your family?
No, I do not have an obsession with making a career out there, not at all. Nowadays, the world is a town and fortunately we live in an age where I can be here and someone will be watching me on the other side of the world. In the past, if you wanted to work abroad in this industry, you had to go there, for the auditions and meetings. I now have the privilege of being able to do that from Portugal. I assembled the requirements for that, have a space where I can quickly shoot anything. I have several times done full text passages, readings via Skype, with colleagues who were in various places. Portugal will always be the place where I can develop and grow more as a complete storyteller.
This year you filmed "Born to Race: Fast Track," in which you play a race car driver, Enzo Lauricello, another "bad boy." How did you prepare for this "'Top Gun' with cars?"
Enzo is bad, actually very similar to Eduardo, a bully. And Italian, so therefore it required that I work with an Italian accent. We went to Palm Springs, where we did kind of a training week, and we, the actors, drove the cars, doing the big explosions and the crashing, ourselves driving. It was a role opposite to that of "The Bible" and therefore highly cathartic. Centered not on the characters, but rather in the structure of the story, the action, in the form of filmmaking. Was more about timings and sounds than with how the characters are interconnected and that, to me, was gold because I was immersed in the environment I lived, the cross, the crucifixion, everything was still very present. It helped me to get out of that "state." I do not share the opinion of some actors who say the character takes hold of us, but the truth is that certain roles are like ambient music, which produces a certain state of mind that can remain even after switching it off. Jesus left me in a certain flow of energy. This happened to me with "Vigança" as it happens with very complex roles requiring a lot of us. Spending four months in Morocco (filming "the Bible") and only stopping on Sunday, was very intense. Maybe, in a normal life, in a year, you don't have the amount of experiences and emotions that I had in that period of time, and it was a complex experience.
Tell me about the training you had for the accent you used in "The Bible" and you received praise for being "neutral."
It was a mixture of things. There was concern that the spoken English was too British, because the team was almost entirely composed of English, featuring the series clearly as British. Why is it that half of the Apostles are not Muslims or do not have an air of Middle Eastern? And Jesus too! And why will they have a British accent and not any other? I was aware of this, asked for support in this direction, and worked with an accent/dialect coach, to soften my American accent but also not to use the British accent to give an unidentified mix, so that it was not a Frenchman, a German, a Portuguese, an American or an Englishman speaking English. I think this applies perfectly to the figure of Jesus, because everyone can identify with him. The accent of a character, especially such as Jesus, whose words were the most important, can be distracting. You run the risk of no longer seeing the character and only seeing the actor, and thinking: "This guy is American or English." I worked hard in this sense, really, to not allow the accent to take away from the character. (Lux Woman's quote on page 7) Shakira was one of the many celebrities who was moved by the talent of Diogo Morgado. The Colombian singer revealed on Twitter that she loved his performance in "The Bible."
Is it a tough job to be thinking about the pronunciation and, at the same time, don't forget the lines and concentrate on body language?
If you think about it too much, it does not come out as the truth as it should. And the audience can feel that. People may not know exactly why they like one interpretation, maybe cannot specify, but it is when we actors can soak in the energy of the character and dress up in this second skin. For me, that's what generates the energy of my work, that which you can't see. That's what gets praised as great interpretations.
What has reaction been to your work in "Red Butterfly," the story of three friends who try to survive on the streets of New York? The film was shown at several film festivals.
Premiered in closed circuit festivals. They are currently looking for a distributor for the United States. The feedback has been very good. The film is very complex. My character is a guitarist who tries to survive in a neighborhood that is very complicated. He's out of drug rehab and is trying not to fall. However, an incident happens and he's involved and falls back into a vicious circle. I took on a motto of this film, which is: "we are what we do and what we say, and not what we meant to do or say." Often someone says, when they regret something: "Ah, but that's not what I meant." But the truth is that's what you said, and that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The film conveys the message that there has to be a commitment on our part to change things. In this aspect, it is very well done.
You also recently filmed "A Teia de Gelo" by Nicolau Breyner. What differences have you found between filming a movie in Portugal and in the United States? In Portugal we have the idea that "outside" the country works better. Is this the truth?
It's not. Each plateau has characteristics, schools and different people, who come from indie films, the mainstream, television, from everywhere, and this is reflected in the work, in the form of being, in preparation. In the United States you begin work on a film three months before starting to shoot. In Portugal, because there is no money, if there is a month of preparation, that's very good. And that makes all the difference in the final product. Because the actors have already had seven or ten rehearsals prior to filming, they've learned to work with each other, given their input, and at the time of filming there is room to worry about details. Here's it all done in a hurry, in film, and on TV. For movies, it is speak up now or forget it. I was involved in two projects that were cancelled. One was even for this year and the other for the next. Therefore, the difference is the investment element, which allows, for example, a much larger pre-production.
When you responded on Facebook to the positive comments people made about your work in "The Bible," you thanked a few people, including Armando Cortez. Why him?
I said thank you on Facebook because for me that was the right moment to thank the people who have contributed actively to that moment, which was very good. Basically, Armando Cortez was the first person who made me believe I had something to give, the first who wanted to teach me anything in this profession. He will always be someone very special and important to me. I think people in general, and the Portuguese in particular, have a short memory, because we remember more easily remember mistakes than the positive legacies that are left, and Armando Cortez was, like many other great masters, forgotten too easily. My loyalty brings me some troubles. I will also always be grateful to SIC, for example. It was the house that allowed me to grow, that always bet on me, and even if today or tomorrow I go to TVI or RTP, I will always be grateful to SIC. And I will not hide that or alter my account. I don't give a damn about political correctness. The story is the story, the truth is the truth, facts are facts.
And Salazar, "A Vida Privada de Salazar?" That was also a character that marked you?
The [essential] film on Salazar has not been done. In the research I did to build the character, I found many things. There is much about him that is very interesting from the point of view of the viewer, that we never saw and one day would like to see. This film was intended to show the personal side, the idea that the he was "married to the nation," is not true. Make the contrast between the dictator and the romantic, the sufferer. It was a good movie, positive, but I do not think has yet been the most effective film done on Salazar, or at least I'm still waiting to see that. For me it was rewarding because it was the first time I played a character from young to old.
Film is what you prefer to do?
A film is a full story, it is orgasmic for the viewer. There's a whole dance. It's like if someone said, "Look, I'll tell you a story: Once upon a time ..." and then comes the end, which explains why the story has been told. For entertainment, its surroundings, it's not the same thing as a novela or a series, which form part of our everyday lives. Nobody will tell you about a scene from an episode of a series or a novela. But it is normal that you say in this film, Al Pacino did such and such a thing. Yes, there's history, there was a moment, with certain actors, which may have been striking. In 100 years they will still be learning from those who died 20 years ago. That's magic. So, for me, cinema is what's closest to immortality and magic.
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Again, I just have to say, Diogo gives the best, most genuine and fulfilling interviews. So refreshingly amazing.
And a huge thank you/obrigada again and again for another translation to Dina, my partner in crime. :)
--Sara
excellent interview as always. its very insightful...Diogo is a real breath of fresh air. Good job ladies, thank you for giving us a glimpse of Diogo's life after the Bible.
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