Diogo in "Share" magazine

Diogo graces the cover of "Share" magazine's most recent issue, where he is also interviewed. Wonderful, wonderful Dina kindly translated this interview for us, found right beneath the article.

(article courtesy of TV Record/Share Magazine)

Diogo Morgado
"Playing Jesus was the most intense experience of my life"
Seixal saw him grow up, but the happiest moments of his childhood were spent in Alentejo. Soon realized that acting would forever be a part of him. Does not allow personal exposure, to protect his family, and ensures that wherever he goes, he will always be Portuguese. At 33, Diogo Morgado believes he played "the role of his life" while portraying Jesus Christ, in the miniseries 'The Bible.' A professional "unrepeatable moment" and "painful" time that forever marked him.
(text Vanessa Sardine | photography Carlos Ramos)

(Click the "Read More" link below to read the rest of this post...)
Q: How would you present Diogo Morgado? 

DM: I grew up on the south shore, I come from a humble family and I am very grateful for everything I have. I try to see the less obvious side of what surrounds me, I am very stubborn and unsatisfied. But I also learned that perfection does not exist and, as such, should not be an obsession. We have to realize that life is a marathon not a 100 meter race, so falling is a part of it and it is how we get up that characterizes us.

Q: Despite being a public figure, little is known about your private life. Is that your choice?

DM: While still in my student days I realized that many of the people closest to me were friends of "the guy on television" and not "Diogo" and that caused me a lot of confusion. Being a public figure is a consequence of my work, and not my profession. I'm an actor and I want to be known for what I do and not where I'm going. And also I feel it is my duty to protect my son [Santiago, 4 years] and the person I am with.

Q: You became a father at the right age?

DM: Yes I wanted to be a father before 30 ... and it was spectacular! Children must see us at our maximum strength, in the fullness of who we are and learn from it. I want to give those moments to my son. 

Q: As a parent and educator, what worries you most about the society we live in?

DM: There is enormous unseen pressure on the young and, in general, people are living increasingly oppressed and sad. I'm not afraid of Santiago's future, because I know the reality. As a parent, it is up to me to prepare him so that he can be as happy as possible.

Q: Is it difficult to balance career and family life?

DM:  It's not easy, but it is highly feasible. It's all a matter of adaptation and organization. For the more work that I have means then being with my son as much as I can. There are things that I did when I was not a Dad and now no longer do. I will not, for example, often go to the cinema ... But I have another type of outlet, which is the family ... they are the emotions, the experience and feelings that result when seeing that wonderful little being.

Q: Recently you were the lead in the successful miniseries "The Bible." You felt the "weight" of the responsibility of playing Jesus Christ? 

DM: Yes, of course. In all interpretations I saw of Jesus, something was always lacking, it was all very cinematic and not much humanness. Wanted to make it more real, palpable and around the concept of family. For example, I chose to smile, because in a dark time and suffering, when there were crucifixions every week, there is a stranger who came to town smiling, was, at a minimum, magnetizing. He did different things, unusual for that time: a way of speaking, standing, smiling, touching ... Except among family, no displays of affection, people did not touch ... If I did not prepare myself on a spiritual level, and made only a "superficial" thing, I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. 

Q: Consider yourself a spiritual person?

DM: Yes, always have been. It would be impossible to accept the invitation for the miniseries without defining what I feel and what I believe. It would be hypocritical to wear the skin of the son of God and not know what Jesus means to me. I discovered that there's a lot of misconceptions in the world and perhaps the biggest one is about religion, which can be defined as the need to believe in something greater than ourselves. Faith, or what we believe, is what motivates us every day. It is an identity, as our identity card; we do not have to show it or explain it ... I believe in my God and in the existence of a man named Jesus, a preacher of teaching, often misunderstood, who left a universal message of peace, love, compassion, to look to the one next to us. It is not up to us to judge. And this message is to all cultures, peoples, languages ​​and ages. 

Q: Diogo, you made a spiritual journey to prepare for this role....

DM: It was an inner journey that led me to question many things and think, "How can I add something to the story?" Was in this manner I proposed to alter the scene of the Last Supper, suggesting that we begin with a party, in which Jesus did not know he was going to die. I justified it - defended the idea 'tooth and nail' - that nowhere in the Bible it is written that he knew beforehand that he was going to die, but he met his fate because of the special connection with God. Who determined that Jesus has special powers and previously knew of Judas' betrayal? This is not in the Bible, was not defined by anyone ... 

Q: What was the strikingly most difficult scene to do?
DM: The crucifixion. I was aware that I was going to recreate a moment that changed the world. Christianity would not exist without it, or without the news given by the apostles that Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day. And whatever happened defined the rest: the cross-bearing, the times he fell and what he said until the time of his death. Having to put it all together in a way to bring something new was very difficult and took me to the extreme - many tears of pain, physical and emotional. Marked me a lot! Since the start of filming those scenes haunted me. The result was very rewarding as was the feedback from people. There was not one second of artistic concern. I took the role as I'd never done before - or even similar. My delivery was complete. 

Q: This was the role of your life?

DM: Yes, was the most intense professional and personal experience of my life.

Q: Would you return to play Jesus Christ again? 

DM: No, because I would not repeat those moments [the crucifixion]. It was a extremely violent, despite being only a shadow of what might have happened. I'll take a few years to digest what happened in those days. I guess it is still very new and is too soon to put into words everything I felt. 

Q: Are you able to turn the other cheek? 

DM: Yes, violence begets violence, calls for a primary instinctive reaction. If I push someone, I will be pushed back. It is an instinctive reaction. We have to know how to prevent these situations, showing how ridiculous the other person is being. This is to turn the other cheek and I believe that those who do this, are more capable and intelligent. 

Q: Do you put into practice in your daily life, the legacy of values of Jesus Christ? 

DM: I try. The message that Jesus Christ left is based on love, compassion and hope. Accepting bad things is the first step in trying to overcome them. The important thing is to seek to do for others. 

Q: We live in a time of crisis, not only economic but also of values​​. Do you believe that one influences the other? 

DM: One can feed the other, but they are distinct. A person who fails at their goals will feel frustrated, and may soon be more predisposed to not pay attention to what they should. On the other hand, my father was told by my grandfather that in his time, they had one sardine for three people - and we know that was not a lie, because he lived with very little. Today, a person eats steak with rice and feels unhappy. Has much to do with how each person sees life. 

Q: It is said that we are becoming more materialistic. Do yo agree with this idea? 

DM: Many people live with blinders on, but it's not out of malice. I think there are many factors that push us towards individualism. For example, many "buy" for their children because they have no time for them.  Work to afford a house they do not need, when they could be happy in a smaller one ... The economic climate has brought many unexpected difficulties, but many people were simply irresponsible. What happens is that many wrongly define the priorities in their lives. 

Q: Anything changed in your personal or professional life? 

DM:  No. The calm and happiness that I live now, are also due to all the bad things that happened in my life - and I always learned something from them, even from the mistakes. If it had always run perfectly fine for me, I would have lived dissatisfied and would not have gotten the same value. That's why I say that I live well with very little. Our roots are not only the good ones, they are also the bad.

Q: Any time in your life have you thought to leave your country?

DM: No. Where I go, I will always be Portuguese. It's what I am, what defines me ... It's my culture. 

Q: "To err is human, to be bad, not"- is one of your sayings. Can explain it? 

DM: There are people who realize they screwed up, look back, and apologize. There are others who are not aware of their error, but when alerted to the failure apologize because they didn't intend to hurt the other. And then there are those who fall into the "malice department": they hurt others, but they do not make amends or apologize. Therefore, to err is human, to be bad, is not. 

Q: What message do you leave to Share's readers?

DM: To have in mind that we are only what we do and what we say and not what we wanted to do or say. If we think we'd like to help others more, we will only be that person when we do something. Until then, it will be no more than just an idea. We should be more grateful for what we have, whatever the quantity is. 

(Now the quotes from Diogo at the bottom of page.)

'HOT JESUS'

"The first things that came out about me in the U.S. press were regular pictures of me. Initial comments were related to my 'good looks.' When the miniseries debuted and [Jesus] began to appear, this expression faded. Oprah repeated it and eventually got it. They are kind words I guess, but do not match anything with this role. " 

DEFINE...

Humility 

"Is the ability to see the good things that surround us, to the point of feeling smaller." 

Truth 

"Is to be aware that nothing is absolute." 

Forgiveness 

"Often, to forgive means it is necessary we like the other [person] more than ourselves." 

Mercy 

"Something that is above the human condition." 

____________

Thanks again to Dina for another great translation, and I hope everyone's 2014 is off to a great start.  I know it's going to be an AMAZING year to be a Diogo fan.  :)

--Sara

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