Diogo Sales will soon be graduating from our MA Acting for Screen course, he sat down with us to talk about his upcoming role in HBO’s new Spanish series, Monos con Pistola (Playing Dirty).
Congratulations on the new role Diogo, can you tell us a little more about it?
Monos con Pistola (Playing Dirty) is a comedy-drama set in the world of football, and is currently shooting in Madrid at the moment, and I’ll be playing the supporting lead character, Nardinho.
The story is well written and the character is rich, with a great journey. It has depth and I felt that I could offer something interesting to tune into the character’s traits and bring it to life. I also believe this project is a stepping stone in my career path as an actor.
How did you hear about the project?
I heard about it through by Spanish agent, and I booked this role with a self tape.
What does a typical working day look like for you at the moment?
I’m doing as much preparation as I can before shooting so that I can feel free and at ease to adapt to the circumstances that are always changing. I am working on relaxation, listening and confidence. To be comfortable, open and adaptable, in order to be able to bring the best performance that I can.
What has been the biggest challenge that you have overcome while working on this project?
I am a person that can think too much in order to feel I have things under control. It’s frightening and motivating, due to the fact that I know I have the opportunity to achieve something great in my process. I am just learning how to enjoy the whole process and accept to the challenges with more flexibility and let everything happen as it comes.
How did you find out about Central and decide to study with us?
Central is an internationally well-known drama school which I originally knew of because Cicely Berry studied here. But I was introduced again to Central about 10 years ago, by a friend who was the first Brazilian to graduate in Acting at Central.
How did your course help prepare you for this role?
After training with Amanda Brennan and Armen Gregory, I feel that I’m a much better actor. The approach they use, combining physical training, (such as Chechov’s technique and other western methods), with Quigong and somatic psychology, brings me to a grounded and relaxed place so that I can explore and express my creativity to perform the emotions, feelings and physicality necessary for a character.
All of these methods, from Text Analysis to Mike Leigh’s experiment for instance, gave me the tools to dig deeper in order to create characters that are full of layers and a lot of depth. It definitely helped me to book this role that I did with a single self tape.
What advice would you have for anyone looking to follow in your footsteps?
Be truthful to yourself; stick with your identity; be strong and confident; keep striving; be versatile and never stop working on your craft and personal skills that makes you unique. Most importantly, believe in yourself.
Follow @diogosales8 on Instagram and @diogosales8 on Twitter for more updates about him, and his upcoming projects.