Manu Rios chats with The Hollywood Reporter on how Netflix's 'Elite' changed his life, his first time at the Cannes Film Festival and his new series 'Breathless.'
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00:00If you're no stranger to award shows, you were nominated for a few breakthrough awards
00:05after the success of Elite.
00:07If you could share just a little bit on how Elite changed your life.
00:11The experience was life-changing in a way where I grew up so much as a person.
00:15I was 21 when I started.
00:17I learned so much as an actor.
00:18It opened so many doors for me.
00:20I met so many cool people.
00:21I got to travel to so many places and just amazing opportunities.
00:25I'm just grateful.
00:26The most challenging part, I guess, is just being exposed.
00:30It was a little bit weird at the beginning.
00:32I'm grateful that I have a really nice family, I have a really nice group of friends, and
00:36I just kept that so close to me.
00:39And I feel like that helped me a lot to keep my mind sane and just focus on what's really
00:46important here, which is my career as an actor.
00:49I feel the love so much, and it's just amazing, you know?
00:52I'm really grateful.
00:53In a couple of weeks will be the Cannes Film Festival.
00:55I was there last year.
00:56I saw you on the carpet.
00:58Describe what that experience was like for you.
01:00It's one of the most famous red carpets in the world.
01:02It was surreal.
01:04I was so, so nervous.
01:06But as I said, I couldn't imagine a better first time.
01:10For me, Pedro Almodovar is just one of my favorite directors ever.
01:15And I've always felt really connected to his work.
01:17I've never thought in a million years that I will be at Cannes with him in a project
01:22with Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke, and seeing them working together and how professional
01:27they are, how amazing actors they are.
01:30I've learned so much in so little time.
01:32I love fashion.
01:33I've always loved it.
01:35And Saint Laurent is also one of my favorite brands.
01:38And as an actor, having clothes that really put you in the mindset of the character, everything
01:43fits super well.
01:45People can notice that, and also the actors are super connected to the performance just
01:50because of the clothes.
01:51So for me, it's really important.
01:53You have Breathless coming up.
01:55Seeing you in hospital scrubs is a new experience for your fans.
01:58Tell me who you play and your experience shooting that.
02:02It was such a different experience for me as an actor, just getting into the mindset
02:07of a doctor.
02:08But I think it's going to be a really cool show.
02:12We talk about really important topics.
02:14We're going to give a lot of visibility to important stuff.
02:17And also the cast is amazing.
02:19We have to do surgeries, and all of that is so complicated.
02:23And we wanted to make sure doing as much as we could.
02:28Obviously there were experts that were helping us and stuff.
02:32But I learned a lot, and it's just so tough, and mentally draining.
02:36Working with Almodovar was my biggest dream as an actor.
02:41So now I just want to keep hopefully working with him again someday, and just keep doing
02:46different roles, keep working with cool people, and just keep learning.
02:49I'm really young, and I'm just so excited about the future.