Shortly before receiving the 2025 Saraqusta Award alongside Juanjo Artero, Ana Turpin looks back with us on her career in historical film and television. She reflects on the importance of remembering the past, her connection to Zaragoza, and the commitment involved in bringing to life characters who narrate our collective memory.
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on receiving the Saraqusta Award for your career in historical cinema.It is a well-deserved recognition of your career in this field, and I wanted to ask you how you feel about receiving this award at such an important festival.
Well, to be honest, when they told me, I was filled with emotion and joy. I think it’s a great award and recognition. In fact, it’s my first tribute award. And I feel privileged. I think it’s like a gift from the profession, especially in Zaragoza, where I have such strong ties.
And how do you rate a festival like Saraqusta, a historical film festival?
With Juanjo Artero and the Sarqusta award
Well, I think it’s one of those festivals that are very necessary because when you value history, you’re valuing our past, you’re valuing where we come from, and the only way to have a different kind of future is by repairing the mistakes of the past and learning from what we’ve done. I think anything that helps us remember who we are is essential.
You’ve been in series like Amar en tiempos revueltos and Cuéntame, both with a strong historical component. What attracts you to these kinds of projects?
In Amar en tiempos revueltos, which was the first season, it was a really interesting project because of what it was about: the rise of the Second Republic, the Spanish Civil War, and the post-war period. Above all, what attracts me in the end is focusing on the human aspect and seeing how, through politics, ideals, and what we want things to be, we can hurt each other so much. And in the end, it is human beings who suffer the damage. So I think I’m mainly attracted to the human aspect, when the focus is on that. Fortunately, I think Cuéntame and Amar are based on characters, and the characters are human beings like you and me, who want to do their best but sometimes make mistakes. And that’s what attracts me most in the end: the human element, which is the common denominator of the past, the present, and what the future will be, if we don’t become more dehumanized.
Although it is not a historical play, the play El premio touches on universal dilemmas. Do you think theater can also contribute to reflecting on our history?
Of course. The Greeks already realized that it was a very valuable tool for holding up a mirror to ourselves. It’s a place where we have to see ourselves, recognize ourselves, and question ourselves. And theater is the best messenger for all of this. Besides, theater has something that is direct communion with the audience, something that neither film nor television has because you shoot alone, but theater is different: theater is done with an audience, and that’s fundamental. For example, I’m currently working on a play called Las hermanas de Manolete, about the story of Manolete, a great Spanish bullfighter. We’re telling the story of his sisters, who were prostituted by their mother to pay for their brother’s career, which is not widely known, but it’s true. That’s why I say that history is very interesting when you’re able to look at it from other points of view. Because we’ve always looked at it from this patriarchal culture that focuses on men as conquerors, but you don’t realize what lies beneath for that to happen, and sometimes it’s something very dark. That’s why the moment we’re living in is so interesting, because we’re bringing other perspectives on events to light.
You were also part of the La Estampida company. What motivated you to create a company like that and what kind of works were you interested in?
We were together for eight years and were able to do some very special work, creating a different language. Above all, we focused on what we called “the invisible characters”: all those people you meet on the street and sometimes cross the sidewalk to avoid. A junkie, someone facing eviction, with financial problems. We wanted to highlight and focus on these types of characters, telling their stories and why they end up living this kind of life. In the end, you realize that they are people just like you and me, but they have made different choices in life. And sometimes we don’t realize that they have a heart, emotions, a life. It was very interesting to have this company because we focused on the invisible people in society.
You’ve played very diverse characters in your career. Is there a character that has marked a turning point in your career?
I’ve always said that I’m lucky to have had a very varied, very eclectic career. I’ve touched on many genres and have been lucky enough to play great characters. I can’t pick just one because I’ve had so many: Andrea Robles in Amar en tiempos revueltos was a brutal character in a legendary Spanish television series. She represented that post-war Spanish woman who defended integrity, freedom, culture, and a very progressive mindset. She was a wonderful character.
Then I went to La Señora, set in the 1920s, where I played an aristocratic woman who was very insecure, sexist, in poor health, and obsessed with her husband—a very toxic character. Later, in theater, I played a wonderful Galician junkie, a well-off girl who spoke three languages and had a career, but who fell in love with the bad boy in high school and made some bad decisions.
In the film Para Elisa, I played another very toxic character whose mother keeps her locked up at home, so she has never had contact with other people.
Getting into very different identities, but as I say, it’s like living my unlived lives. I really like that about my profession. Actors always say they like to get into other lives, but I’ve always said that they’re not other lives, they’re my unlived lives. So theater, film, and series allow me to enter a safe space, bringing these characters to life. It enriches you a lot because it opens your psyche to other identities of yourself.
Do you have any current or future projects you can share with us?
I’m now working on the third season of Las hermanas de Manolete, a play that’s going very well. We won the Violeta Award, which is an award for feminist values. I’m working on a new project for next year, in 2026-2027, which is going to be called Semira Miss 2.0, based on Calderón de la Barca’s play La hija del aire. I also have a film coming out this year called Luger.
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Would you like to continue working in historical films or explore other genres?
I like to explore other genres, but I also like to be involved in historical films. I like being in the past, present, and future of audiovisual media.
Finally, what advice would you give to those who dream of acting in projects with historical and social value?
Well, I’m not one to give advice, but what I do is a lot of training, a lot of study, a lot of dedication, and a lot of respect for this profession. And above all, get involved if you really like the craft, not because it’s trendy. That does a lot of damage to the profession. The profession is very tough, so you have to really love it, love the work of an actor. And that requires a lot of respect, a lot of continuous and constant training. It never ends, there are always new things to learn, it’s a long career. It’s important to have that curiosity, respect, and humility, to realize that this is a very long road and that you’re going to have better moments, very bad moments, worse moments, but the important thing is to have a philosophy of life that connects you to your training, your studies, and respect. Take good care of yourself because the actor and the person are inseparable. The better you are, the better your acting is, and that comes with the responsibility of taking care of yourself. That means working on yourself, going to therapy if necessary, and cleansing yourself from the inside out.
