BIFFF 2011 interview: The Last Circus actress Carolina Bang

Carolina Bang is a Spanish television and film actress. She worked on television and landed the role of Lorna in the TV series Plutón B.R.B. Nero, directed by Alex de la Iglesia. For her first major film role in The Last Circus she was nominated for a Goya as best newcomer.
Carolina Bang was at the BIFFF presenting The Last Circus. Imitation of Life talked to her about the film and her projects.
Interview by Alberto Ramos. 

Imitation of Life: The Last Circus has given you your first major film role. Tell us about your work before the film.

Carolina Bang: I started on television doing different stuff and then I landed a role on the TV series Plutón B.R.B. Nero, also directed by Alex. Carlos [Areces, who plays the sad clown in the film] and many of the other actors of The Last Circus also played in that show.

IoL: Natalia the acrobat is a role of great physicality. How did you prepare for the part? Did you do all your own stunts?

CB: The hardest part was the aerobatics training. For three months I trained for 5 hours every day, not only aerobatics, but also intensive weight training. We hardly used stunt actors, but I twisted both my ankles as a result of it.

IoL: But apart from the physical aspect, how did you approach this complex role, this metaphor of a strife-torn Spain?

CB: Alex never gave us any directions as regards the symbolic nature of the roles. He never told me Natalia was a metaphor of conflict-ridden Spain. It was easier to approach because, for me, she was simply a girl torn apart between two guys. Regardless, it is a complex character because she is a weak, highly dependent person who is trapped in that circus which is at the same time her home and her prison. She has to face the dilemma of choosing between two men who, deeply flawed as a whole, can make for the perfect man together: the sexuality of the silly clown and the tenderness of the sad clown.

IoL: The Last Circus bears the influence of the great horror genre classics, most notably Tod Browning's Freaks (1932) and The Unknown (1927). In The Unknown, Lon Chaney plays Alonzo, the armless knife thrower, madly in love with the carnival girl played by Joan Crawford. Your role can be seen as a combination of Joan Crawford's character in that film and Betty Hutton's glamorous, beautiful acrobat in Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth. Did you see any of those films together before shooting the film?

CB: Absolutely, we watched many of those circus films. Alex is a big fan of Tod Browning, especially of The Unknown, which we watched together with Carlos Areces, but we also watched Trapeze and other films and documentaries to reflect the aesthetics in the film.

IoL: Alex de la Iglesia has trusted you and Carlos Areces, two newcomers, with two of the leads of the film, while the support cast includes a bunch of legendary veterans like Terele Pávez, Manuel Tejada or Sancho Gracia, among others. How did you feel about working with such a group of performers?

CB: It was scarily impressive. When you get a script like this one as your first film and, on top of that, you have to play with such a group of actors you can only try to do your best. Alex always surrounds himself with extraordinary actors that have had an influence on his life. He grew up seeing these players on Estudio 1 [Spain's TV drama during the 1960s and 70s], on stage and on film, so working with them has a very special meaning for him. I was a little scared at the beginning, but they were all extremely supportive.

IoL: Though it's not the first time you work with acclaimed actors. I saw a short film called Madrid-Moscú where you share some scenes with Pilar Bardem.

CB: That was actually my first professional work. Pilar is a great actress and a lovely person to work with. It's like Terele Pávez. I've noticed that the greater an actor is, the more human they are and the easier it is to work with them.

IoL: You said before you have worked on television. Everybody is talking about the new golden age of American television. The most acclaimed screen performers in America are working on TV right now. Do you see a similar tendency in Spanish or European television?

CB: I think we're following that path too. Spanish TV shows are excellent. They're every bit as good as any film. I love film, but I'd never say no to television. In fact, I'm just starting a new series called Tierra de Lobos and I'm very excited about it.

IoL: You have also just finished shooting Alex de lglesia's latest film La chispa de la vida, that features another unlikely choice in the leads, Salma Hayek and [Spanish comedian] José Mota.

CB: I know, but José Mota gives a wonderful performance. I think he's going to surprise everybody. For me it was such a different experience than in The Last Circus, because I have a supporting role and also because we shot in the South of Spain. I remember being frozen while we were shooting The Last Circus.

Iol: You were nominated for a Goya as best newcomer for your role in The Last Circus. Tell me about the experience. 

CB: I was very nervous and couldn't enjoy myself until the winner of my category was announced. Then I relaxed and I ended up having a very good time. I think you can learn to enjoy this kind of things.