interview: kuno becker
At 27, Mexican actor Kuno Becker is about to become a household name with his starring role in "Goal!" We sat down with Kuno to discuss the soccer flick that has already inspired two sequels.
Q: You studied the violin until you were 16. What inspired you to become an actor?
A: I played violin for too many years when I was a kid and when I was 16 I wanted to get into acting. I went into drama school and started working in TV, then I started working in films. It's more interesting for me as an actor because I get the chance to play different roles in different stories.
Q: What actors do you look up to?
A: First of all I look up to my family, like my grandfather for example. I really admire him and everything he did. As far as actors, I like Jack Nicholson and a couple of Mexican actors. But I would love to be the best I can be instead of trying to be like someone else.
Q: What were the challenges of playing a character like Santiago?
A: It was very hard because I don't play soccer at all, and I really had to train many hours a day for many months. It was pretty tough because I had to do these football auditions over and over, and when I got the part it was physically exhausting. In order to play football you have to be in great shape.
Q: How are you coping with fame?
A: I don't like that part of the job. I was working quite a lot in Mexico City and there's a huge TV industry there, and I had a little bit of a taste of fame there and it's not good. I love to work and be on the set playing a nice character in a good story.
Q: What happens to Santiago in "Goal 2"?
A: He gets a little bit crazy. He gets all the money and fame and everything that comes with being a soccer star, so it's interesting to see what happens with him. Like many soccer players he comes from a simple background and achieves great fame and most of the time they don't know how to deal with it.
Q: Is it true that "Goal 3" will be set at the World Cup?
A: Yes. We're supposed to shoot it in Germany. We're going from promoting "Goal!", finishing "Goal 2" to starting "Goal 3".
Q: This is a question for all the women out there who will be reading this interview: Are you single?
A: I did work for seven years in Mexico on TV and the press is pretty tough there, so I did learn that I don't want to talk too much about that. But thank you so much for asking.
