The break of the century : Itziar Ituno

You still have your VIP ticket, right? You probably don’t remember what I’m talking about.

Here’s a reminder: a few weeks ago, you all won a VIP ticket that took you from a freak show to the Black Pearl and then Storybrooke. At each stop, you were able to meet a actor/actres: Rose McGowan, Emilie De Ravin, Lee Arenberg,…

Today, your ticket gives you the opportunity to enter the Bank of Spain where you will be under the command of Itziar Ituno, world-famous for her role as Raquel Murrillo/Lisbon in the Spanish phenomenon “Money Heist”!
Just a tip before you go in: don’t reveal your identity.

Ciao, Bella.

Jean: How are you doing? How are you living this situation of confinement and how did you experience the virus?

Itziar Ituno: Very well, thank you. It’s a really weird and unexpected situation. The virus turned everything upside down and I had to experience it first hand. It was a difficult experience and I had a hard time getting over it. It’s a dangerous virus and you have to be careful and stick to the measures.

A few weeks ago, season 4 of Money Heist was released. In this season, Raquel is arrested by the police and undergoes an interrogation. Once again, she takes risks for the professor. Do you understand why Raquel takes such a risk for her love story?

I think Raquel is a fighter, she always has been, but this time she was involved in a difficult juncture. For her, the choice is more complex than the relationship itself. She faces many more dilemmas than her personal relationship with the professor.

At the end of season 4, Raquel enters the Bank of Spain, causing a misunderstanding among the fans. Do you know why she didn’t go back to the professor?

It’s part of the script written for her. You can never underestimate anyone and you never know what is the reason for each character’s twists and turns. It remains unknown.



What do you think of the death of Nairobi and the fact that nobody seems untouchable? Personally, I love it even though it made me sad. (I hope Raquel will remain untouchable though!).

In this season, the event of the death of Nairobi stood out. She seemed to be an irreplaceable piece and suddenly you discover that she’s no longer there. Nobody is untouchable and all the characters are exposed to pain and suffering like in real life, the series is very realistic.

Netflix has released a documentary about the success of the series, the success came by itself, without promotion. How did you feel when, without warning, you saw the series take off on a global scale?

It was, and still is, crazy. That a show, which a priori was not intended to go that far, breaks all geographical borders like “Money Heist” does is unexpected and a pleasant surprise for all. We didn’t expect it to go that far, really.

Despite the success of Money Heist, you seem to remain a territorial actress (i.e. to continue Spanish productions). Would you like to be involved in international films?

I’m never closed to anything. I’d like to make films internationally, of course, but that will will do itself if it has to be done. I usually don’t think about it much, what has to happen will happen.

I’ve learned that like many actors and actresses, you struggled a lot to get to this point. What helped you pursue your dream?

Actually, I’ve always been happy with my career. Maybe sometimes you don’t need so much media attention in the jobs you do, you just live doing what you love, and in that sense I think I’m privileged to be able to do that, and I always have been. Even if it is true, that until now I have not been known on such a high scale and this opens the door to different proposals, which is positive.



How was the shooting of Money Heist managed since season 3? Because according to the Netflix documentary, you receive the scripts sometimes at the last minute which must be a challenge for an actor.

I think you have to be able to adapt to this way of working. The fact that television consumption is introducing new platforms makes everything go faster and makes everything happen more quickly and in response we have to learn how to react to this rush. We have to learn how to manage this rush to respond. That’s one way to learn to be versatile.

Aren’t you afraid that the show will become too redundant? 

Everything has its cycles and its moments. I think that the circumstances surrounding the events make these changes happen, but in my opinion the show is still very much alive.

You’re also known for your role as Lourdes in the Oscar-nominated film

Yes, and it is a real pride that a production like Loreak, in Basque, made with all the reflection of the real world and which tells a story like the one it tells, went so far.

You said in an interview that you don’t want to go towards blockbusters but rather powerful films, what do you mean by “powerful films”?

I mean I’m interested in films that tell stories that bring good things to people. Films that serve to make people aware of situations or make them see realities that sometimes go unseen.


Besides your acting career, you’re a singer in 3 bands: Dangilist, EZ3 and Ingot. However, you don’t want to make a career out of it. Is it because you are afraid that your passion for music will become a chore?

At the moment, we are having a lot of fun with music. We enjoy every concert, every rehearsal and every moment the music gives us, so I don’t think much further.

Through the song but also the roles you played, you defend many causes like violence against women, the LGBTQ community, … Is representing a cause important to you and helps you direct your choices?

Yes, it is. I don’t think we can stay away from causes like these. If we can sometimes make the world a little better because of the visibility our profession gives us, we do.


You came to Brussels last October, would you be interested to come back and travel to other European countries to meet the fans at conventions?

I’m always happy to discover new places and the people who live there. So it is possible that, yes, I may come back to visit other places through events like last year.


Jean Grenson Brussels.

By jeangrenson

IG : @jeangrensoncca

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