Gael García Bernal biography

Synopsis

Film actor and director Gael García Bernal was born on November 30, 1978, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Bernal's parents were both actors. As a teen, he starred in a soap opera and became a heartthrob in Mexico. At age 19, Bernal moved to London to study acting but returned to Mexico to make films, including Amores Perros and The Motorcycle Diaries. He has also made English-speaking films, such as The Science of Sleep and Babel. In 2007, Bernal made his filmmaking debut, producing and directing the film Déficit.

Early Life

Born on November 30, 1978, in Guadalajara, Mexico, Gael García Bernal was raised by actors. He began acting at a very young age and starred in soap operas as a teenager, quickly becoming a heartthrob in his native Mexico. At age 19, Bernal moved to London to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Actor and Filmmaker

Bernal returned to Mexico to take the lead in some of the country's most acclaimed films, including 2000's Academy Award-nominated Amores Perros, 2001's Y Tu Mamá También and 2002's El Crimen del Padre Amaro. In 2004, he starred as Che Guevera in The Motorcycle Diaries, a celebrated adaptation of the Cuban revolutionary's chronicle of his early travels across South America.

In 2006, Bernal took on his first English-language film, The King. That same year, he appeared in The Science of Sleep as the character Stéphane Miroux, and played Santiago in Babel, alongside Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The following year, Bernal added filmmaking to his resume, producing and directing the dramatic film Déficit (2007). He continues to direct and produce, in addition to acting.