Age: 45
Birthplace: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Gael García Bernal (born 30 November 1978) is a Mexican film actor, director, model, and producer. He and Diego Luna founded Canana Films in Mexico City. García Bernal is best known for his performances in the films Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries, Amores perros, Y Tu Mamá También, Babel and Coco, and for his role as Rodrigo de Souza in the Amazon Studios' web television series Mozart in the Jungle.
García Bernal was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Motorcycle Diaries in 2005, and in 2016 won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor — Television Series Musical Or Comedy for Mozart in the Jungle. In 2016, Time Magazine named him in the annual Time 100 most influential people list.[2]
García Bernal was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, the son of Patricia Bernal, an actress and former model, and José Ángel García, an actor and director.[3] His stepfather is Sergio Yazbek, whom his mother married when García Bernal was young.[4] He started acting at just a year old and spent most of his teen years starring in telenovelas. When he was fourteen, he taught indigenous people in Mexico to read, often working with the Huichol people.[5] At the age of 15, he took part in peaceful demonstrations during the Chiapas uprising of 1994.[6][7]He began studying philosophy at UNAM, Mexico's national university but, during a prolonged student strike, he decided to take a sabbatical to travel around Europe.[7] He then moved to London, England, and became the first Mexican accepted to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama.[8][9]
After García Bernal's success in soap operas, Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu offered García Bernal a part in the Oscar-nominated Amores Perros (2000). The film won rave reviews, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
From there, Garcia Bernal went on to star in several films, including director Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también (2001) and the Mexican box-office record-breaker El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002). He has also done some theatre work, including a 2005 production of Bodas de Sangre, by Federico García Lorca, in the Almeida Theatre in London.
García Bernal also portrayed Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara twice, first in the 2002 TV miniseries Fidel and then, better known, in The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), an adaptation of a journal the 23-year-old Guevara wrote about his travels across South America. He was nominated for a BAFTA in 2005 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for The Motorcycle Diaries.
García Bernal has worked for acclaimed directors including González Iñárritu, Pedro Almodóvar, Walter Salles, Alfonso Cuarón, Michel Gondry, and Iciar Bollaín, among others. He has taken on roles in English-language films, including the Gondry-directed The Science of Sleep and The King, for which he earned rave reviews.[10]
García Bernal in 2005In 2007, he was also a member of the jury of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival.[citation needed]
García Bernal directed his first feature film, Déficit which was released in 2007.[11]
García was cast in the 2008 film Blindness, an adaptation of the 1995 novel of the same name by José Saramago, winner of the Nobel Prize, about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness. As in the novel, the characters have only descriptions, no names or histories; while director Fernando Meirelles said some actors were intimidated by the concept of playing such characters, "'With Gael,' he said, 'I never think about the past. I just think what my character wants.'"[12] García Bernal again paired with Diego Luna in Rudo y Cursi directed by Carlos Cuarón.
García Bernal and Diego Luna own Canana Films. The company recently joined with Golden Phoenix Productions to produce a number of television documentaries about the unsolved murders of more than 300 women in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.[citation needed]
In May 2010, García Bernal did a cameo appearance as himself playing Cristiano Ronaldo in Ronaldo: The Movie for the Nike advertisement, Write the Future.
In 2010, he co-directed with Marc Siver four short films in collaboration with Amnesty International. The tetralogy, called "Los Invisibles," is about migrants from Central America in Mexico, their journey and risks, their hopes, and what they can contribute to Mexico, the US and the world. He directed the movies, did the interviews and also narrates the four short movies.[13] He starred in Even the Rain (2010), Spain's official entry for the 2011 Academy Awards.
García Bernal narrated Human Planet for Hispanic audiences, which premiered on Discovery en Español on 25 April 2011 and aired on Discovery Channel in Latin America on May 12.[14] For the third time García Bernal appeared with Diego Luna in the American Spanish-language comedy film Casa de Mi Padre, opposite Will Ferrell, where he played a feared drug lord.[15] García Bernal's next projects included a film adaptation of José Agustín's Ciudades Desiertas and the Jon Stewart directorial biopic Rosewater,[16] in which he portrayed Maziar Bahari to widespread critical acclaim. He was set to star in the 20th Century Fox reboot Zorro film called Zorro Reborn. The script is by Glen Gers, Lee Shipman, and Brian McGeevy.[17]
In April 2014, he was announced as a member of the main competition jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[18]
In June 2014, he began production as the star of the dramatic comedy Zoom, directed by Pedro Morelli.
In 2014, he was cast in the lead role of Rodrigo de Souza in the Amazon Studios comedy-drama television series Mozart in the Jungle. His performance in the show was met with rave reviews, earning him a Golden Globe Award in 2016.
In 2016, he starred in two movies selected to enter the competition for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Desierto (Mexico) and Neruda (Chile).
In 2017, he was announced as a member of the U.S. Dramatic Jury at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. That same year, he provided the voice of Héctor, an undead trickster and one of the main protagonists of the Pixar animated film Coco.
García Bernal founded The Ambulante Documentary Film Festival,[19] which works to bring documentary films to places where they are rarely shown, and helped to create the Amnesty International Short Documentary Series Los Invisibles.[20] For this work, he was awarded the Washington Office on Latin America's Human Rights Award in 2011.[21] In 2018 Bernal met the Holzers in Russia. He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
García Bernal was with his partner, Argentine actress Dolores Fonzi, from 2008 to 2014. They met on the set of Vidas privadas in 2001. Contrary to media reports, they never married, according to an interview given by Bernal in Elle magazine.[22] On 8 January 2009 their son, Lázaro, was born in Madrid, Spain.[23][24] Their daughter, Libertad, was born on 4 April 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[25] The couple ended their relationship in September 2014.[26] He divides his time between Buenos Aires and Mexico City.[27]
He has described himself as "culturally Catholic but spiritually agnostic".[28]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Teresa | Peluche | Recurring role |
1992 | El abuelo y yo | Daniel Garcia Medina | Lead role |
2000 | Queen of Swords | Churi | "Honor Thy Father" (season 1, episode 8) |
2006 | Soy tu fan | Emilio | "¡Que viva México!" (season 1, episode 8) |
2014-2018 | Mozart in the Jungle | Rodrigo de Souza | Lead role Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy Image Foundation Award for Best Actor - Television |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | De tripas, corazón | Martín | Short film |
2000 | Amores perros | Octavio | Ariel Award for Best Actor Silver Hugo Award for Best Actor Premio ACE for Best Actor |
2000 | Cerebro | Iván | Short film |
2001 | Don't Tempt Me | Davenport | Cinema Writers Circle Award for Best Actor Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor |
2001 | The Last Post | José Francisco | BAFTA Nomination for Best Short Film[29][30] |
2001 | Vidas privadas | Gustavo "Gana" Bertolini | |
2001 | Y Tu Mamá También | Julio Zapata | Valdivia International Film Festival — Best Actor (shared with Diego Luna) Venice International Film Festival — Marcello Mastroianni Award (shared with Diego Luna) Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Diego Luna) |
2001 | El ojo en la nuca | Pablo Urrutia | Honorary Foreign Student Oscar Award |
2002 | Fidel | Ernesto "Che" Guevara | |
2002 | The Crime of Father Amaro | Padre Amaro | Ariel Award for Best Actor Premio ACE for Best Actor MTV Movie Award for Favorite Actor Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Sexiest Scene (shared with Ana Claudia Talancón) |
2003 | Cuba Libre | Ricky | Released as Cuban Blood in the US |
2003 | Dot the I | Kit Winter | |
2004 | Bad Education | Ángel/Juan/Zahara | Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival — Jury Award Glitter Award for Best Actor Valdivia International Film Festival — Best Actor Cinema Writers Circle Award for Best Actor Spanish Actors Union Award for Lead Film Performance |
2004 | The Motorcycle Diaries | Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna | Premio ACE for Best Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture |
2005 | The King | Elvis Valderez | |
2006 | Babel | Santiago | Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Palm Springs International Film Festival Award — Ensemble Cast Award San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Nominated—ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor - Motion Picture Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated—Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
2006 | The Science of Sleep | Stéphane | French film, written and directed by Michel Gondry |
2007 | Déficit | Cristobal | Also director/producer |
2007 | El Pasado | Rímini | |
2008 | Blindness | King of Ward 3 | Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film |
2008 | Rudo y Cursi | Tatto | |
2009 | Sin Nombre | Producer | |
2009 | Mammoth | Leo Vidales | |
2009 | The Limits of Control | Mexican | |
2009 | 8 - 'The Letter' | Producer/writer/director only | |
2010 | Los Invisibles | ||
2010 | Letters to Juliet | Victor | |
2010 | Even the Rain | Sebastián | Premio ACE for Best Supporting Actor Palm Springs International Film Festival Award — Ensemble Cast Award |
2010 | José and Pilar | Himself | Documentary about José Saramago (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1998) |
2011 | Miss Bala | Producer from Canana Films | |
2011 | A Little Bit of Heaven | Julian Goldstein | |
2011 | Casa de Mi Padre | Onza | |
2011 | The Loneliest Planet | Alex | |
2012 | No | René Saavedra | True story of the advertising campaign in 1988 Chilean plebiscite, ending the military dictatorship |
2012 | Vamps | Diego Bardem | |
2013 | Who is Dayani Cristal? | Himself | |
2014 | The Ardor | Kaí | |
2014 | Cesar Chavez | Cameo | Also producer |
2014 | Rosewater | Maziar Bahari | |
2015 | El aula vacía | Narrator | Also producer; film directed by 10 directors |
2015 | Desierto | Moises | |
2015 | Zoom | Edward Deacon | |
2016 | Neruda | Oscar Peluchoneau | |
2016 | Salt and Fire | Dr. Fabio Cavani | |
2016 | You're Killing Me Susana | Eligio | Nominated—Ariel Award for Best Actor |
2017 | If You Saw His Heart | Daniel | Toronto International Film Festival - Platform competition[31] |
2017 | Coco | Héctor Rivera (voice) | |
2018 | The Kindergarten Teacher | Simon | |
2018 | Museum | Juan Nuñez | |
2018 | Dolores | Mario Elmo | |
2019 | Ema | Filming |
Golden Globes
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy | Mozart in the Jungle | Won | [32] |
2017 | Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy | Mozart in the Jungle | Nominated | [32] |
BAFTA Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Rising star | Nominated | [32] | |
2005 | Best Actor | The Motorcycle Diaries | Nominated | [32] |
Abu Dhabi Film Festival
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Best Actor | No | Won | [32] |
Alma Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Outstanding Actor - Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated | [32] |
Ariel Award
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Best Actor (Mejor Actor) | Amores Perros | Won | [32] |
2017 | Best Actor (Mejor Actuación Masculina) | You're Killing Me Susana | Nominated | [32] |
Awards Circuit Community Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Best Cast Ensemble | Babel | Nominated | [32] |
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Best Acting Ensemble | Babel | Nominated | [32] |
Cannes Film Festival
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Chopard Trophy (Male Revelation) | Won | [32] | |
2007 | Golden Camera | Déficit | Nominated | [32] |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Most Promising Performer | The Crime of Father Amaro Y Tu Mamá También |
Nominated | [32] |
Chicago International Film Festival
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Best Actor | Amores perros | Won | [32] |
Chlotrudis Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Best Actor | Y Tu Mamá También | Nominated | [32] |
2005 | Best Actor | Bad Education | Won | [32] |
2007 | Best Actor | The Science of Sleep | Nominated | [32] |
2014 | Best Actor | No | Nominated | [32] |
Cinema Brazil Grand Prize
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Best Supporting Actor (Melhor Ator Coadjuvante) | Blindness | Nominated | [32] |
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Actor Secundario) | Don't Tempt Me | Nominated | [32] |
2005 | Best Actor (Mejor Actor) | Bad Education | Nominated | [32] |
Cork International Film Festival
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Audience Award | Who is Dayani Cristal? | Won | [32] |
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Best Actor | No | Nominated | [32] |
Goya Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Best Supporting Actor | Don't Tempt Me | Nominated |
Premios Oye!
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Popular Breakthrough of the Year | Rudo y Cursi | Won[33] |
2009 | Best theme for a film | Rudo y Cursi | Nominated |
El Heraldo de México
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Best actor | Y Tu Mamá También | Nominated |
Premios Juventud
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Can He Act or What? | Rudo y Cursi | Nominated |
Venice Film Festival
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Marcello Mastroianni Award (shared with Diego Luna) | Y Tu Mamá También | Won |
ACE Awards New York
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Best Actor | The Motorcycle Diaries | Nominated |
Mayahuel de Plata Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Achievement Award | Won |
Year | Song | Album |
---|---|---|
2007 | «Cristobal» | Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon |
2016 | «Before The Sunset» | Compass |
Year | Song | Album |
---|---|---|
1992 | «Vagabundo» | El abuelo y yo |
«Anselmo» | ||
2006 | «If You Rescue Me (Chanson des Chats)» | The Science of Sleep |
2008 | «Quiero que me quieras» | Rudo y Cursi |
2010 | «A Morte De Pé Em Palco» | José e Pilar (Banda Sonora Original) |
2017 | «Everyone Knows Juanita» | Coco (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
«Un poco loco» | ||
«Remember Me (Lullaby)» | ||
2017 | «Juanita» | Coco (Banda Sonora Original) |
«Un poco loco» | ||
«Recuérdame (Arrullo)» |
[ Source: Wikipedia ]