Exclusive: Fabiola Guajardo’s career-defining role

I’m very happy. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a highly anticipated project. I was looking for a character like this—one with great strength but also a delicate duality, with an impressive complexity. That was the type of character I had in mind, though I didn’t know it would be Gloria Guzmán. I’m thrilled.

Yes, the project has an outstanding production team. My producer, Mónica Vizzi, is fully dedicated to her work. She is always attentive to all of us and extremely detail-oriented. My directors—Mauricio Corredor, Mauricio Meneses, and Laura Marco—ensure that every character and every detail in La Jefa’s universe is impeccable.

Through an audition. I had just finished a project when I received the invitation. They wanted me to audition for the lead role, but for me, the character’s psychology is crucial. If they tell me the protagonist is something I don’t want to portray, even if the title sounds appealing, I’d rather not do it. I always want to enjoy my projects, to truly immerse myself in them 100%. So, I asked for Gloria Guzmán’s character description and realized she was incredibly interesting.

I did the audition, and two weeks later, they called to tell me I got the role. I canceled everything I had planned because we started working immediately.

I’d be lying if I said yes. I feel that when projects come my way, that’s when I make the decision. It also depends on where I am in my life at that moment. There are things I would have accepted in the past that I might think twice about now. Honestly, I don’t have a definite answer to this because I need to be in the moment to decide what I accept and what I turn down.

Yes! For example, I love the psychology behind Natalie Portman’s character in Black Swan. I was an athlete for many years—I used to figure skate. So, the psychology of that character fascinates me. Of course, in Black Swan, it’s about ballet, but with skating, for me, it would be electrifying.

In my case, I think it’s a virtue because I haven’t let it become a flaw—but it’s a double-edged sword. From a very young age, the discipline of skating—and a brief time in gymnastics—taught me that imperfection is often perfect.

Over time, I learned to relax, and I’m no longer obsessive about perfection. I used to be extreme, constantly stressed over things that only I noticed.

Once I started taking things more lightly, everything flowed much better. I think reaching that understanding comes with maturity and experience.

I feel like a lot of things used to affect me that now just roll off my back. I also go to therapy, and it has helped me tremendously since I started. I truly believe mental health is fundamental to living well.

In my case, I don’t think I’ve ever taken on traits from my characters. I’ve heard stories of actresses who struggle to leave a role behind, but that hasn’t happened to me. 

Of course, after filming, you’re still carrying that energy, but when I get home, I put my phone away, disconnect from everything, light a candle, take a shower, and focus on other things.

I watch movies, listen to music—I’m a huge music fan—catch up with my lifelong friends. I’m also really into food, so when I have time, like on Sundays, I break from my routine and explore a new restaurant. I spend time with my loved ones, and that’s it—I’m just Fabiola, nothing more.

Exactly, it has to be that way. Plus, I have friends who help keep me grounded.

No, not all of them, but most are from the north.

When I was a child, my mom always enrolled me in different activities. I did gymnastics, swimming, and even tried ballet, but I wasn’t fascinated by it—I’m too impatient. I asked when I’d get to wear pointe shoes, and when they told me in four years, I quit.

However in 1998, when Tara Lipinski won the Olympics, I watched her, and it was love at first sight.

I wondered what that sport was—it looked like ballet, but also like gymnastics. It combined so many disciplines, blending strength and grace. That’s how I discovered figure skating. I asked my mom if there was an ice rink nearby and if she could take me. The closest one was about 40 minutes away.

When we went, I swear to God, the very first day I stepped on the ice, I did an arabesque, lunges, and even started jumping—that’s how it all began.

I loved it from a young age, too. I watched movies, telenovelas, and series, and I think I always knew I wanted to do this. I also love singing, so I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. My parents had other plans for me—they wanted me to get married and live a very traditional life… things didn’t quite turn out that way.

I’ve always been very protective of my dreams and very determined—they know that. My mom thought I might change my mind, but I never let their fears take over mine. They were worried about their daughter moving to Mexico City, being on her own, studying who-knows-what. What I can tell you is that they did an incredible job raising my siblings and me. They’ve always trusted me because they know the kind of daughter they have.

Not really! They just asked me to get a degree before fully committing to this career. So, I earned a degree in marketing. Once I had my diploma, I moved to Mexico City to study acting.

Today, they’re overjoyed—so proud of me. Like peacocks!

It was incredible. I had no idea we were going to attend so many festivals. I went to Venice, Los Angeles, and Morelia, while the team also went to Telluride, San Sebastián, and London. There was even talk about the Oscars. Specifically, when the screening in Venice ended, I knew—without a doubt—that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Well, as an actress, you always dream of working on successful projects, and yes, with Bardo, I was lucky to go to Venice and present the film at the Los Angeles Festival. I love acting—it’s what I enjoy the most. 

If I were to sit around waiting for another project like that, it could come tomorrow or in many years. So, I keep working with the same passion on every project because, above all, I look for characters that fulfill me.

As I mentioned earlier, I always want to have a good time in everything I do, and thank God, I’ve been lucky to work with people who love what they do and are on the same wavelength as me. I made a promise to myself that whenever I’m on a project, I’ll do everything I can to ensure that everyone is in a good place, including myself—because I’ve experienced the other side, and it’s not a pleasant environment.

It depends—it’s not about what I prefer, rather what naturally happens. I’ve formed some wonderful relationships, but they’ve happened organically, not because I was looking for them.

Yes… since I started working with Azela Robinson, she practically adopted me as her daughter, and I adopted her as a second mother. In fact, she gets along perfectly with my mom—they adore each other. She has that strong, no-nonsense northern personality, so we connected right away and had chemistry from our very first scene together.

I’ve always been very disciplined, but from her, I learned that every scene—no matter how insignificant it might seem—is important and contributes to the story’s flow. So, it’s crucial never to downplay a single moment in your character’s journey.

The movie is called Bajo un volcán, directed by Martín Cuervo, and I star alongside William Levy and Maizy Vantos. We filmed everything in Spain, in Tenerife, and it was an incredible experience. I’ve already seen a preview, and it looks spectacular. I had always wanted to work in Spain, and I completely fell in love with the process there—it was such an enriching experience, and I definitely want to go back.

Here’s a fun fact: in 2013, I did a couple of interviews where they asked me this same question. I had completely forgotten about them, but in 2022, I found them again and saw that my answer back then was Alejandro González Iñárritu—I would have loved to work with him.

Now, there are so many people I’d love to collaborate with. I think at the top of my list is Tim Burton—I love his work.  Also Guillermo del Toro… honestly, there are too many to name!