"I prefer to play characters whose personalities are as different as possible from my own"

It's a very rewarding programme, both personally and in terms of the professional knowledge you gain, and it opens up a lot of interesting career opportunities outside the legal field. Also, though I've always been interested in economics, I'm really more of an arts person, so law seemed to me like a good choice. The reason I chose the UOC is that I'm away from home a lot because of my work as an actress and I have to make long trips. I wanted to study, but a conventional university wasn't a realistic option because it would be impossible for me to attend class regularly. The UOC system is a very good match for my needs: I can learn at a distance and take my examinations each semester the usual way, but I don't have to attend classes continuously. For me, the UOC is an option that lets me take a "made-to-measure" approach without sticking to a fixed university timetable. It allows me to organize and combine my work and studies. I think of myself as an actress who's a student. Even though my studies are important and an essential part of my everyday routine, my work is the priority right now. I started working in the horror genre by chance. The first film I appeared in, Romasanta, was made when I was eight. It was a horror movie and the others followed naturally, without any intention on my part to focus on a particular genre. I ended up becoming a fan and I love horror movies, but as I grew up I started looking for other kinds of project. I prefer to play characters whose personalities are as different as possible from my own. I think that's the essence of acting: to play a character who's not like you. Otherwise you're just playing yourself. That's why I always try to play characters who are very unlike me, in terms of their personality, but also the way they look. When I'm shaping a character, I love to work on her appearance and explore things like her tics, how she wears her hair, how she dresses, her gaze, how she interacts with others... Of course there's a strong psychological connection between me and the character. Playing Ofelia when I was 11 years old ? at an age when actors don't usually know enough to create a character based on external observations ? I had to draw a lot on my own experience and even bring my own feelings to the role so that I could forge an emotional connection with Ofelia and understand what she was going through. I love the time when you're actually acting ? creating and embodying a character ? and that happens during filming. So what I like about moviemaking is the filming process, but also the promotion work, which gives me a chance to travel and meet people from around the world. The parties: sometimes they're fun, but other times it's just something you have to do. Yes, but I think now is not the right time. Television work usually involves a long-term commitment; between my studies and other projects I haven't yet found the right time. In the case of film, I can work during defined periods of time, which gives me the freedom to commit to other projects and plans. The entertainment industry and the film industry in particular are suffering a lot as a result of the economic crisis Spain is going through. Fewer projects are being funded and the amounts provided are smaller. Some years back, over 120 Spanish films were made each year; now it's not even half that. It's really hard to get film projects off the ground and many fall by the wayside. We hope things will get better in time and that all the projects on hold can be dusted off to provide work for the many excellent professionals, in terms of both technical and artistic skills, in our film industry.