After working on several projects as a director, Luis Oliva made a return to the small screen in recent years. After seeing him recently in Indefensiblehe now plays Gabriel Gomez in Alertsbut this time, he plays opposite Sonia Najera… none other than his mother!
• Also read: Discover one of the new main investigations from “Alertes” in this extract
Luis, first of all, you were excellent as Luis Garcia in Indefensible…
Luis: Thanks, people have told me a lot about it! I knew the show was very popular, but I didn’t expect this. It was my first experience in a daily newspaper. I had fun reading the comments on the Facebook page ofIndefensible and I noticed how much people hated my character, but I really liked it. (laughs)
You made a sensational entrance in the last episode of season 4 ofAlertswhere your character stabs Roméo Goulet, played by Jean-Michel Anctil. What can you tell us next?
Luis: I admit that it’s special to arrive in the last minutes of the last show by eliminating a character. (laughs) Obviously, I can’t reveal much. Even if it’s a strong start for my character Gabriel Gomez, I can say that he thirsts for revenge and needs justice. He has very deep reasons for wanting revenge like this. It will be a very personal revenge, with reasons dating back to childhood trauma, and he wants to see it through. Gabriel is determined and he is ready to face the consequences. Clearly, I played some detestable characters this year, but I won’t say more!
In recent years, we have seen you again on the small screen…
Luis: Yes, the last few years have been very good for me gaming-wise and I really can’t complain, because I’m working on some great projects. For three years, I hosted Américologie on TV5 and it gave me the documentary bug. Since 2013, I have worked a lot as a director in the world of documentaries and I chose to focus on that for a while. But it feels good to play characters again, because I was bored of playing. My year 2024 has been busy, with roles in Indefensible, Alerts and the musical The Us. I also hosted the series Village secret and made a documentary.
And in Alertsyou had a truly unique experience, didn’t you?
Luis: And how! I had the chance and the privilege to play scenes with my mother.
Is your mother an actress?
(His mother, Sonia Najera, joins us for the rest of the conversation.)
Luis: Not at all! (laughs) In September, I knew I was going to play Gabriel, and the production people contacted me, because they were looking for an actress around 70 years old who spoke Spanish and who could play my mother, but they didn’t have had not yet found. The production team asked me if I knew anyone for this role, so I answered without hesitation, “Well, my mother could do it.”
Sonia: By the way, I’m not 70 years old, I’m younger, but they aged me for the character! (laughs) When Luis told me the news, I was surprised, but at the same time very happy to be able to experience this with my son. When I was little, I would have liked to play in the theater, so I already had an interest in acting and especially in Luis’ career. It’s amazing what we can do for our children! (laughs)
Luis: My mother had no experience as an actress, but she had still done a bit of TV with me. We had, among other things, participated together in the show Curieux Bégin as well as in an interview with Janette Bertrand. So she was already comfortable in front of the camera. I even remember how much she played pranks, and she flirted quite a bit with Christian Bégin. Even at a certain point, while he was filming, she said to him: “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t even listening to you, I was lost in your eyes.” (laughs) Let’s say that I know my mother well, and I know how willing she is in life to try all kinds of things. I knew she would accept!
What was the experience like for you both?
Sonia: I found it extraordinary! I have always been my son’s number one fan, and I knew he would become an actor one day, because he did his first commercial at age four when we lived in Guatemala. But, now that I have played with him, that I have given him the lines, that I have seen him work, I can say that I have a greater understanding of his work. I am impressed and very proud of him. Plus, he also coached me, and that was an aspect of his work that I didn’t know, so I admire him even more than before. It was thanks to his guidelines and coaching that I managed to perform my scenes.
Luis: I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I have to say that my mother is a really good student. In front of the camera, she is natural and she was very professional. The production team found me very funny, because I accompanied them for all their scenes, even on the days I had off. A film set can be intimidating sometimes, so I was there with her to support her and I loved it. At the beginning, we had scenes to shoot separately, but from the third day onwards, we were shooting together and speaking to each other. The Alerts team was really welcoming and, of course, my mother charmed them all.
And how did you feel, in front of your mother, at the moment of “Action!”?
Luis: I’m so moved to have had the chance to play with my mother, it’s definitely a moment I will never forget. Plus, it was a big scene filled with emotion and she already had tears in her eyes so it was perfect. My parents often visited me on film sets, but this was completely different. It was unexpected for me to experience this one day, because my mother is not an actress, but life gave us this magnificent gift and I am very grateful. I found it beautiful to see my family and professional spheres intertwine for a moment. I will cherish this for a long time and, obviously, in the family, my mother is now the star!
Alerts is broadcast on Mondays at 9 p.m. on TVA and TVA+. The musical The Us is on tour across Quebec and we can find out more at lematou.ca.
