In thirty years of career, Carlos Leal established himself in the rap world, before breaking through on stage and the big screen. In the show La Vie à avoir on RTS Espace 2, the fifty-year-old looks back on the major stages of his artistic journey, between Renens, Paris and Los Angeles.
In the 1990s, hip-hop swept through France with IAM and MC Solaar in particular. Switzerland is not left out with Sens Unik. Originally from Renens (VD), the group is made up of Carlos Leal (rap), Just One (DJ), Rade (beatbox), Sista D (vocals), Bio (drums and percussion) and Osez (dance and rap). 1994 was a pivotal year for the group, thanks to the creation of their label Unik Records and the release of their album “Chromatic” which brought them notoriety.
In the show La Vie around December 11, Carlos Leal admits that it was difficult for him (at the time) not to have a big head: “When you are 25-26 years old, only a private jet comes to pick you up to play in front of thousands of people, when people recognize you in a nightclub and see your photo in the newspaper, it’s difficult to keep your feet on the ground.”
>> Listen to the interview with Carlos Leal in “La Vie à aussi”:
Costume change
After nine albums, four gold records and numerous concerts with Sens Unik, Carlos Leal feels a certain weariness overcome him: “I had this label ‘secondo – son of immigrants – rapper who talks about the street’ and I felt it scratching my back.
In 1999, Lausanne director Gianni Schneider offered the rapper from Renens a role in the play “La Vénus des lavabos”, taken from a book by Pedro Almodovar. A new artistic horizon opens up to him. He decided to settle in Paris and follow an internship at the Actors Studio. The beginnings are difficult, the castings are abusive, you have to elbow your way in a “world of hyenas”.
But Paris is also a wonderful school of life, confides the artist: “Discovering works of theater, techniques for interpreting acting, speaking with intellectuals… with people who use big phrases and big words, it “Was very impressive for a guy from Renens,” he continues.
An international career
In 2005, Carlos Leal was awarded the Swiss Film Prize for his role in “Snow White” by Samir. A year later, he played the casino director of the famous poker tournament in the James Bond film “Casino Royale”.
After eight years in Paris, feeling that his acting career was no longer evolving, the Swiss decided to leave for Madrid, then it would be Los Angeles. Now aged 55, the actor has 120 international productions to his credit, which does not prevent him from maintaining a strong link with his Swiss origins and his relatives in Renens.
Carlos Leal has even become philosophical over the years: “I am often told that I am lucky to make a living from my profession. It is true, but there are also painful and dark moments. The profession of an artist involves a lot of uncertainty. But if you’re told no on the phone for something, it’s maybe because in three days, there’s someone else who’s going to call you to say yes.”
Comments collected by Pierre Philippe Cadert
Web adaptation: Sarah Clément
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