Which former actor from the soap opera “Plus belle la vie” lends his features to racing driver Alain Prost in the Netflix biopic series dedicated to Brazilian Ayrton Senna?
It is impossible to talk about the story of Ayrton Senna without also mentioning the career of Alain Prost. The two drivers – Brazilian for the first, French for the second – engaged in one of the greatest rivalries in the history of motorsport at the end of the 1980s. Between them, they won a total of seven world championships, and 92 Grand Prix victories.
Several episodes are devoted to this legendary rivalry in the Senna series produced by Netflix. The Brazilian pilot is played on this occasion by Gabriel Leone. Aged 31, the latter is not completely unknown in the automotive world, since he has already portrayed the Spanish driver Alfonso de Portago in the film Ferrari directed by Michael Mann.
Being chosen to play Ayrton Senna was for the Brazilian actor “an immense responsibility, but also a great honor”. His choice for the role was also validated by Viviane Senna, the sister of the late pilot. In six episodes, the mini-series retraces the career of the latter, until his tragic accident during the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
More beautiful life at the Formula 1 circuits
Alain Prost is played in the series by the Franco-American Matt Mella, notably known to fans of the soap opera Plus belle la vie for having played Ian Moss in around twenty episodes. Residing in the United States, he then had to cede his role to another actor during the Covid-19 epidemic.
Matt Mella also appeared in The Legends Bureau and Greek Salad, but also in international productions such as Winter King (in the role of the knight Lanval) and in the thriller Trigger Point. Senna marks his very first appearance on screen in a major role.
Produced on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna, the mini-series also confirms Netflix's commitment to Formula 1. The platform notably produces the documentary series Formula 1: Drivers of their destiny, wide critical and public success throughout the world.
In the past, Alain Prost has highlighted the important role of Netflix in promoting Formula 1 through the documentary series: “The series was a huge boom for F1, it was incredibly successful”he confided to GQ. “A new generation has started watching Formula 1 and it’s not just a young audience. It’s also people who didn’t pay much attention to it before.”
The Senna mini-series can now be found exclusively on Netflix.
Discover the list of series currently available on the platform!
