Late Netflix star Jose de la Torre revealed the timeless tragic tale that inspired him to perform
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Following the death of Spanish actor José de la Torre last week, Dailymail.com is taking a look back at the performer's career and legacy.
The death of de la Torre - best known for his three-year run on the Netflix thriller Toy Boy from 2019-2021 - was initially reported by the Spain-based media outlet Montilla Digital, which had published a comprehensive Q&A with the actor on September 30, 2019.
In the interview, de la Torre - who said in June he had been battling a 'serious illness' - opened up on the classic work which inspired him to pursue a career on the stage and in front of the camera.
The actor said in the Q&A, which has been translated from Spanish to English, that there 'were some verses from Romeo and Juliet that I will never forget,' in reference to the tragic 16th century tale from William Shakespeare.
In the interview, de la Torre said that he 'found refuge in cinema' from 'a very young age ... but not so much in acting, at least at first.'
'I was a child who never stopped watching movies, just to entertain myself, and that caught my attention and planted the seed in me that would later become the desire to dedicate myself to it,' he said. 'I suppose that feeling identified with many of the characters I admired made me lean towards acting and not another artistic discipline.'
Following the death of Spanish actor José de la Torre last week at 37, Dailymail.com is taking a look back at the performer's career and legacy
De la Torre was best known for his three-year run on the Netflix thriller Toy Boy from 2019-2021
The actor, who was also seen on TV show such as Amar es para siempre and Vis a Vis: El Oasis, and said that after completing his collegiate entrance exams, he 'didn't really know where to look' in his professional future.
'I was thinking about going into Audiovisual Sciences, but I wasn't convinced, so I took the tests for the School of Dramatic Arts (ESAD) in Malaga and they accepted me,' said de la Torre. 'It was then that I realized that I had made the right choice, that I would be happy being an actor.'
It was at the ESAD in 2008 where de la Torre found a connection to Romeo and Juliet, helping spark his acting passions.
'When I entered the ESAD I was the only one in my class who hadn't been part of a company or hadn't done a play before at school or high school,' de la Torre said. 'The first time I recited a text in front of an audience was for the entrance exams for the school, but I felt as if I had been doing it all my life ... and it was wonderful.
'It's like finding the place where you belong. I have very fond memories of my first steps at school. And having had great teachers who made me love and respect this profession is one of the best gifts I take from there.'
In the chat, de la Torre explained how he studied the craft of performance arts; and the key lessons he picked up early on in his education.
'My training began in the field of textual interpretation and that's where you realize that, in this world, you have to be as versatile as possible,' de la Torre said. 'Perfection doesn't exist in this profession, but hard work, dedication and effort do.
'And those factors are what make the difference. Trying to do everything you can, in the best way you can and having all the possible resources to put them at the service of the project.'
De la Torre played the role of Iván on 21 episodes of the Netflix series Toy Boy
The actor began on his performance endeavors more than a decade before he snared the part
He said in the 2019 interview that he was proud 'of all of' the work he had done leading up to his break on the Netflix production.
'It may sound like a cliché but it's the truth,' de la Torre said. 'From a small show in class, to a workshop at school, to a micro-theater, to a dramatized reading, a musical, a series ... I've been happy in all of them.'
The actor went into detail about the complicated casting gauntlets he had to complete to snare the role of Iván on Toy Boy.
'There were several tests over six months,' he said. 'I didn't even know what it was for when I did the first one, but I think it's fine that way. I didn't go with anything in mind: I simply let myself go in each of the scenes or tests that they posed to me.
'And until I knew I had been selected, I didn't say anything to anyone. And that day, imagine: I cried hugging my grandmother.'
He added, 'The preparation for the series lasted six months and the filming eight, so it's been more than a year immersed in this first season.'
