He thought he was a friar or a doctor. He studied philosophy and ended up being an actor and a clown. Something that makes Pepe Viyuela (Logroño, 1963), comic couple in the cinema of José Mota in ‘García y García’, which hits theaters today. On the street they call him Filemón and Chema, two of his great characters. And he likes it.
Is comedy in good health in Spain?
Yes. The more difficult times are, the more comedy is needed for coexistence. To relax. And today more than ever. Laughter and a sense of humor are lifesavers that keep us afloat in tough times.
Are we a country of jokes?
We have reason to laugh at ourselves and we know how to do it. Our particular idiosyncrasy makes us very recognizable in the world.
Laughing at one is mandatory?
It is convenient and advisable.
Comedian, mime, actor … but above all a clown?
Yes. It is a great compliment to be called a clown. I have admired them since childhood for their ability to laugh at themselves, for their quirky looks and for volunteering as mediums to invoke laughter. Between comedian, actor or clown, I would stay with the clown and renounce the others. Being a clown you can be a poet.
If you weren’t a clown, what would it be?
I thought about the medicine, but didn’t get the note. I found the way of the clown, which contributes to people’s sanity.
Was the humor of ‘La Quaorniz’ during the dictatorship more daring than now?
The greatest danger of humor and any creative activity is self-censorship. And we live in times when it seems that it is very scary to speak. The zascas rain on the networks and we are a little pissed off. They are cycles, and this will end because the corseted humor is distorted and fails.
You studied philosophy, did you learn more from Aristotle or from Mortadelo and Filemón and their creator, Ibáñez?
From Ibáñez. It is very little metaphysical, direct and recognizable. He is a great philosopher who has spent more than half a century analyzing the Spanish reality and has taught us a lot: from the value of work, to laugh and reconcile with this tambourine country. He is a genius who modifies and improves reality with his work.
Can humor be harmful?
It depends on how it is used. Good humor builds. The bad guy destroys. Whoever harasses and denigrates at school or the work environment is harmful and must be eradicated.
What does he never laugh at?
Of the pain of others. It must be respected. Is sacred. You can get rid of yours, yes.
What has humor saved you from?
Of discouragement many times and of depression in some. It can become an invigorating stream of fresh air.
What does José Viyuela Castillo think of Pepe Viyuela?
It pisses me off that he’s funnier than me. The clown is much more talented and smarter than I am.
¿ Chaplin o Buster Keaton?
Charlot is more in my origins, but I would stay with ‘Buster Chaplin’.
The comedian’s worst nightmare?
Go on stage and no one laughs. Let them despise you and yell at you stand up. It has happened many times. To dedicate yourself to humor is to live in permanent risk. People can be very cruel.
Tired of being called Chema, like the grocer from ‘Aida’?
Far from charging me, I love it. Being called like your characters without knowing who you are is proof that your work works. It is reconfortable. I appreciate it from the heart.
Does Philemon like you?
A lot. It would be a dream to do it again, but it is not on the horizon. At the time it gave me vertigo and now it would give me pleasure.
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