Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Sanclemente.
Hi Fernando, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
There is something about beginning that makes them like time; namely, both happened without us not noticing unless you consciously decided to do it or to time it. Yet, the passing and experience of both aren’t easily described due to the difficulty that stems from the sole fact of even starting or living time. Alike Sain Augustine, who says I can’t define time, but I know what it is, same with beginnings can’t say how and if it was, but I know it was. So, five years old, Fernando was assisting to catholic school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Place where I met the most incredible and lasting bond of friendship I still have and with whom a lot of times battle daily for not being around. There was a play, Pinocchio, and got to be Geppetto. Like dreams, these memories from years, become what one tailored them to be. Kinda of what Borges says, ‘the past is clay that the present molds within its own perception/wishes, unending’; however, that impression of the pants black pants rubbing my body every time I was walking to my son (in the play). There is a VCR of the play; it was a beautiful experience, and it stayed with me. Later on, with the years and the social conventions to be accepted, to belong, which is a natural, embedded in our DNA response, my dreams and goals started changing from a catholic brother from the school I was going to, Champagnat to a professional rugby player; to a philosopher. Yet, of course, after getting out of school, I another cos they kicked me out from the first one for rowdy and messy behavior. Studied law at a catholic university, finished it and went to Australia to dessert the social circle I was immersed into, but which my numb mind was unable to see the richness laying within the form. So, I went to Bondi, where I wanted to stay, so I studied for an LLM, at UTS (University Technology of Sydney). Again, loved the people’s reaction when I was telling them about my studies, more than the studies themselves. Felt included, even praised, which usually in living in other countries one strives more due to the insecurity that my raise because of the cultural differences, which are experience through the language, the customs, the idiosyncrasy, and the social rules one must follow to fit and to thrive for something individual. Well, all these didn’t think at the time, I only wanted to stay longer, which I did, for almost five years. After my second year, when I started the master’s a friend from Australia, Dan, introduced me to the modelling, promotions, entertainment field, so I could make some extra cash during my studies. So, I applied and stayed with an agency, Wink Models, who luckily enough gave me some work here and there and allowed me to learn and start paving my path. One time sent a promotional code for acting classing to enhance my auditions skills and get more work. So, I took the opportunity to study for six weeks at Sydney Drama School, which was close by where I lived, and had an amazing teacher called Richard Cornally. He is a beautiful human, who through his acting and teaching makes you realize the little nuggets one loses through our daily life dynamic living. His method of teaching, patience, and integral vision in acting made me remember this warm feeling I had years back. After I finish this workshop. Decided to do more, even though I didn’t have a promo code. Felt Richard and the school was returning me to a way of seeing life, which I love, yet didn’t understand at all. After a year, I stopped going to school, why? Well, maybe here is where the hero decided, because of fate to change his whole life. In December 2016, my father was having minor surgery on the intestine, so after two years without being back home, decided to visit. The procedure was simple, apparently, yet the Moiras had a different thread to cut: my fathers on the 25th of the same month. I believe we as humans, live cycles which the only way to break them through is because an internal epiphany, or a external tragedy. The latter was the one which made me rethink and reconstruct myself and my goals in life. Soon after that. Back in Australia, lost because of the pain, decided to participate in a fitness competition coach by Benny Abstacker, an amazing friend with a God-like will, so I did. Because of the competition result in Australia was able to join the team to compete in Musclemania at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. That was also a great experience, which led me, after the event, to stay for a few in my layover destination, before returning to Sydney, which was LA. There, meet a friend called Tony Garza, who invited me to assist the only Spanish class Stella Adler Academy was giving yearly, at the time. The teacher giving the class was one of the finest called Elia Schneider, such honesty and heart, which alike to Shakespeare sonnet (116) within her bending sickle compass come, she indeed, was harsh and tough, only to polish you into becoming more than your own personality allow yourself to be. In that class, I decided to become an actor. Everything she said, I realized it was who I was without calling myself an actor, nor dedicating my time to being one. An actor is like anything in life, namely, how you see, feel, and allow yourself to be in life, what makes you be this or that. However, when I came back to Bondi, I was scared to apply to Stella Adler because they wouldn’t accept me. So, miraculously, came across, on Netflix a ten-episode series from a guy called Joseph Campbell. The graphics were almost archaic, yet when I heard him talk my soul felt this familiar feeling of sitting in a café, with him, and having the bliss of hearing him from firsthand. Felt he was talking to me. After I saw them all, bought the book, the hero of the thousand faces and jointly, decided to apply to the academy. They accepted me, so now. My next step was finishing the LLM, which was thwarted by my feeling of void after my father’s departure; now, I had something that would save me from my own. Acting, now, writing, even watching life through this lens is sensitive way to put yourself and heart out there, but it also allows you to see through the veil of people, so to ask yourself why they are who they are rather than the shallow analysis, which could be smart, but has no heart. Finished my LLM, went to LA, to Stella Adler, a place where the utmost human and individual peers, teachers, friends, brother and sisters in the path to self-knowledge and to artistic objectivity. They taught me so, so much. For the first time in my life, I was so stocked in learning, not for anyone else but myself; I was purging so many aspects of my past life and adjusting to the new cycle. They aided me to accept myself and to accept myself as a spiritual soul, who wants something more than just to pass away the time. Yet, they also taught me to enjoy and cherish these little things in life, from time in nature to waking up, raising, and drinking a glass. The eternal moment lies within these moments, which can pass through you or stay and impress you in such a way you are able to grasp their meaning, their why, the reason for words to be comprised by those sounds, or why we have the form and thrives we possess. All my teachers: Laura, Peter, Tim, Chris, Tim, Celio, Rick, Bonnie, Tracy and John, its principal. There is another teacher who I still have contact and who I consider my mentor and friend call Kennedy Brown, he helped me to let go of my fears (still working) and helped me through his movement class, now, and now with workshop in Mexico City, to let go my armor deepen my empathy and understanding of the human condition. Stella Adler Academy was the best experience I had in my life, I was so happy to be there, even though I was living in a nomad life, moving every other week, from airbnb’s to cheap motels, hostels. There was a place seventeen dollars the night, where I slept for ten days and moved to another hostel closer to the academy. In that spot, I had to shower around 4:50 am cos there was only one bathroom, and the people were around forty. I slept with my luggage with me and woke up as soon as I could, and took off to have some breakfast and read before starting school. I love being able to learn and study acting, of course I had my moments, yet the experience taught me so much. Made beautiful and amazing friends, who we are still in contact with, and share our journey albeit the geographic distance. Because of Vas, one of my dear friends, and brother that Stella gave me, was that I met Daniel, with whom we are cooking our first feature movie. During the eight months studying in LA, I ran out of money, even though the Academy was kind enough to provide me with a scholarship, which was given out more because of their warmth than my skills. In October of 2019 I came back to Argentina, spent some time with my mother, bonding learning piano, which got us closer until I went back to the US and on the birthday party of my brother Vasilije, met Daniel, with whom we had an amazing chat about life, philosophy and so many topics. That was our bonding time. Soon after that, Kennedy Brown, who was always in contact with me who kept my acting ignition during the difficult time of Covid, suggested me to live in Mexico City to achieve and obtain some experience so I could eventually return to LA and work whilst finishing my studies at Stella, which I intend to. In 2022, my professional acting career started, filled with conundrums, insecurities, and lessons. During that time, I met two friends, Munir and Nahuel, who helped me with their friendship and artistic vision and convictions. We them, by the end of that year we filmed a short film, which was the first project I was in, as a main, with whom I helped with the story and produced, as well. After that, went to the seacoast to recharge my artistic feeling, trusting that the salty air, the sound of waves and Emerson would aid me. They did, along with a call from Daniel, inviting me to collab with him in an anthology of stories, similarly, to the Argentinian movie wild tales. After I returned from the coast with Daniel with a weekly meeting, I have been writing, scratching, and learning a lot about how to write a script. With time we changed from a story within a story, to a short film, to a medium length film, to a now feature film. His trust bestowed in my work and will to thrive through our fears and moments of doubt has been truly inspiring for me and my beliefs as an artistic, which has always been so hard for me to perceive and believe I could live from doing such thing. Now, we shoot the teaser and continue to tinker the script that will be soon finished. So happy to team up with him, Siwei, our cinematographer, and Grace Amabile, and all her team here in Mexico, too, and actors like Antonio Monroi, who’s acting is inspiring. So happy to be the smallest person in the room when it comes to this experience, which means I will learn so much. That’s where I am now. Jointly, with my friend Max, from Stella, we are also cooking something for the future, which I know if I write here is the beginning, even though it has already started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I stated earlier, probably my self confidence in doing something other than a traditional path, which makes the hero, right? Financial aspects of being an artist, which makes this road bumpy, but also allows you to grow, meet people along the kilometers one walks.
The psychological aspect of being vulnerable, yet one needs to work and be a part of the whole, where one stands with all that. Only through experience and sensitivity one can be honest about what works for you and adjust. It’s very hard to be coherent, when one needs to live within two worlds (at least).
Where to stand regarding acting and writing as a job. One has the dream to join both passion and a conscious message with one’s work, but part of being humble and giving a service (that’s what a job is all about) is to aid the necessities of the people without judging but trying to use that magic one has to merge both concepts. It’s very hard many times, some less, for me, still a learning process, and I feel it will always be such.
The journey started, as they all do, unexpectedly and unconsciously, later with time one realizes that one is immersed in something call life, a journey, even the fact you have been living something you can call your way of life (or philosophy in living). Being the youngest in my family has its own features, like Arthur Miller will shrewdly points out about the position one is born into our families, even more if one is born, but with an age gap of nine, eleven and fourteen years, respectively with my other siblings. My family was comprised by my mother Maria Angelica; my father, Jorge; my brother Juan Manuel; my sister Martina; and my sister Lucia (in age order regarding my siblings). We are all from Argentina, which means we are from either Italian or Spanish (mostly) customs, really embedded in our society, which me make our own. The warm relations, speaking loudly, eating pasta on the weekends, and shouting a lot. When I was young and even up to today my family always provided me, helped me. Sometimes with things I didn’t want, something with the things I wanted. My friends, the same, a beautiful and amazing group, most of them we met when we were three years old, imagen the bond. I also feel that sharing school with most of them gave us this special connection that, alike to my family members, expresses itself, subtle in little daily things, namely, listening to a Toto track and remembering someone, going to the park and someone throws you a ball and you have these images, these memories that brings them back to present and you smile. The more I live out from Argentina, the more I cherish these moments and the more I dream about my family and them. Although, maybe, it’s not them but the project of them that I have, right? Well, born in Buenos Aires into a family where everyone studied something at university, the standard of being accepted by my father for a conversation was high. Reading Quevedo, Shakespeare, Borges, Mann. Both my parents worked; they were a lawyer and a notary, father and mother, respectively; my brother is a notary now, studying psychology (just for him); my sister Martina studied communication, with master’s degrees, yet she lives in England and is head in a hospital in Bristol, within the public health service, my other sister, Lucia, was a informatic engineer, but is a kundalini yoga teacher and works in tourism in Argentina. Therefore, ever since I was a kid, my family, through love and desiring for me the best future, made traditional education a big element in the equation of my personality, at least within Argentina. Moreover, the catholic upbrings provided me with a beautiful value and some other that I broke through with time (the famous compensation from Emerson).
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is to learn daily more about our human condition. I chose the arts to express, hopefully, the perception I have from us as human beings. Notwithstanding, the acting path and writing, at the moment, have helped me to organize my work into asking myself: why? I feel most of our necessity to express stem from the question of why we are alive. What does all this mean and the asking elevates oneself, and the answering makes that abstract urge a thing and, in a way, puts it down, although it’s necessary why to be communicated. The acting aspect is putting yourself into the service, through one’s love, to feel what it would be to be someone else. The utmost act of love one can does, I feel. Only by falling in love with your character is the way to grasp those details the mind skips. Kinda of like the person who loves you and sees way pass your way of eating chiken with your hands, while her friends can’t. That is the type of love one needs to have to be someone else; that’s acting for me. Regarding writing is more of a therapeutical way for me to express my life through the images of something, which appear to me without even knowing how, but the process of trusting that is my hero’s journey to discern what is truly worth telling, most of the times given to me, like a dream, rather than writing something to make me feel this or that. The result of writing something from the timeless realm (like Dylan Thomas would say), when you have the bless, is that you will see your own life expressing itself, by itself, with thinking to much about details nor nimble things. To achieve both a state is needed and to acquire such a state, daily, is the biggest and hardest challenge for an artist, yet know that those changes of mood in your everyday can be brought to your work, like Matthew Mconaughey says. It’s true. The proudest moment I have is when, by the end of the day, I have crossed all my daily duties and done them with everything I had, without overthinking it and accepting where I am at. That’s a tough one for me. I feel we are all individuals, and searching and finding that inner voice makes us who we are. However, I also believe that once you find it and keep asking and searching and deeping it, that same contradictory statement makes one be a part of something we all have in common and a message we all have access to, yet the path is yours only.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Organization, which stems from self-discipline, which is achieved when one has a clear goal, even if it moves, changes, at lest you have a place you want to be at. Making two magical things, one is faith, which bend the line of time. Why? Because when you have faith in what you do, you act in the present as if the future you have in mind is already happening, therefore, you bend the line of time into becoming a circle. Thus, the magic and connection one has with your inner universe and possibility to inspire others to do the same, hopefully. The other, like Aristoteles would say, is our final cause, which even though is the end, in the being is the first to express because it will order our actions, it will make us say no and therefore, pave our way into our Rome (our individuality). The other is the resilience to overcome your sensibility to self-indulging and to break through that comfortably numb feeling we all want to have, yet the only way to evolve is through sacrifice and that’s something I try to work with myself and battle every second of my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arturobonaparte_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fer.sanclemente
