Gael García Bernal

Gael García Bernal is a Mexican actor, director, and producer whose work has contributed to the evolution of international cinema. Born into a family of performers—his mother an actress and model, his father an actor and director—García Bernal began acting at a young age, spending his early years in Mexican telenovelas before attending the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where he became the first Mexican student admitted. His formal training and lifelong immersion in performance established the foundation for a diverse career in film and television.

García Bernal gained international recognition with his performance in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Amores Perros," a film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He followed with Alfonso Cuarón's "Y tu mamá también," which became one of the highest-grossing Spanish-language films in the United States. Subsequent roles included the conflicted Father Amaro in "El crimen del Padre Amaro," Che Guevara in "The Motorcycle Diaries"—earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role—and a central role in Pedro Almodóvar's "Bad Education." His work in Alejandro González Iñárritu's ensemble drama "Babel" further established his reputation for versatility in global cinema.

On television, García Bernal received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of conductor Rodrigo De Souza in Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle." He also appeared in the HBO Max miniseries "Station Eleven" and starred in Marvel Studios' "Werewolf by Night" for Disney+. His voice performance as Héctor in Pixar's Academy Award-winning animated film "Coco" introduced him to a broad audience. He has also starred in the biographical drama "Cassandro" and played the title role in the historical film "Magellan," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected as the Philippines' official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Beyond acting, García Bernal is recognized as a filmmaker and cultural advocate. He co-founded Canana Films with Diego Luna and helped launch the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, which brings documentary cinema to communities across Mexico. He created the Amnesty International short documentary series "Los Invisibles," highlighting the experiences of Central American migrants, and received the Washington Office on Latin America's Human Rights Award for this work. García Bernal has been named among Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World and The New York Times' 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. He was appointed Officer of the French Legion of Honor by the French government. García Bernal continues to work as both a producer and actor, contributing to the film and television industries worldwide.