Arden is a NewYork/Madrid-based Galician publicist who started out in the world of photography with innocent spontaneity: shooting actor Iván Pellicer
Lampoon presents Iván Pellicer
Iván Pellicer, born in 1997 in Murcia, located southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, is a young promise of Spanish cinema. He is mainly known for his roles in Paraíso – a science-fiction mystery series set back in the year 1992 – and Sagrada Familia – Spanish TV series whose plot revolves around two families and their secrets, released last October on Netflix.
Despite his appearances in major productions alongside actors well known to international audiences – Najwa Nimri, Alba Flores and Álvaro Rico, just to name a few – Pellicer is still in that stage where anything seems possible and the discovery of his talent, with all its facets and also its limits, goes hand in hand with the long journey of self-knowledge, as an actor and as a young man.
A touch of rebellion never killed nobody: Ivan Pellicer
Acting was not Pellicer’s childhood dream, but something that came much later when he found himself at that crossroads of opportunity which many of us face in that complicated phase of life where we are no longer kids, but we have not yet fully entered into adult life.
«I started acting almost by accident because I didn’t have a clear idea of what to do with my life. It was a sort of rebellious act because I didn’t want to conform to the system. But when I started acting I immediately felt very free and in the end I understood that it was the right path», Pellicer claims.
The desire not to follow an already traced path and the typical boldness of his age allowed him to be in the right place at the right time. His young but promising career is in fact the result of a mix of luck, audacity and, of course, talent. A talent that maybe he didn’t even think he had until he really put himself to the test.
Iván Pellicer’s points of references
Humility and awareness of one’s means are fundamental tools for anyone trying to make their way in a competitive and frenetic sector such as that of cinema. And Pellicer seems to know it very well: «I’m still at the beginning of my career and up to now it’s the screenplays which have chosen me, I haven’t had the opportunity to select roles yet. But when I accept a screenplay, I try to empathize as much as possible with the character I have to play, trying to get to the bottom of his soul and psyche, and understand his ideas, his path, and what drives him to make certain choices».
Javier Camara and Laia Costa serve as inspiration
It is no coincidence that his points of reference in the world of cinema are Javier Camara – who, over the course of his career, has been able to combine national and international productions and won a Goya award for La vida es facil con los ojos serrados (2013) – and Laia Costa – known internationally for the film Victoria (2015) and for the Sky Original tv series Diavoli (2020), where she starred alongside Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey.
He admires Costa’s special approach to acting, in which he sees a bit of the rebellion which got him started in film. «I like the way she plays her characters. I see myself a lot in her free and rebellious spirit and in her unique way of expressing herself. As for directors, I would love to work with Xavier Dolan».
Secret Softness by Arden
Pellicer’s sensitive side also emerges from the shots by Arden – Galician photographer and creative director born in 1990 – who produced a photographic editorial called Secret Softness for Lampoon Magazine. «Working with Arden was wonderful, she is very professional. She knew exactly what she wanted and I let myself be guided by her experience but also by her confidence. I felt very comfortable in front of the camera», he says.
Secret softness talks about how sometimes we have to force ourselves to seem cold and rude because of the violent and rough world we live in, a topic that Pellicer feels very close to, given the growing media exposure he is experiencing and the difficulties it entails.
«Tenderness and vulnerability are not negative character traits, it’s quite the opposite, but there are people who don’t know how to appreciate them and mistake them for weakness. Sometimes we feel obliged to protect ourselves by wearing a neutral mask which does not reveal too much about us».
Iván Pellicer on his hopes for the future
Pellicer is learning step by step how to navigate this wonderful – but sometimes cruel – world. Despite his young age, he has sufficient maturity to understand that fame can be petty and fickle, and thus it is necessary to remain firmly anchored to one’s values.
«To this day I think I’m handling my fame very well, I don’t have that much exposure yet, but I know that if it grows I might feel more vulnerable to people’s opinion. I’m going to prepare myself for this, I’m learning little by little to be myself and to create boundaries between the private and public spheres», he asserts.
Despite the work commitments – which will certainly increase over time – Pellicer would like to maintain an inner, carving out private moments in which to be in contact with nature, away from the frenzy of everyday life. Career-wise, he has just finished shooting the second season of Sagrada Familia, a project that has marked him as an actor and as a person.
Pellicer hopes to continue to tell stories which inspire him and others, and perhaps give voice to movements or ideas which otherwise would struggle to emerge. The vulnerable, but in some ways confident gaze that pierces Arden’s shots is reflected in the actor’s candid words and in that uncertainty and delicate innocence typical of his age, which are not a fault, but a blessing.
Iván Pellicer
Iván Pellicer is a Spanish actor, born in 1997. He is best known for his role as Marqués in Paraíso. He recently starred in the Netflix series Sagrada familia.
Photography Arden and styling Manuel Angel Méndez Díaz
Credits:
Photography: Arden @arden__arden
Styling: Manu Mendi @stylistbymendi
Stylist assistant: Raul Gonzalez @raulgonzaalez
Talents: Iván Pellicer @ivanpellicer from @antonio_abeledo
Art Direction: Uri Serra @uriwithouth & Josefina Maiza @dysomnia.studio
Production: Zerek Green from Zerek Studio @zergreen from @zerek_studio
Production assistant: Miguel Braña @miguel.brana @zerek_studio
Photo Assistant: Alex Garcia @alexgarciaok
Second photo assistant: Paula Robles @_pecadocarnal
Make Up: Gato @gato.makeup from @kasteelartistmanagement
Hair Stylist: Fernando Torrent @torrentfernando from @anotherartistsagency
Retouch: @studioeerie
Agnese Torres
