Late Netflix star Jose de la Torre revealed the timeless tragic tale that inspired him to perform

Following the death of Spanish actor José de la Torre last week, Ny Breaking.com looks back at the artist’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 Digitalthey had published an extensive question and answer session with the actor on September 30, 2019.

In the interview, De la Torre – who said in June that he was battling a “serious illness” – talked about the classic work that inspired him to pursue a career on 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,” referring to William Shakespeare’s tragic 16th-century story.

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 in the beginning.”

“I was a kid 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 it was the feeling that I identified with many of the characters I admired that made me gravitate towards acting rather than some other artistic discipline.”

De la Torre was best known for his three-year run on the Netflix thriller Toy Boy from 2019-2021

The actor, who has also appeared in TV shows such as Amar es para siempre and Vis a Vis: El Oasis, said that after completing his collegiate entrance exams he “didn’t really know where to look” in his professional future.

“I thought about studying 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. ‘Then I realized that I had made the right choice, that I would like to be an actor.’

It was at the ESAD in 2008 where De la Torre found a connection with Romeo and Juliet, which ignited his acting passions.

“When I went to ESAD, I was the only one in my class who had never been in a company or had not performed a play before in college or high school,” de la Torre said. ‘The first time I recited a text in front of an audience was for the school entrance exams, but I felt like 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 the fact that I have had great teachers who have made me love and respect this profession is one of the best gifts I take from it.”

In the chat, de la Torre explained how he studied the profession of performing arts; and the most important lessons he learned early in his training.

“My training started in the field of text interpretation and that’s where you realize that in this world you have to be as versatile as possible,” de la Torre said. ‘Perfection does not exist in this profession, but hard work, dedication and commitment do.

‘And those factors make the difference. Do your best to do everything as well as possible and have all possible resources available to put them at the service of the project.’

De la Torre played the role of Iván in 21 episodes of the Netflix series Toy Boy

The actor started performing for over ten years before he managed to land the role

He said in the 2019 interview that he was proud of “all” the work he had done leading up to his hiatus from Netflix production.

“It may sound like a cliché, but it’s the truth,” de la Torre said. ‘From a small performance in the classroom, to a workshop at school, to a micro-theatre, to a dramatized lecture, a musical, a series… I have been happy with it all.’

The actor went into detail about the complicated casting gauntlets he had to complete to land the role of Iván in Toy Boy.

“There were several tests over six months,” he said. ‘When I made the first one, I didn’t even know what it was for, but I like it that way. I went with nothing in mind: I just let myself go into each of the scenes or tests they presented to me.

“And until I knew I was selected, I didn’t say anything to anyone. And just imagine: that day I cried while hugging my grandmother.”

He added, “Preparation for the series took six months and filming eight, so it’s been more than a year into this first season.”