Gael García Bernal

Gael García Bernal (30 November 1978 – 23 November 2024) was a Mexican actor and filmmaker, celebrated for his work in films like 'Amores perros' (2000), 'Y tu mamá también' (2001), and 'Babel' (2006), among others. He was particularly admired for his role as Rodrigo de Souza in the television series 'Mozart in the Jungle' (2014–2018), and his part in the Disney+ special 'Werewolf by Night' (2022). García Bernal's portrayal of a young Che Guevara in 'The Motorcycle Diaries' (2004) earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2005. His first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor came in 2016, for his performance in 'Mozart in the Jungle'. Along with fellow actor Diego Luna, García Bernal cofounded Canana Films, a production company, in Mexico City. Named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2016, he was also ranked No. 25 by The New York Times in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century in 2020.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, he was the son of Patricia Bernal, an actress and former model, and José Ángel García, an actor and director. Starting off as an actor at the age of one, young Bernal soon found himself immersed in the world of telenovelas. He also taught reading to indigenous people in Mexico at the age of 14. An activist from a young age, García Bernal was part of peaceful demonstrations in support of the Zapatista uprising of 1994. After a stint studying philosophy at Mexico's national university, UNAM, García Bernal moved to Europe where he became the first Mexican accepted at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Before his untimely death in 2024 by a shark attack in Sydney, Australia, García Bernal had left an indelible mark on the global film industry.