André Lamoglia

Throughout our conversation, the theme of gratitude was unwavering, melodically coxed back to the root of his passion, his craft, his family. Describing his brother as his biggest inspiration, it was immediately clear that André’s home is where his heart is, no matter where he is filming in the world. In fact, it was his brother - an actor himself - who sparked the performing fire that burns within André today. A once hopeful tennis player as a child, when times get tough, André describes how sport offers a sense of solace in escaping the stress of the world. André promised him and I would play together one day…I’ll hold him to that!

Best known for his portrayal of Iván in season 5 of the acclaimed series Elite, a young man embroiled in a battle between his head and his heart, André’s journey on the show has not only taught him things about himself but has offered others a sense of direction and guidance also. André reveals how fans have reached out to thank him for his delicate approach to Iván’s story; a testament to André’s commitment to his craft and characters. As season 6 of Elite soon approaches, André reveals he believes it’s the best season yet.

As we delve into a discussion about André’s journey to the here and now, we reflect on the highlights of his career thus far, and the difficulties he faces as a public figure. Yet, in spite of the plights that arise with the cost of fame, André’s impenetrable ability to separate himself from his career, surrounding himself with his family and friends like a fort of armoured reality, carries him through.

It’s easy to get lost in the chaos of it all, but André Lamoglia has found his rightful place. His grateful, endearing and down-to-earth attitude to life is a refreshing reminder that lust for life begins at home, as ‘happiness is the simple things in the world’.

'Elite' Season 6 airs on Netflix November 18th 2022.

Let's start at the beginning. What makes André, André?
That’s a hard question, I feel like I don't know who I am really. I am just a person that always tries to be myself, doing what I love. I really love my job, it means so much to me, and being with my family and my friends - the simple things in life, that’s what makes me happy. Being an actor is truly the best thing. I have a sentence I love, they’re lyrics from Armandinho - a musician in Brazil - that I always like to say because they really do represent me a lot. The words mean ‘happiness is in the simple things in the world’, and I believe that a lot.

Who are your greatest inspirations?
I always say my brother, he is an actor in Brazil too. I started my career because of him. He's older than me, so he started his career before I did. Growing up I was always with him, going to the theatre, and watching him perform. Because of him, I asked my parents to put me in an acting class, and that’s when I realised I loved it too, so he's a person that inspired me. He's always looking to improve, to not only act but to even write some scripts, so he's always trying to be better. I want to be like him.

I'm sure he'd really love to hear that.
For sure, he means a lot to me and I know he knows I’m grateful to him for everything.

You portray Iván in Season 5 of the acclaimed series Elite, what has the experience been like so far?
It's definitely one of the most amazing and significant TV shows I’ve been a part of in my career so far. It’s very different from any of the movies and the other shows I’ve done before, so it was a big challenge for me at first. I really had to adapt how I act and approach the script in a different way, so I’ve definitely grown as an actor. I really love it because it’s given me a lot more opportunities to show more of what I can do and show a different side of myself. Every day I’m just so grateful.

What do you remember about your first day on set?
I started in season 5 of the series, and I already knew it was a big TV show so I was trying not to think about it too much because I didn’t want to let it overwhelm me. I just tried to treat it as just another job, ‘let's do it’ kinda thing. I didn’t want to go in constantly thinking about the fact it's a famous TV show because I really didn’t want it to affect my acting. Of course, I was a bit nervous because it was a new job and I cared a lot about it, but when I started, I was just filled with so much excitement and felt so good about it because I was working with actors I had a good relationship with already. That definitely helped me a lot in the beginning.

Have you always wanted to be an actor?
No, actually. When I was a kid, I started to play tennis at about 7 years old, and I really wanted to be a tennis player. I loved it and I still love it a lot. I think I was about 10 or 11 when I started to compete properly and that’s when I really decided I was going to become a professional tennis player. I played a lot until I was about 14, and that’s when I started acting classes because of my brother, and it pretty much changed my life. Part of me still wishes I was a professional tennis player though, maybe one day I will be!

When you first read the script for Elite, how did you go about becoming Iván?
So when I first received the script, I had to read it all and set the scene for Iván and discover all the important things about him and his story. What helped me a lot to get into character is to play music and setting the mood of the scenes I’m reading. I've always tried to be in a mood for the scene before I'm going on set, so if it’s a sad scene I’d play sad music, you know? It definitely helps me concentrate a lot more and it definitely helped when I was first trying to become Iván.

You share a lot of scenes with Manu Rios [Patrick]. Have you learnt anything from your co-star?
I’ve learnt so much. I don't remember any tips specifically, but when I’m acting with a talented and focused actor like Manu, we all learn. Manu is so so good, he’s always so focused and he always wants to help you if you need it. We work really well together, and we always discuss scenes and say ‘let's try this’. He’s always open-minded and happy to try different things, so it’s really great to act with someone like him and I love it.

Has portraying Iván taught you anything about yourself?
Yeah, for sure. I also feel incredibly humbled and grateful when someone messages me and tells me that Iván’s story has helped them a lot. The fact it’s me on the TV show, telling that story is pretty crazy and I love it. For me though, Iván really taught me how to deal and cope in situations I haven’t been in yet. I will probably never find myself in all the same situations as Iván, but if I do, I will know how to deal with them. I think it’s just really cool I can help people through my acting. It’s something I never really expected, but I am so grateful for it.

What are your hopes for Iván in season 6?
You know, it's actually hard to say anything really specific because we always have high hopes for our character but I think for me - I don't know about anyone else - it's one of the best seasons. I hope so, anyway. I may be wrong, but I don't think so. I really think everyone will love it. Iván goes through a lot of new things, and it shows a whole new side of him I think people will enjoy so I’m excited for everyone to see it.

How do you balance your public life and your personal life?
It's really important for me to separate my real life and my job. So things that have helped me a lot on days I am not working are doing personal things like being with my family and my friends. Almost all of my friends don't work within the industry I do, so they’re not like ‘public figures’. That's definitely helped me to separate my personal life and not get caught up in the world of the industry I am in. With Instagram for example, for me, I post the things I like and it feels like people like the stuff that I like and the things that I do, so that makes me happy. I never think to myself ‘Oh, I'm famous. I have a lot of fans’ and it’s so important to me to be realistic, focusing mainly on my friends and family – the things I truly enjoy. I want to show people who I am, not who my character is. I want to always stick to my roots, and I hope I always do.

Is it hard at times?
Yeah, because I have some things I don't want to show the world. I sometimes see stuff that isn’t true online and that’s the difficult part about it for sure. But I know that is part of my job and I think I am quite good at balancing everything. Sometimes it's not easy, but for me, it's not a problem.

Do you consider yourself an emotional person? How do you keep in touch with your emotions?
Yeah, I'm definitely an emotional person. I’m not emotional in the fact that I cry a lot or get overwhelmed easily, but I’d consider myself a highly emotional person, especially with the people I love. When I have to be far from my friends and family when I'm working, that makes me feel low. So in this case, you know, I’m really considerate about what I do to keep myself happy. I love to play sports, so I try to keep really active by playing tennis or going to the beach, it helps me to work out my problems.

What advice would you give to other young Brazilian guys who want to become an actor like you?
Go for it, it is not easy, but nothing in life is always easy. If you want to do it, go for it, study, keep going, and keep trying. It's not easy to get there, but if you love it, never give up.

Have you had an ‘I’ve made it moment’ yet?
When I did my first TV show, Juacas, it was nominated for an Emmy and we almost won. I was the main character and only 18, so I was so happy. When I went to the awards and saw my photo on the boards when I saw my photo in the theatres, I started to think, ‘Okay, I really am an actor, and I love it.’ Even when I did my first theatre performance with people watching me, I think I then started to realise that ‘yes, I am here, this is real’.

What was your favourite memory from your time in Juacas?
I think honestly it was one of the best times in my life because it was my first job, my first big job on TV. I was so happy because I was in amazing places, we were shooting in Brazil, we were shooting all over. Some days we were working on the beach which was so beautiful, and I was working with such nice people doing what I love for Disney, a huge company in the world. So I think everything was so perfect, you know? I was living the dream. I only have good memories of it.

What is a passion of yours outside of acting?
I'm so connected with nature here – the ocean, the rainforests. I always want to stay connected with the natural world around me. I always try to raise awareness about pollution, climate change and damage to the environment because this is our world and that's so important. I learnt this when I was a child because I was always connected. The problem isn’t just in Brazil, everywhere you go it’s there. I went to the Maldives and I really loved it but what we see in the pictures all looks perfect with clean blue water and blue skies. But if you turn the camera around, you're going to see a lot of plastic bottles and plastic bags in the water which is the same as so many other places. It’s so sad when you think about what everywhere could look like, but it doesn’t because of pollution. So if you don't care, in the future it’s going to be a big problem. So that's what I try to show when I talk about it.

Where in the world do you feel most at home?
A lot of people ask me, ‘where do you live?’ I don't know how to answer, maybe in an aeroplane because I'm always travelling. So right now I’m Rio and my home is here. But over the past few years, apart from during COVID, I was travelling to other countries more than I was here, and I do love it although I do miss my family and friends. I love it because things are always changing going to another place, another country. But I think here will always have my heart.

What do you find most difficult about being an actor?
I think it’s the fact that nothing is guaranteed, it's not consistent work. I’m working now on a TV show, but I don't know what the future looks like after this, I don't know about tomorrow.

What is the goal for the rest of 2022?
I hope to be healthy, my family and friends are healthy, and I can continue doing what I love. It’s as simple as that.