OCS Newsletter - December 27th of 2023 Edition
La Casa de Papel Padre Vincent
An OCS Newsletter Special - THE NEWSLETTER HEIST
Ladies, gentlemans and Halo Bearers of all (or no) genders:
THE OCS NEWSLETTER HAS BEEN HIJACKED.
Over the past year, the OCS Newsletter, run by Adrienne and Pietra has been an endless source of information and entertainment, campaign updates, media mentions and fandom news. Doing everything in their power to keep Halo Bearers fed with Warrior Nun content and projects, this newsletter has gained a life of its own and has become an institution we all learned to love and appreciate.
That was until Christmas day… When the newsletter got hijacked by us after its editors turned to Reya’s side, the evil side, and decided to cause utter chaos (by the ways of trying to vote Father Vincent out of the “Best Warrior Nun Character Poll”).
After a very intense investigation and nerve wracking battle, we, at the Order of Father Vincent, have managed to take control of the Newsletter and aim to return it to its original glory.
With our newfound power, The OFV is pleased to present a very special edition to celebrate one year of the OCS Newsletter…
Investigation by
@coeurdinosaur @ufcfan4life2 @movie_phan @ocsnewsletter @FantØt @cohoshThe @lennapo
Of Thieves and Bandits
In the months leading up to and following the release of Warrior Nun Season 2 in November 2022 Tristán Ulloa was busy filming his newest show, Berlín.
The amazing actor, responsible for bringing to life our beloved Father Vincent has kindly agreed to yet another interview with the new and improved OCS Newsletter to answer Halo Bearer questions about his newest project.
Make sure to check out Berlín streaming on Netflix on December 29th, 2023.
OCS Newsletter:
Do viewers need to watch (Netflix) La Casa de Papel / Money Heist series to understand Berlín?
Tristán Ulloa:
Not at all. BERLÍN makes sense on its own: it’s another story, with other characters, and has a lighter tone with a touch of romantic comedy. Even Berlín’s character is in a previous and different stage to LA CASA DE PAPEL. Although, there are still some nods that the hardcore fans will get right away. They are two galaxies inside the same universe
OCS:
Can you explain a little about the series in your own words?
Tristán:
It tells a story before the events in LA CASA DE PAPEL, a lighter time for Berlín, when he had his own gang. There’s no economic motivation for the robbery, but rather a more playful and romantic one. The heist is a great excuse to get to know the characters and how they understand love. Every single one of the members of the gang goes through an emotional moment that, sometimes, can put at risk the group’s work
OCS:
What kind of character is Damián and what input did you have in developing his character?
Tristán:
Damián is a Physics professor at college. He’s Berlin’s best friend, they’ve known each other for a long time, and he’s the only one who can talk one-on-one with him, calls him by his real name, and he’s the only one who speaks the truths that the other ones won’t dare. Damián is pragmatic, conscientious, and critical of everything he does, but, at the same time, he’s hopeless with personal relationships, and he lacks any kind of tool to help him handle moments that he hasn’t had to go through before
OCS:
Damián seems like he will add a bit of fun to Berlin. How difficult is adding comedic timing to your acting?
Tristán:
Comedy fascinates me, even if it is a genre that I’ve moved around less than I would have liked during my career. There’s nothing forced here. Comedy comes up from very specific situations where Damián finds himself involved. As I said before, Damián is a newbie when it comes to some aspects of life, and, with him being a mature man, that can be even funny. With Damián, comedy goes hand in hand with his drama. I like men with shortcomings, flaws, and clumsiness; someone who can collapse at any given moment. That’s what makes us human and recognizable to the people watching. That is where the empathy of the audience towards these characters comes from.
OCS:
La Casa de Papel has a large fanbase with an already-established universe. How did that change the way you approached playing Damián?
Tristán:
It changed nothing. For me, every character is a blank page and I never let any expectations or outside pressure hamper my creative process. An artist has to be honest and committed to their work, not with the idea of what others might have of them or their expectations. You have to take risks and get out of your comfort zone, that’s what I like most about my profession. You can’t expect to be liked by everyone. To approach your work honestly is also a way to appeal to a public that will know how to appreciate you not choosing the easiest way.
OCS:
If you can, could you share one of your favorite on-set filming moments from the show?
Tristán:
The beautiful thing about this production is that every day has been more stimulating than the one before. I’ve had the feeling of making several movies inside a single story. I’ve enjoyed it as an actor, but also as a viewer, and that’s something that does not always happen. We move inside the adventure genre in the purest Spielberg style, which goes together very well with romantic comedy. Inside that range, we have filmed very different things: chasings, heists, romantic situations, passionate ones, and moments of great camaraderie. It’s very difficult for me to point to a specific moment without spoiling something. Maybe, we will need to talk about this in a following conversation, after the viewers have seen the whole show.
OCS:
What was one of the most difficult moments to film, either emotionally or physically?
Tristán:
We were filming for almost a month in a set that reproduced the catacombs of Paris. I remember that it was around December/January of last year. It was really cold and humid, and half the team got sick, myself first. Then, you see it on screen and it’s a lot shorter, but those were several difficult weeks of shooting. I’d rather let the viewers see the emotional scenes for themselves. There were days very demanding
OCS:
What is an understated moment that we should look for?
Tristán:
It’s difficult to answer this question while the show still hasn’t premiered. I like some of the more intimate scenes; the one-to-one scenes, where Damián can share the moment with another partner, as well as the ones where he’s alone with his own situation, and a couple of phone conversations that I hope won’t leave the viewer indifferent.
OCS:
In addition to being an actor, you are credited as being a director and a writer in your career. What about the production of Berlín stood out to you the most?
Tristán:
The search for excellence in absolutely all departments. There’s been a self-imposed exigency, a desire for improvement that I’ve barely seen in other productions. Vancouver is known for a catchphrase: “Bigger than life”. Not in vain, it has been the first Spanish production company to win an Emmy for LA CASA DE PAPEL. It was a milestone. They broke a ceiling that, creatively, allowed us to risk more, and dream bigger.
OCS:
How does working on large productions like Berlin affect the way you engage with your own projects on film or on stage?
Tristán:
When you already have a certain amount of experience, you know that productions of this kind of level are scarce, but you can get used to it in a bad way. Your level of commitment has to be the same, no matter the job. No matter the level of production; what you do on your own will be what will talk about your work and yourself as a professional. An actor with little commitment may lie in a big production for a while but, sooner or later, the trick will be revealed. However, when it comes to a committed actor, you can see that commitment over several different works, and it will shine especially in small productions
OCS:
Can we hope for a blooper reel for Berlín?
Tristán:
I hope so. Imagine how many bloopers we can get after filming for 9 months.
OCS:
In a press promotional video Pedro Alonso, who plays the titular character Berlín, mentions that you have known each other for many years. How did that friendship assist in filming these two characters?
Tristán:
Pedro and I have known each other since we were 15. We did theater together back at high school in Vigo, a little coastal city in Galicia. Our first play was an adaptation of a traditional Galician tale, where Pedro played a scarecrow and I was a cricket. We had a scene together that had a touch of existentialism. I remember barely having a voice because of how nervous I was. Around that time, Pedro had already more traits of an actor than myself, and I was just starting, more as a therapy than because of vocation. We’ve been meeting each other over the years, but we just happened to meet at a shooting once, and we didn’t even have to interact [Continues]
OCS:
In a press promotional video Pedro Alonso, who plays the titular character Berlín, mentions that you have known each other for many years. How did that friendship assist in filming these two characters?
Tristán:
[continuation] And here we are now, playing two characters metaphorically similar to those we played that first time when we were teenagers. Berlín the scarecrow and Damián the cricket (the conscience). Obviously, we’ve got some ground covered when it comes to complicity, and I think that’s something that shows in several scenes.
OCS:
You have a wide range of characters you have performed over the years, on film and stage. If there was one you would love to talk to again, to speak to in the mirror again, which one would it be?
Tristán:
I find it really difficult to choose one. Obviously, there are a lot of them that I have already forgotten, and it’s good that it happened. When you’re young, sometimes you do things that you might not be that proud later on. The same thing happens with the characters. Right now, I’m more conscious during the process of creating a character, but I never let go of my intuition. I think I’m in a moment where I could argue with any of the ones I’ve played in the last 10 years, and there are more than a few. I feel like Tristán understands them, even if he doesn’t always agree with them. I also feel that any of them could refute any decision that I made for them back then. Luckily, I have the last word.
OCS:
For the Warrior Nun fans, what is something you look forward to during the London Halo Bearer Convention in February? Is this your first fan convention?
Tristán:
It will be my first convention. I was invited before to some others that I declined. There’s something in my personality that it’s heavily against overexposure. I feel like I don’t know how to handle myself at that kind of event. I’m a very shy person who manages to enjoy acting in front of a camera or being on a stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people, but always hiding behind a character. People usually mistake shyness (and some panic attacks) with arrogance or pride, and that’s why I started to go to just strictly necessary [events].
In this case its different. I’m very grateful to a group of people that I don’t know in person but that have done nothing else but support me and accompany me in this journey for some time already, always with the best of energies. I feel like I have to give them something back. And I’ll gladly do it. I only ask for a little bit of patience with me: It’s been a while since I’ve spoken in English and I feel a bit rusty. It’s not even my second language; I’m bilingual in Spanish-French. In Spain, for the people of my generation, English has always been an unresolved matter. I picked it up again just a few years ago when I started working in more English-speaking productions.
It’s never too late.