Blanca Portillo’s latest play, 'Barroco', which premiered recently in Bilbao, marks the close of a highly successful chapter in the actress’ life, in which she has been nominated for Best Actress by the Union of Actors for her role in this play. Her fellow cast member Asier Etxeandia was nominated for Best Actor.

-Which projects have had the most profound effect on you?

-My first ever project, when I was fresh out of school, with José Luis Gómez, helped me to make the leap into this profession. It affected me on a personal level because the character carried with it a great deal of responsibility and I was just a child at the time; it made me think about this profession in a very different way. And another key project in my career was when I went to Argentina to make 'El hijo del aire', with Jorge Lavelli, because that also changed my life.

-You are one of the most versatile actresses in Spain.  Do you like to turn your hand to everything?

- If you just focus on one facet, either in terms of genres or types of characters, you're wasting your time.  Although the Jack of all trades is master of none, as the saying goes, I strive to be extremely meticulous in everything I do.  I try and expand my knowledge and continue to learn, because otherwise I’d get so bored!

-They say that you have a knack for choosing good characters.  How do you go about choosing your next project?

-When I read through a project, it has to make me think, move me, make me ask questions.  I've never understood people who just accept things as they are.  I always work with people who really care about what they do. I also tend to go for projects that have social connotations so that I have to stand on stage and convey something to the people out there so whoever sees the play also sees something of themselves in it.

-So you're not a conformist then?

-Absolutely not. I hate it when the director says “ok, that'll do”.  You always have to take it as far as you can and really care about what you are doing.

-Have you ever felt intimidated by a character?

-Yes.  That happened with 'La hija del aire'.  As soon as I read the script, which said she was a kind of semi-goddess who represented rage personified, I thought: those are some awfully big boots to fill.  It was a huge endeavour from me, really hard work. For that role, I had to work with everything an actor has both physically and emotionally: voice, body, soul...

-Did you like play acting when you were a child?

-We did a bit of play acting but I never thought that it could one day become my job.  In fact, when I started studying, I realised that what I was doing was in some ways a lot like what I did when I was a little girl with my brothers and sisters.  But I was always more of a storyteller.  At school, I always had my classmates gathered round listening to my stories.

-You began your career when you were very young.  How have you managed to keep going?

-Through passion.  It's very easy to get discouraged along the way.  What has kept me going is the fact that I love what I do; it fascinates me.  It's the only thing that I don't ever seem to tire of in life.  Although it is also true that I have been extremely lucky.

-Luck always plays an important part.

-Absolutely. Although I believe more in hard work than in luck, but obviously you have to be on the platform just as the train is passing.  You can't go home and think that it'll come to you; you have to go to the station and spend days and nights there until the train arrives.  It's tough but....

-Are you afraid of failure?
-For me, failure would mean having to earn a living doing something else.  I'm very afraid that might happen, which is why I always try to be on form, make sure I am well prepared and do my very best so that they will let me stay.  I’m not afraid of doing a project and its turning out badly, because there's always a chance that I might get it wrong.