Max Álvarez de Guisa

Max Álvarez was a television, radio, and film actor who had acting in his blood, as he was the son of the excellent Cuban actor Pedro Álvarez. He knew how to pass on those same genes to his son, Fabián Brando, who also pursued acting and managed to share scenes with him on the small screen.

From childhood, life's circumstances led him to the television studios since he accompanied his father to the recordings of soap operas and the memorable program Miércoles de Regalías.

However, that was also his greatest sorrow during childhood and adolescence, as he had conflicting feelings and low self-esteem because when people saw him everyone would tell him: "this is Pedro Álvarez's son". Despite this, he always insisted to his father that he take him to an audition as a pilot and never succeeded, which he asserted was one of his great defeats during his life.

When he finished his pre-university studies, he had not defined a career; then an acting school opened at the Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión, directed by Alejando Lugo.
He enrolled there and when he told his father, he affirmed that he was not going to exert any influence to get him accepted. He was among the chosen ones, along with Yolanda Ruiz and Irela Bravo, among others.

He made his debut in the telenovela Una casa en el campo, directed by Maité Vera, which led him to achieve popularity while still very young, as it was one of the most-watched television melodramas of its time.

Later Max did some radio work, but when he finished acting school he received the call to join the Mandatory Military Service. At that time the Conjunto Artístico de las FAR emerged and he immediately became part of it. He was in this important Cuban group for 14 years.

During his time in the Conjunto Artístico de la FAR, acting and directing, he acquired much experience, having even done bufo theater. They took these shows to military units.

When he left the ensemble, he moved to the Bertolt Brecht theater group, under the direction of Miriam Lezcano, and later joined, under the direction of Alberto Pedro, the Teatro Mío group.

In 1991 he joined television, where he starred in Como un sol de fuego. He also acted in the adventure El espía, and later in several teleplays, adventures, and theatrical productions. He participated in the telenovelas: Algo más que soñar and La frontera del deber.

He was proud when talking about acting with his family in the play Una esquina rota, written by his brother Alex and directed by his father. He said emotionally that he loved theater the way his father loved it and believed he had comedic talent.

Humberto Solás called him to cinema to work in Un hombre de éxito, and he also made El siglo de las luces. Additionally, he participated in Cuban-Spanish co-productions such as Bailando con Margot.

He was also part of the cast of the films: Al filo de la navaja, Robinson Crusoe, and Cabinda. Very recently he worked in the film Las cuatro estaciones en La Habana, based on the tetralogy of the award-winning Cuban writer Leonardo Padura.

Since 2017 he requested his retirement, although he continued participating from time to time in some telenovelas and teleplays.

Last year, in an interview given to a Cuban media outlet, he commented: "You see, I wasn't a pilot, but I have been a good actor".