Rubén Cortada Awarded at International Festival

November 19, 2024

Cuban actor Rubén Cortada was awarded this Sunday with the Luz Prize during the 50th edition of the Iberoamerican Film Festival of Huelva. This award recognizes him as one of the emerging talents in Iberoamerican audiovisual media and applauds his participation in outstanding television productions in Spain and Latin America.

The ceremony took place at the Gran Teatro de Huelva, where the actor joined other honored figures at this edition, such as Paz Vega and María León, according to the Efe agency.

"It is an honor to receive this award for my work, it is a gift that Huelva gives me, a city that I have been in love with since the filming of Operación Barrio Inglés," Cortada said upon receiving the recognition.

Prior to the award presentation, the actor participated in the "Encuentros" space, where he reflected on his career and dedicated the prize to his colleagues: "I leave everything for trying to be an actor, and I receive this award with great responsibility for the profession and for my colleagues," he stated.

Likewise, the actor, who started in Spain as a model, highlighted that his efforts are aimed at improving his craft. "I am in the process of becoming a better actor, convinced that the only way to earn respect is to work and learn."
Press Meeting with Luz Prize Winner Rubén Cortada

Cortada shared how his love for acting was born, inspired by films such as Carne trémula, Memorias del Subdesarrollo, and Fresa y Chocolate: "A thorn got stuck in me," he confessed. Additionally, he emphasized the role of cinema as a mirror of society: "Cinema is the reflection of society, through cinema I can see local stories from distant places. It is the bloodstream on both sides."

With this recognition, at age 40 Rubén Cortada consolidates his position as one of the most promising figures in the Iberoamerican audiovisual landscape.
Rubén's Story: From Cuba to Spain

The artist was born in 1984 on the Isle of Youth and began practicing sports from a young age, however it was not to the tennis courts that he directed his future. Cortada was finishing his degree as an engineer when he decided to emigrate to Spain. There he worked as a model for the first years. Gradually, he became known and collaborated with brands such as Guess, Custo Barcelona, and Jean Paul Gaultier. At the same time he handed out flyers and worked in other jobs like any other migrant.

However, his aspiration was to be able to act professionally. He had already begun taking his first steps in acting in Cuba with a theater group for amateur actors, directed by Humberto Rodríguez. On the island he acted in two stage productions and yearned to develop himself in Spain, but Rubén did not anticipate that his accent would be the main obstacle to his career.

Rubén Cortada, the Actor Who Succeeded in Spain and Got Trapped in Cuba

It was not until 2011 that he landed his first role on Iberian soil. He appeared in the series Bandolera and two years later in El tiempo entre costuras, although with small roles. He was still struggling to speak less "Cuban." His origin earned him "no's" in several auditions, such as in the television adaptation of the novel La reina del sur.

In 2014 came the biggest opportunity of his career up to that point. He was chosen for a leading role in the police series El Príncipe, where he played Faruq Ben Barek, a dangerous drug trafficker of Arab origin. With this role Rubén made the covers of the main Spanish media outlets.