From Winter Issue 60
Glass talks to up and coming Spanish actor Carla Tous about her breakthrough role in the latest adventures of the furry marmalade devotee, Paddington in Peru
Carla Tous has been busy. Since starring in the bullying-themed drama Cowards, she’s run amok at a Spanish college taking dance classes, stepped into a graveyard for HBO’s 30 Coins trilogy and explored coming-of-age in Dougal Wilson’s heart-warming Paddington in Peru, recounting a humorous tale of family, exploration and community.
Photographer: James Robjant
It’s fair to say that the 23-year-old has had a strong predisposition for creativity from very early on and her youthful optimism shines through. “I’ve always wanted to be a dancer and I actually trained in acting, dancing and singing so I could do musical theatre,” she tells me as we begin settling into our conversation.
“But then I eventually needed to make the decision that every teenager has to make and be, like, OK, am I going to pursue this professionally or continue being a normal girl attending high school? I felt that the second option could go hand in hand with being an actress,” she adds, explaining how she decided to keep up dance but only as a hobby.
Strong-willed and with a quick-witted sense of humour, Tous speaks about her first memory of the film industry. “My father owns a streaming platform here in Spain, a really good one,” she reveals with no signs of braggadocio on display. “It’s smaller than Netflix and HBO but it’s really important.” Her father may have introduced her to the world of cinema but he didn’t want Tous to be an actress. “It’s not because of him that I dived into the film industry – he knew how difficult it is and he didn’t want me to act.”
Photographer: James Robjant
Tous’ first memory of film dates back to early childhood. “While growing up, I would mock up plays at home with my brothers,” she happily reminisces. “We’d watch movies and redo the scenes we’d seen. I have this vivid memory of me and my brother playing characters from High School Musical on our little sofa with my mum watching,” she says, expressing how she’s always been given to theatrics. “Play me some music, give me a tap-dancing beat and I’ll do a show.”
Spain’s cultural tapestry has been a pivotal resource in shaping her artistic identity: “Spain has such an incredible and talented pool of artists that it’s very easy to get inspired. We have Pedro Almodóvar, Rosalia, Dalí and many more in different areas of knowledge, and it’s great to see how far they’ve come.”
Photographer: James Robjant
Speaking of inspiration and the moments that helped to mould her young path, Tous is more than conscious of the hard slog via the sticky expectations of the acting realm. “Our job is very hard because there’s no right way to do it,” she says.
“There’s not something that everyone can follow and will eventually use to become an actor or an actress. There’s no unique way either, so it’s really difficult. In my case, I always combine it with being a normal kid going to school, taking exams and doing everything that a normal teen would do.” Tous never felt anxious about her acting career because she had other things to be anxious about like her dance grades, and says that mentorship has taken centre stage in the development of her artistic persona.
She’s also someone who makes the most of the eclectic aspects that her roles offer. “I mean, I believe that each project gives something new and interesting to everyone,” she opines before diving into the parts she enjoyed the most. “I did two movies for a trilogy called Through My Window. The role was really important to me, because I met my closest friends I have now through that project.”
But as far as an acting challenge is concerned, Paddington in Peru is what she found the most tasking gig thus far. “It was my first time working outside Spain and in another language,” she says, beaming. “I never speak English on a day-to-day basis and then there I was living in the UK, surrounded by British people and acting in another language. It changed my life.”
Photographer: James Robjant
The magic of Paddington Bear has long captured the hearts of audiences worldwide and, following two hugely successful cinematic outings in recent years, the franchise has returned for a new adventure. A StudioCanal production, Paddington in Peru is the debut feature from director Dougal Wilson. It is based on the internationally adored series of children’s books by British author Michael Bond, with a new plot by Paul King, Mark Burton and Simon Farnaby, and screenplay by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont.
As Tous’ biggest project to date, I cannot help but wonder how she got to prepare for her role as Gina, the daughter of Hunter Cabot [played by Antonio Banderas]. “When I received the audition, I just ruled myself out of it,” she admits, her head tilting. “I didn’t want to do it and I ended up not doing the audition.”
When friends asked her about the outcome, Tous bashfully told them she had turned down the opportunity. “It felt like I was talking to my parents, actually,” she says, explaining how “they were just looking at me straight, saying I’m not grateful for the work I have and that I needed to push myself to do it.” Tous duly spoke to her agent and filed the audition clip.
She continues the story: “I sat down with my computer and went through this really long monologue. A week after that, I was doing a Zoom call with [the] producers, then I moved to the UK right away. It happened really fast.”
Photographer: James Robjant
Speaking about the preparation for the role, her biggest challenge was perfecting Gina’s accent. “I worked really hard and got close with a dialect coach because it was a really tricky job for my character, who is based in Peru. So we wanted to try and be as respectful as we could with the Peruvian dialect. And then all of that needed to be understood by an English-[speaking] person who is watching the movie. So it was just a tricky job just softening my speech so that an English person could understand, but also putting emphasis on words that were from South America.”
Working with a host of high-profile artists in Britain was a valuable experience for Tous, encouraging her to hone her craft even further. “Working with artists such as Antonio Banderas [who plays Gina’s father, Hunter] was an incredible training,” she says, explaining how being surrounded by seasoned thespians is a dream for any actor starting out. “In my case, I would just literally take a chair, sit down on set and watch him [Banderas] work.”
Photographer: James Robjant
To help maintain her equilibrium at this crucial juncture of her career, Tous makes sure she keeps her friends and family close to her. “For me, I would say I’m really into quality time and deep conversations with people I love,” she says. “I cherish having hours-long phone calls with my mother and letting everything out while hearing her wise advice.” Remaining engaged with colleagues during filming, when frustration can easily kick in, also helps in a big way. “Just stopping and talking to people is so important. I’m just so grateful to be surrounded by actors [with whom] I can speak openly about my feelings.”
In an industry fond of toxic timetables, is taking a break considered a luxury or an act of cowardice? “It’s fine to get the break,” she exclaims. “I remember I once had a chat with my agent because I had a very busy year with lots of projects – I was so drained that I found that I couldn’t put anything creative in my work. He told me that I could have taken a step back for a while and then come back. I feel like every actor should hear this advice – we’re all nervous because we never know if we’re going to grab another gig or have another opportunity.”
Photographer: James Robjant
Through her experience, Tous has learned she’s more than just a screen fixture. “I hate to say I’m an actress,” she declares. “I’m not an actress. I’m Carla and I act. But I’m Carla and I have a lot of other things that I can explain about my life. I love being an actress and I want to do this for my entire life, but it doesn’t define me. I want to keep finding a balance between doing what I love and being grateful to even have the opportunity because it’s a hard job.”
Tous is coy about her plans for the future, though in fairness it sounds like she has enough enthusiasm to keep her going for the time being. “The tricky thing is to know what to do,” she concludes. “Now I’m at the point of choosing what I want to do, being really calm about it. Looking back, though, my little self will be so proud of me and of everything that’s happening.”
by Chidozie Obasi
Paddington in Peru is available to watch in UK cinemas now. It will release 3 January in Spain 2025, and 14 February 2025 in the United States.
Photographer: James Robjant
Senior Fashion Editor: Lily Rimmer
Makeup: Lucy Wearing
Hair: Declan Sheils
Photography assistant: Charlie Hall
Styling assistant: Maki So
Talent: Carla Tous
Look 1: Nayuta headpiece in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Balance Element necklace in 18K yellow, white and rose gold with white diamond and Akoya pearls, Right hand: Balance Arm ring in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Left hand: Ayuta ring in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearl, all TASAKI, Jacket, dress RABANNE
Look 2: Balance Arm earrings in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Balance Parallel necklace in 18K white gold with Akoya pearls, Right hand: Balance Parallel ring in 18K white gold with Akoya pearls, all TASAKI, Jacket, shoes WALES BONNER, Belt RABANNE, Micro shorts ASHISH, Top BASERANGE, Leg warmers AMERICAN VINTAGE
Look 3: Balance Arm earrings in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Balance Parallel necklace in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, both TASAKI, Dress B W MARKS, Jacket SELF PORTRAIT
Look 4: Balance Arm earrings in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Nayuta ring in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearl, both TASAKI, Danger sneakers in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls TASAKI x ASICS, Jacket OPEN YY, Skirt N21, Socks SWEDISH STOCKINGS
Look 5: Top: Nayuta pendant in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearl, Bottom: Power necklace in 18K SakuraGold™ with freshwater pearl and garnet, both TASAKI, Dress LOEWE
Look 6: Balance Arm earrings in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Chainsaw pendant (doubles as ear cuff) in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, Balance Arm ring in 18K yellow gold with Akoya pearls, all TASAKI, Skirt DIESEL, Shirt, hoodie DRIES VAN NOTEN, Leg warmers SWEDISH STOCKINGS
Look 7: Balance Build earrings in 18K white gold with Akoya pearls, Balance Signature necklace in 18K white gold, with pave diamonds and Akoya pearls, Right hand: Balance Arm ring in 18K white gold with Akoya pearls and white diamond, Left hand: Balance Plus ring in 18K white gold with Akoya pearls and diamonds solo pave, all TASAKI, Top, skirt SELF-PORTRAIT, Shoes VAGABOND, Leg warmers SWEDISH STOCKINGS