ANDRÉS SANDOVAL- ACTOR, PRODUCER, GIVER & HUMAN

After my vacation, I wanted my first interview of 2022 to be- fun, deep & bring joy. My brother (the CEO) recommended I try to interview Andrés Sandoval. In all honesty, Andrés wasn’t my first choice; can happily say my brother was right! Mitzy (Andrés international manager) provided me with so much information from the philanthropy, producing, and just overall talent. I was pleased that the interview could be deep but still was apprehensive about “clicking.” 

The day of the interview, Andrés was delayed (flying back from Dubai). I was in panic mode & thought ‘this is doomed’. Quite the opposite! It was fun, deep and I never laughed so much during an interview- mostly because I was so frazzled and amazed by Andrés Sandoval’s humility, talent & personality. Enjoy this interview!

Andrés is the embodiment of why we do our interviews. It is to learn, listen, and to conversate with people … that you thought you knew pretty much everything about, but then you are surprised.

He is the perfect example of that – of course Andrés was thrusted onto the international map from his character Juancho, in The Queen of Flow (Netflix - 2021). As well Andres was assistant director in Corazones Blindados (Netflix - 2012); Rosario Tijeras (Netflix – 2010); and 3 Milagros (Netflix – 2011).

Hi!!!.....Yes!!!! Hi Andrés! …. I always get so happy, how are you… I am so so sorry about the delay with the interview. No…no…no it is okay. I am sorry, I probably sounded so heartless – I was like go to a bathroom, go anywhere there in the airport and just sit so we can talk.

Ahahaa … no my flight was very delayed. No! it is all good, but I was sweating – I was like woah what do you mean the flight was delayed, and it could be cancelled (IG Live).  Ahahaha … no but thank you so much, and I really do hope that you had a safe flight. Not that how I acted was any indication of that…lollll.

No! everything is good, okay. Good! Then to make you happy, because you have made me happy… we are going to do the interview in Spanglish!  Oh! I am very happy already, thank you so much for the invite. But oh wow! I am going to try to do it in English. Perfect, well we will make it a perfect blend.

Okay the first question – You created a foundation, La Fundación Instrumentos de Paz, so please tell me why it’s so important for you to give back? … and what do you hope to achieve with this foundation…

We wanted to be there for the kids, the young people, the families in Bogota. First, we have a lot of things to do with the Foundation. We want to give them a lot of things. Not only money, and toys – material things. We must do more by giving them a purpose to live.

To know that they are important for society, and important to us. We have the ability to give them artistic, social, spiritual, and a cultural process.

I work very hard with the founders of the Foundation. We are going to try to give them the best, the most that we have. I think it is so important, like you said, to give them a purpose in life. People often think let me just throw money, and this will help them. But no people need direction to be, and know they are a part of society; because if no one helps them, how will they know. They just have money and nowhere to go. Yes, I agree with you. The cinema, the theatre, the spiritual rituals are very important to them. We want to do the right thing and not only with money.

Oh! My gosh! … then I was so flustered I didn’t introduce you properly. I will do that now.  Okayyyy!  So, you act, you sing, produce, and then as you mentioned Mitzy, and God bless her I know that I stressed her out before. You are also writing a book! Then of course traveling. I mean how do you sleep?   I know…I don’t know! Ever since I met Mitzy, I sleep so so less. Yes! Because I can barely do this…ahhahaa. She is just making you go. Ahahaha…yeah she is a machine, yes I know. She is unbelievable. Yes, and she is truly so kind. I know I was freaking out. My voice was high, ahahahaa, and I was like whattttt!!!

For those of you that do not know, Mitzy is Andrés’ International Manager.  So please tell me about the book that you are writing. Now I do know that she (Mitzy) was in a wheelchair for nine years, it is absolutely and incredible story. Just the fact that she is even positive is phenomenal. I don’t know if I would be that happy in that situation. So why did you write the book, and why did you even want to tell her story…

Well…Mitzy is a woman that dies nineteen times. She is a miracle, a miracle of life. When you die one time, you die one time. But when you die nineteen times you are superhuman. You have a lot of things to do in this world, on this earth. It is a Blessing for me to work with her. Sometimes we cannot talk about life, because we are very busy with our projects.

Yes, she makes me work. She has me to help write her life’s book. So, I will be her ghost writer. It is a pleasure to be a part of this work. Well, I love books, I love reading, so I will be one of the first to pre-order the book when it comes out… Yes!!! 

So, when it’s out please remember to send me the link, I am a huge book nerd…

Okay, so as we can see in the comments… everyone is talking about ‘La Reina del Flow’. The world fell in love with your acting as Juancho in ‘La Reina del Flow’. That is what you are known globally for, but you are incredibly talented. You bring so much heart and vulnerability to the character. As well in your other projects, that is how you do all your projects. There is some type of vulnerability and heart to every character. What is your process – how do you decide to act in it, or even to produce it…

Well, I actually create an image with each character that I have. Juancho, Antonio, Raul, Fernando every character that I have in my hands – I bring them into my heart. I am in love with all of the characters, each one of the characters I love so much. I work passionately with all of them, I get into each character – I love the details of each character. I try to be there for the character not only on paper…but I make love to each character.

I would say though….and I did finish ‘La Reina del Flow’, I binged watched it. I am sorry for those that have not finished it, but the scene where you were crying and the actress Carolina Ramirez who plays Yeimy was crying.. I was crying! And I am not even a crier. It is so well acted. Everyone does such a phenomenal job, where you almost forget that they are not real people. Yes! thank you, thank you for that. Hats off to everybody involved and that is such a testament to your craft and how you work, the fact that you make people believe that these are real people walking down the street. It is phenomenal.

I try to bring what is printed to life. Yes! well job well done.

As I said before you are so much more than that character – you produce, you sing, and you are going on tour. The tour starts in Colombia.  Then it’s going to the United States … Yes! and I am producer, director, and I also sing. Well, I sing in the bathroom, or the shower first. Well, the best acoustics ahaaha.

Yes!!! Well, we start the national tour. We will start tomorrow in Medillin, we will be here for four days, then we go to Argentina; Puerto Rico; Costa Rica; Chile; Peru; Panama; Venezuela; Mexico; United States; France; Spain; Switzerland.

Oh! Very nice! So what can people expect from your tour, like what are you most excited about to get started…

Okay… we are going to be with other artists from Colombia and an artist from each country that we are going to visit. I am going to sing a little. Ohhhh … just a little.  Yes, just a little! I will give a lot of kisses, and a lot of love.

Okay people hear that buy your tickets, get in line so that you can get your kisses – your love. Hugs! Are you going to give hugs?  Yes! hugs everything. I am so generous.

What do you hope that people in America, like me, how do you want us to see you. Do you want them to see you as just an actor, or just a singer, or as a creative – a triple threat…

First, I want to be close to people to show them that an actor is not a star. I am a simple guy, an artist, that loves what he does. Unfortunately, actors think that they are big untouchable, heroes, superstars. No! you have to be close to people.

I hope to work in the United States as an actor, to be in movies, as a creator. As a director, producer, and writing movies in the United States. Be in theatre, in plays. I have a lot of expectations, and dreams for the United States.

What is your favorite, place to be in the U.S…..  theatre, theatre - it is the most beautiful place that I can be, yes. So, you love New York…Yes! So, New York, Broadway. I would love to work on Broadway some time and I know with Mitzy I can do it.

Now, the last question so that you can go to decompress…how you start your day, how do you wake up, and what do you do to stay sane…

Okay… I begin my day with a Prayer. I am Catholic. I, we then, Mitzy and I walk around the neighborhood. We do that for our exercise. Then we work on a lot of things that we have - the book, the tour, and the series that we are creating.

I thank you so much for your time, and more so that you did it at the airport for me. And I do hope that when you come to L.A. that I do get a signature, or a hug. I hope that I am on the list. Just for the stress, don’t you think that is fair…

Yes, very! I will give you a very hard hug… I am going to crush your ribs. Colombian style!  Thank you honestly Andrés, I hope that you have a wonderful tour, and we hope to see it in the U.S.

©SJP/ANDRÉSSANDOVAL

Okay thank you, thank you for this interview, and God Bless everybody. Bye!