Since moving to Barcelona four years ago, we have a learned a great deal about the city’s colourful history. We’ve heard about the city’s complicated and confusing history with Catalan independence…at length! We’ve read how the great influenza of 1918 that infected over 500 million people and originated in America, was perhaps unfairly titled “The Spanish Flu.” But most importantly we have enjoyed discovering how it was that a transgender sex-worker, who went by the alias of ‘La Veneno’ (Poison), became a national hero during the 90s and the patron saint of the late-night Spanish TV talk show circuit.
Now, in 2020, we have been blessed with a visual representation in the form of Veneno, the series, which brings to life the story of Cristina Ortiz Rodriguez, from her difficult childhood as Joselito, to moving to Madrid and becoming La Veneno and sadly her passing in 2016. The series is currently screening via the Atres Player in Spain and will soon be showing on HBO Max in America.
Created, written and directed by Spanish stars, Los Javis (Paquita Salas), the show is shocking, heart-warming and searingly funny. In this week’s episode, New York royalty, Sophia Lamar showed up playing the part of Cristina Onassis, a key figure in the transformation of Joselito to La Veneno. We spoke with Sophia about how she became part of our show of the year…
Sophia, congratulations on your role in Veneno. We so enjoyed watching you in Episode 4: The Curse of The Onassis’. How did you come to be part of the show?
Thank you very much I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was cast for the role because the producers thought it was a good idea, it was that simple. It seems like a lot of people agree. Haha…The character is based on Veneno’s testimony in her book, Digo! Ni puta, ni santa. Cristina Onassis, according to Veneno, existed and had a sad end.
Were there any other people you knew personally that inspired you when playing the role?
Yup. When I first received the script, I thought Cristina Onassis was a mother-authoritarian figure. Subservient but authoritarian, almost like Lola Gaos’s character in Tristana by Luis Buñuel. But the director of Veneno dismounted that idea so Cristina was born and grew throughout the shoot.
It was hard at first because I have been lucky – everything I have ever done in films has been shot chronologically. With Veneno though, we shot the last scene before the one where they actually met so we had to show the love and history of a long friendship before filming their background.
Cristina Onassis has a huge character development and plays an important part in Veneno’s life….all in the space of one episode. Which scene was your personal favourite?
I really like their first encounter on the rooftop. I personally have a good memory of it and the scene in the hospital bed, I love for the intensity.
Were you familiar with Veneno herself, before the show?
No, I never knew who she was, until maybe ten years ago through videos on YouTube. I never had the pleasure of meeting her but I love her histrionics, the way she presents herself and her narrative.
How did your feelings about Veneno change from having been part of the series?
Well, you see this person that was larger than life at one point with all their issues – the pain of being alive, the struggle for survival as a human and the tragedy of the human existence.
The Javis are really making waves in Spain with their shows. Do you have any anecdotes from working with them?
Mr Calvo and Mr Ambrossi. The gentlemen were very attentive to me and the whole cast, like parents. My episode was not actually directed by them, but by Alex Rodrigo, who was excellent and very patient.
The show is set to be released via HBO Max in the US. Do many people already know of Cristina ‘Veneno’ Ortiz there already?
Some people know who she is and a lot of people know I went to Spain to work on this show, but the series goes beyond the preconceived idea of knowing the character, Veneno. This show is about the human condition, it is a love story beyond sexual innuendos or sexual identities.
I totally agree. I could see it easily sitting alongside something like Pose. What reaction do you think it will receive in the US?
People are going to fall in love with Veneno. The show doesn’t have any gimmicks. It is a real story and anyone can identify with the pain and the struggle of Veneno. It’s like when you see Nights of Cabiria by Federico Fellini, you read the subtitles and fall in love with the endless possibilities of the human existence and the search for love.
Follow Sophia Lamar on Instagram.
Veneno is available now via Atres Player and is coming to HBO Max soon.
