Darko Perić is a Serbian actor. He is best known for his role as Helsinki in the crime thriller series "La Casa de Papel" (Money Heist), which won the Emmy Award for Best Drama in 2018. He studied veterinary medicine in Romania, in Bucharest and Timișoara. In these cities, he had his first contact with the world of acting, playing roles in various short films and performances. He lived in Germany and then moved to Spain, where he received his first roles in TV series and feature films. In 2015, he appeared in "A Perfect Day" directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, alongside the renowned actor Tim Robbins.
You are on the jury of the Official Competition at this edition of TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival). How do you find the experience, and what can you say about the films you have seen so far?
Oh, yes, it's my first time in Cluj. I passed through Cluj once, I remember, for a day, in the city center, many years ago. More than 10 years ago, I believe. I was in Constanța last year at the SUNSCREEN Film & Arts Festival, which I think is a branch of TIFF. This year is my first time in Cluj, unfortunately, it's raining, and I can't really go out for a walk. I walked around on Sunday, saw a nice film in the square, went to the Art Museum, where I saw another great film, but unfortunately, the weather is not helping us much. We are an international jury, with Judith (State), who is Romanian, an actress, Harry (Macqueen) - English, Michael (Franco) - Mexican, Nicoletta (Romeo) - Italian. So far, I have seen 3 films, and I still have 9 films from the competition to watch. On Sunday, I went to see the concert and the old film, "Manasse," from '25, which was really cool. As for the films I've seen so far, I can say that they are all different. One film from Argentina, one from Czech Republic, and today one from Denmark. Now I think we have one from Croatia, and after that, one from Nicaragua, so clearly different films. I can't say that one is better. I have to watch them all and digest them a bit. They are all interesting, especially because they present different realities.
You were born in Serbia but have lived in Romania, Germany, and Spain. How do you appreciate how these moves and multicultural experiences have helped your career?
A lot, coming from a bilingual town. I lived in Timișoara, which is a multicultural city, and Cluj is a bilingual and multicultural city as well. The same goes for Barcelona, which is a big city. I believe that multiculturalism, this diversity, opens one's mind much more. Ultimately, we are all the same, you are called Erzsi, I am called Ion, you speak Hungarian, I speak Romanian, but we are from the same place. And that helps a lot, not only in my work but in any field, it helps a lot. It helps you lose the fear of what you don't know because you start to know. Now, there is this issue in the West with Muslims, there are many immigrants from Syria, from North Africa. But they are also people, and in fact, you are afraid of what you don't know. Multiculturalism helps you to know and not be afraid, to live normally.
You studied veterinary medicine in Romania and at the same time acted in theater performances in Timișoara. Can you tell us a bit about that period?
I came here to study Veterinary Medicine. I met some compatriots who were studying at the Academy of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, and since I lived with them, we made short films, went to the theater, and watched a lot of movies together, including at the cinematheque. I came from a small town, and for me, Bucharest was like a metropolis with its subway. Not everyone had left Bucharest yet, it was around '95, and I think it was bigger than it is now. I visited last year, for the first time in 24 years. People told me it's so crowded, but I saw the congestion on the streets, not people walking. Everyone has a car and stays in their cars. Yes, we can say that Romania was my first contact with film, with short films. I also did some extras work in a few films in Timișoara and participated in some performances. It was part of my preparation for what was to come.
And we all know what came next. Your role as Helsinki in La Casa de Papel propelled your career internationally. How was the casting process, what were your feelings, and what happened until the Emmy Awards?
For us actors, when it comes to casting, there are so many of us. And many actors don't realize that casting is actually part of our work, it's the actor's job to find work, that's the primary goal. After that, when you're in front of the camera, it's already playing, not work, if you enjoy what you do. Many actors don't like casting because they still don't understand that it's part of the job. The casting for La Casa de Papel was like any other casting, nothing special. But what happened afterward was completely different, it was very special. We filmed for about four to five years, and it completely changed my life. So, two years ago, when I finished La Casa de Papel, I decided that I didn't want anything to do with the series anymore because I somehow felt saturated. When you're here in Romania, let's take Las Fierbinți, for example, everyone in Romania knows the characters from Las Fierbinți, but if you go to Serbia, nobody has heard of them, or if you go to Hungary, nobody knows them. But think about it, La Casa de Papel, if you go to India, it's like an American series, everyone knows it, like Game of Thrones or Peaky Blinders. So, everything changed a lot for me, and now I sincerely want to find a way to show more of Darko Peric, the actor, rather than Darko Peric, Helsinki.
You have managed to fulfill your dream despite all the obstacles. What advice would you give to those who are just starting out?
I always tell young people the same thing - just like I was once young, and we were all young, and those who are young now will eventually grow old. From a young age, we all had dreams, that's why people ask you what you want to be when you grow up, and we all know what we want to be, especially when we're children. Now I have a child, and I see with my own eyes what it's like to be a child because, of course, you grow up and forget what it was like when you were one. That's just human nature. Have children, and when you're old, have grandchildren, so you can see again what it was like because you forget, time passes, children grow up, and you end up alone again.
So, I tell them: the moment you stop believing in your dreams, you're dead, like a zombie, I don't know, living dead. Nowadays, these English phrases are trendy in Romania, I've heard them a lot, and I was shocked. Don't stop dreaming. Never stop dreaming because dreams, if you believe in them, become reality. And that's what happened to me. I always wanted to be an actor. I never dreamed of being famous because few actors I knew were nationally known. In Spain, before La Casa de Papel, I didn't know any internationally famous actors. That's how it is. Keep dreaming. Believe in yourself, because if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.