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Tomás Decurgez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since his childhood his parents encouraged him to pursue an artistic career as they could see he had a gift as a painter. At the age of twelve he already knew he wanted to study Fine Arts and he did, starting at the age of eighteen in the National University of Buenos Aires (IUNA). When he turned fifteen he started learning music and went to his first acting class in “El Galpon”, a theater in the city of Lujan, Buenos Aires, where he continued to go until the year 2002, when he graduated from high school.
He studied Fine Arts for 5 years but never stopped learning acting. He was student of directors and teacher such as Analía Couceyro, Ricardo Bartis, Nahuel Cano, Ruben Szuchmacher, and many others, and started working as a theater actor (“La Leccion de Anatomia” in 2003, “Para Acabar con la Muerte” in 2004, “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” in 2006).
During this time he was part of 3 bands, where he began as bass guitar player, and ended up as the lead singer in the band “SOEZ”; a Grounge- Rock band that still exists, but with a new singer.
He always had a special admiration for films and since he moved to the Capital of Buenos Aires, his goal was to make movies.
He became a client of EP Bookers, an agency that represented him as a commercial actor and model. During that time he worked for international brands such as ADIDAS, PANTENE, COLGATE, RAY BAN, FIAT, MARTINI, BUDWEISER, SAMSUNG, BANANA REPUBLIC, CORONA and many others (He was the face in more than 250 campaigns and commercials between 2003 and 2010). He always continued improving as an actor and started writing his own scripts, mostly short films at that time, some of which he directed (“Ojos Que No Ven” 2008), and the script “Florencia” was adapted to to be a play later that year.
He was featured in some TV shows in the Argentinian channels but his work as actor was mostly for foreign production companies that were shooting in Argentina. The first on was the film “Passage”, of the director Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), where he shared the set with Julia Stiles, Halley Bennett and Lily Cole.
The following year he was part of the Show “Idolos” and he traveled to Mexico City, were he was offered a 5 year contract in Televisa, the Mexican network. He didn’t take the offer as he was still pursuing his dreams of making films and he thought this would give him recognition mostly as a soap opera actor.
He went back to Argentina, and in 2010 he got a co-star role in “There Be Dragons”, a Roland Joffé movie, with Wes Bentley, Olga Kurylenko, Rodrigo Santoro and Charlie Cox.
After Shooting Roland Joffé’s film he was offered to move to Los Angeles and continue his career in Hollywood. By that time he was already shooting another project, this time for the Italian Network Canale 5. He played the part of Denis in the famous TV Show “Le Due Facce Dell’ amore” with Daniele Liotti, Lola Ponce, and Nathalie Rapti Gomez.
Tomás Decurgez moved to Hollywood, California in 2013 and started working as soon as he arrived and continued his studies and training at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting.
He starred the film “The Dog”, by director Seth Garben, and “Seven 30 PM”, by Khachatur Martirosyan.
In 2014 GQ magazine interviewed him, were he reveled he just finished writing his first feature film.
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Hi Tomas, Tell us about you?
I’m originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I was raised. I started studying acting, writing and Visual Arts at the National University. I worked for ten years as an actor in Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay and Spain, until I had the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, something that I always considered to do. Today I continue to work here as an actor with an excellent manager, and I’m writing as well as beginning to produce my own projects.
When did you first get into acting?
It all began when I was fifteen years old. I started studying at “El Galpón” theater, in the city of Lujan. I always had a fascination for movies and fiction, but I never thought of really getting into it professionally, until a very good friend of mine at that time encouraged me to sign into an acting class after school. I did and I fell in love with it right from the beginning.
How difficult was coming from Argentina to Los Angeles to work?
It was not easy. But honestly, changing countries was not the hardest thing. The competition here is overwhelming, and the majority of people here are not really working in the fields they wish. I’m still in this “marathon” running towards bigger things and the kind of projects that I ones dreamed being part of, even if I’m already a working actor in Hollywood. I’ve been happy since day one in Los Angeles because I had big expectations and it is very rewarding seeing those hopes materialize and feel that I am walking in the right path. I have new dreams and projects everyday and thanks to them I feel happy. The hardest part of moving is obviously not being able to see my family frequently, but I talk to them almost everyday and I made wonderful friends here too.
Where did you learn acting?
I started in that little theater (El Galpon, with teachers Javier Cassini and Liliana Motto) when I was fifteen, and right after I graduated high school, I started working on stage, and from that moment on, I continued to learn with great teachers while I was always working on a new play. Some of those teachers are Ricardo Bartis, Analia Couceyro, Pablo Limarzi (and other great teachers of IUNA, the Dramatic Arts university in Buenos Aires), Ruben Szuchmacher, Nahuel Cano.
What was your first role, and which one has been your favorite?
My very first role was Pepe the sailor, in a kid’s play, when I was sixteen years old. I will always remember that play because it was the first time I performed in front of an audience. And not just any audience: They were all 5 and 6 year old kids, and kids always say the truth. So I was happy to see how engaged they were with the story. If a little kid doesn’t like your performance he will tell you in your face without any problems, or just fall asleep. My favorite, that is a difficult one to choose. But I will pick another theater production. Back in 2006 I played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in “Espacio Urbano”, directed by Mariano Beitia. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had on stage because we worked really hard on it. And obviously it was one of those roles that every actor would be happy to play. The challenge of embodying a character with two different personalities in a classic piece like Stevenson’s is always something to remember.
Who inspired you into acting?
There was no actor who inspired me. My passion for fiction began when I was very little and I guess my first memory of that is when my aunt “Lalala” (That is how me and my brother call her) read stories to us, but instead of reading them all the way to the end, she used to invent things that were not in the books. We always had different endings and me and my brother added facts to the story. I always wanted to tell stories and that is how I started acting. Of course there are actors that I admire and movies that when I was a child I wished I had done.
What motivates you to act?
Telling stories. I also write and little by little I started directing, small projects or in theater. I always have all these thoughts in my mind, stories or inventions. But I’m not an inventor. So, I see in movies, TV or theater the possibility of telling a story about a time machine, a new world, the past, the future, talk about a revolution that never existed, ect. Telling stories to the world is like being an inventor, a scientist, a time traveler or a famous painter. Those are the roots of my passion for what I do.
Any other member of your family is in the business?
No, My mother is a lawyer, and for some years an astrology student; my father was in the army and is a chef and my brother is a musician. All of them love films though.
Tell us about your latest role?
My latest role was a simple man, a little obsessed about his job in the film “The Dog” by writer and director Seth Garben. The project is in post-production at this moment and is a tragicomic story about a man that wants to do things right, but he ends up looking guilty of a series of irresponsible actions. It is a man with very bad luck, that doesn’t understand why unfortunate things happen to him, until he finally goes crazy.
Are you working on any current projects?
Right now I’m finishing writing three short films that I’m going to direct in July in Mexico City and Acapulco. I already have the lead actors and the crew for the projects and I can’t wait for the shooting to begin, although there is still a lot of work to be done. On the other hand I’ve been offered a very interesting role in the next movie of the director Michael Matteo Rossi, and I recently signed with a very important manager. This year is bringing nothing but great things.
What is your dream role?
I love period movies. I guess the perfect example of a dream role for me would be Mozart or Salieri in one of my favorite movies of all times “Amadeus”.
Who you would love to work with?
The list is too long. But I will pick some names: Pedro Almodovar, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Zemeckis, Meryl Streep, Christoph Waltz, and so many others.
Who is your favorite Actor/Actress and why?
Meryl Steep. Simply because she creates a completely different person for every job. I like so many actors, but some of them I just like, I don’t admire. Meryl Streep is an acting lesson in every production.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Directing, choosing interesting roles and most of all, travelling around the world with different productions.
Any advice for upcoming actors?
First of all, study, learn how to address the right people (because at the beginning you won’t have a manager doing that for you) and work very hard, knowing that you will be rejected the 90% of the times.
What’s a normal day in your life?
They are never the same because I don’t work in a specific place with a schedule. But more than less, a day in my life could be waking up to a lot of emails that I have to answer right away, most of them from my agents. I confirm the auditions I will have the following day, I go out for the auditions that I already confirmed the previous day and when I finish, I go back home and find myself some time to write at least 2 hours a day and do some work out.
How do you stay fit?
I have a little gym in my house where I mostly train. But I also bike a lot (Los Angeles is a beautiful city to do that), and every ones in a while I get together with friends and we go hiking or swimming.
Any other hobbies?
I paint. As I said before, I studied Visual Arts and I recently designed the scenery and the posters of “Angels in America” directed by Tim McNeil.
What career would you do if you couldn’t be an actor anymore?
I would be an artist. Or probably I would work full time as a scriptwriter.
How important is Social Media for you?
Honestly, I am an old fashioned man. I have a love-hate relationship with technology, but I can’t deny how important it is for the world today, and specially for the profession that I chose. I’m trying to work harder to be in touch with the world though it, every day.
Where we can follow you?
Instagram: @tomasdecurgez
Facebook page: Tomasdecurgezactor
Twitter: @tomasdecurgez
Quote: “My ambition is handicapped by my laziness” Charles Bukowski
Food: Argentinian BBQ
Drink: Red Wine, Malbec
City: (I haven’t been yet to all the cities in my “must go” list) So far, New York.
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Photo Credit: Wes Klain, Marcelo Rojas & Cecilia Glik
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