Colombians remember actor Giovanni Suarez’s performance as Benito. The passion of Gavilaneswhose characters won the affection of millions of viewers with their humor and clumsiness. More than 20 years have passed since this TV drama was broadcast, but the memory of the “intolerable fat man”, as the actor himself affectionately described him, is still strong.
Behind that happy and natural appearance is a story marked by challenges and overcomings that tested his strength today. Suarez has built a solid career in television, appearing in films such as: Where does loneliness go?, something useless, history of women only men, Married, with children and decision.
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Over the years, he toured the country with comedy presentations and remained connected to the public. “It’s incredible that people still love this character after all these years. I have so many memories of him,” the actor said in a magazine interview, grateful for the love he still receives. look.
After the success of The passion of GavilanesGiovanni had been living abroad for nearly ten years, where he focused on personal projects and several businesses, but the economic crisis where he was living forced him to return to Colombia.
“I started from scratch again, with one hand in front of me and the other behind me, with all the financial problems that you normally have when you come back to your country. I didn’t have a job, so I knocked on a lot of doors and called casting managers, and they said, ‘We don’t even know who you are.’ I said, ‘I can’t believe that someone who’s a casting manager doesn’t know about the characters in a novel like this.’ Pasion de Gavilanes” he recalled in an interview.
Upon returning to his home country, he decided to take a new path and focused on importing baby products to achieve stability, but four years ago he contracted COVID-19. The diagnosis was devastating.
“I only had a 10% chance of living. I held on to God and was told I would have to be intubated, but I wouldn’t let it happen. I was discharged from the hospital after being hospitalized in the ICU for about 2 months. “I left with a prognosis of ‘ground glass lung syndrome’ and would probably be dependent on oxygen for the rest of my life,” he said in a slow voice.
Unable to accept giving up, the actor removed oxygen and began breathing exercises to regain his strength 40 days after being discharged from the hospital. “At first I was too embarrassed to walk or get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Now I feel great.” But his recovery process coincided with a mental loss. “As a result of COVID-19 and the constant challenges, I experienced a setback in my family and my ex-wife decided to step back and end our relationship. We separated on very good terms.”
Despite the restrictions, he remains hopeful of performing again. “I said, ‘The only way I can act again is for God to work in my heart and take what I have.’ “I’ve been reading a lot and trying to figure out that all of a sudden God is going to give me the opportunity, the joy, the gift to get back in front of the small screen, back in front of the big screen, and do what I love most,” he said.
The actor also spoke about his desire to return to the work he is most passionate about. “Sometimes I dream that I’m recording something. It could be anything, but it’s really something that I’ve studied, something that I love, something that I’m passionate about, and people would pay me to do it, but I would do it for free. It’s so great. It kind of recharges me,” he added.
“I had to do everything, literally everything. I started selling some of the family’s products, such as fruits, vegetables, and also clothing, lotions, jeans. Transportation applications helped me for a long time,” he explained.
He currently lives in Barranquilla and works to support his family. “We’re putting all our eggs in one basket here. I have no other choice in my life right now. I would like to go back to the origins of children’s and baby clothes. We didn’t have many resources, but we had a small plant, so we bought a lot of baby clothes. I have to open the page again for people to notice me and start buying from me. All I have to do is sell, sell, sell. ”
Giovanni Suárez continues his struggle to reclaim his memory and his space in the artistic environment. His story reflects the actor’s perseverance in the face of adversity.
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