Mario Casas on Playing a Layered Protagonist

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Bird Box Barcelona star Mario Casas about playing a multifaceted character and stunt work. The film premieres on Netflix on July 14, 2023.

“From the producers of the global phenomenon, Bird Box, comes Bird Box Barcelona, an expansion of the film that riveted audiences in 2018,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “After a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, Sebastian must navigate his own survival journey through the desolate streets of Barcelona. As he forms uneasy alliances with other survivors and they try to escape the city, an unexpected and even more sinister threat grows.”

Tyler Treese: Mario, what’s great about this role is you get to show so many different sides of Sebastian due to the time jumps and the different situations. As an actor, how satisfying was it to have so much to play?

Mario Casas: The most interesting thing for me, when I got into the project, was the protagonist — he’s not just the typical hero, not just a white character, but he has many, many different shadows and layers. You don’t know, as a spectator, if you love him, if you empathize or not, if you justify his actions because of his loss or not.

In the flashback scenes, we get this really interesting look at when the disaster is all happening. How was it, portraying that initial panic in that great action scene?

It was quite easy for me because the directors, the Pastor brothers, recreated many real sets and it wasn’t just all green screens. To give you an example, in the scene where you have this man falling onto the car, it was a real man. It was a stunt — a wonderful stunt actor who actually fell on top of the car. So yes, that made things way easier.

Your daughter in the movie, Anna, is played by the wonderful young actress Alejandra Howard. Can you speak to just working with her and building that father-daughter chemistry?

For me, it was the most important part of the film, to create this chemistry with the girl on an emotional level. I really felt it was the most important thing. I’m not a father, but I do have a very young brother and I was inspired by that. We talked a lot in the beginning so that she could trust me and when we looked at each other, you could see a real connection.

Also, I worked a lot with Naila Schuberth, and it was wonderful. I think it was the most beautiful part of the film, working with those two girls.