Jimena Lindo: beyond her characters, a story of overcoming

Jimena Lindo in her most personal role: "As soon as you can, pay for your therapy" When faced with the staging of "People, Places and Things," one does not find Jimena Lindo. She is the protagonist, but still she does not reveal herself; the character she has built predominates, a woman trapped by her own addictions who, interned in a rehabilitation center, must confront the reasons behind this dependency. Sunken eyes, cheekbones that rise above the face; her character lives on the edge, for her every movement is equivalent to fighting to preserve life. "To be honest, it's not something I have even thought about this time; about transforming myself, being someone else, it hasn't even crossed my mind," Lindo shared in an interview with El Comercio, after one of the rehearsals. "The most important thing for me in this process has been to understand, to comprehend from a loving, empathetic, close place to this character, and whatever comes out, hopefully it will be good," she added about the play based on the text by the British playwright Duncan Macmillan, which not only presents dialogues, but also a visual proposal to represent the darkness of the human mind, as well as withdrawal syndrome. This is one of those plays that should have premiered in 2020, but the pandemic canceled it. Four years later, the opportunity presented itself again and apparently it has been for the better; Lindo feels more prepared to tackle a character like Emma, an actress in crisis. "I could have done it in 2020, yes, but now I feel that I can understand better, I feel that both the director and I have matured and that addressing a topic like this, tackling characters like the ones we are facing, feels better now," she emphasized. The character is not in the best moment of her life, as not only do drugs dominate her, but she does not feel fulfilled; she believes that anything she does will not be enough. At the same time, she closes herself off, does not let anyone get to know her, lies to keep others at bay. "The play goes from denial, acceptance, to surrender. It's a whole arc of the character. (Emma) doesn't want to reveal herself because, unconsciously, the character feels that as a human being she almost doesn't exist, she is almost not enough, and that comes from her history, which is something she will start to accept during the play." Lindo is the opposite of Emma. There is brightness in her face when she talks about the present, but also about the past. She became known in the novel "Tribus de la calle" (1996), when she was only 19 years old. From there, she did not lack roles on television, whether in the soap opera "Milagros" (2000), or the films "El bien esquivo" (2001) and "La prueba" (2006). She also acted in short films; precisely for this interview, we showed her "El ascensor" (1998), where she shares the screen with Javier Echevarría. By the way, she recalled that in the late 90s her life was different, as she was a person who did not know herself, living at the mercy of her emotions and impulses. "So there are many things about Emma that I have been able to understand through my own story as well, through how I was as a young girl. (...) So I am grateful to have gone through all that life, to have managed to cross the bridge," she said. In an exclusive interview, Lindo shared intimate aspects of her career and personal life with El Comercio. She recalled her foray into the world of film and television, as well as her experience in Spain and the challenges she faced during that stage of her life. She revealed that at the age of 22 she started therapy, recognizing the importance of taking care of her mental and emotional health. Lindo emphasized: "As soon as you can, pay for your therapy, seriously. It was the first thing I did. I earned my first paycheck and bam! For my parents' generation, therapy was nonsense. We didn't have real problems, I mean, come on, why would you go to therapy? But I felt very at the mercy of that, of my impulses." The actress, about to celebrate 30 years of her career, feels grateful for the opportunities she has had and the challenges she has overcome. She highlighted the learning she has gained throughout her career and the importance of continuing to grow both personally and professionally. Lindo expressed that she continues to work on herself and study to keep evolving in her art. Jimena Lindo, a talented and committed actress, invites us to reflect on the importance of self-exploration, personal care, and continuous growth. Her performance in "People, Places and Things" promises to move the audience and leave a profound impression on those who witness her acting. An artist who, through her work, invites us to look beyond the surface and delve into the inner world of the characters she brings to life on stage.