Gledys Ibarra describes herself as “a normal girl, raised in a poor neighbourhood in Venezuela” who has “made a 40 year career in TV, cinema and theatre.” Not so normal then. Furthermore, four decades in the industry hasn’t hardened her, or diluted her ambition. “At the beginning of my career, I was full of passion and illusions and I had a lot of dreams,” she recalls. “And that’s the same now. Every project takes me back to that point in my career.”
Coming from A-list celebrity status in South America, breaking the mould as one of the country’s first Black TV stars, to the UK “was difficult and scary for me. I didn’t know how to start,” admits Gledys, reminiscing about her ill-conceived plan to email every casting director she could find.
The obstacles were formidable: “I was very limited by my strong accent, English people like to hear how they sound. In EastEnders for example, someone with an unidentifiable accent wouldn't be accepted”.
Before too long, Gledys started working at the Cervantes Theatre, with whom she has done six plays in English and Spanish. Her move to the UK also opened the door to teaching, "which I adore. Lots of my students had very little experience performing, but I relished the challenge. Whilst I can’t create an actor, I can help young people see what tools they already have”.
Gledys' resilience and strength clearly derives from an outlook attached to an identity beyond just work: "Being an actor isn’t the same as working as an actor. They are not the same things. Being an actor is something deeper than that.”
Ultimately, Gledys' joy, professionalism and humility shine through. “I am a lover of the human. That is why I am an actor - because I love what human's feel. I love to reproduce what we feel. When you are an actor, everything you feel, see and experience, becomes our business.”
Gledys is dressed by Douglas Tapia. Hair and Makeup by herself.
