THE OBSERVER

THERE’S AN EASE TO CLARA GALLE THAT FEELS DISARMINGLY REAL. SHE LAUGHS QUICKLY, SPEAKS WITH WARMTH, AND CARRIES A KIND OF BRIGHTNESS THAT DOESN’T SEEM CONSTRUCTED BUT INSTINCTIVE. IT’S IN THE WAY SHE LEANS INTO CONVERSATION, IN HER CLOSENESS, IN THAT LIGHT, RISUEÑA ENERGY THAT MAKES EVERYTHING FEEL IMMEDIATE AND UNFILTERED. AND YET, BENEATH THAT SOFTNESS, THERE’S A GROWING AWARENESS: OF CHANGE, OF EXPOSURE, OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH BEING WATCHED MORE CLOSELY THAN BEFORE.

BECAUSE THIS IS A MOMENT OF EXPANSION. PROJECTS ARE GETTING BIGGER, THE PACE FASTER, THE STAKES HIGHER. AMONG THEM, THAT NIGHT – NETFLIX’S RECENT SPANISH THRILLER – MARKS ANOTHER STEP FORWARD, PLACING HER AT THE CENTRE OF A STORY DRIVEN BY TENSION, MORAL CONFLICT, AND THE FRAGILE LIMITS OF FAMILY LOYALTY. IT’S A ROLE THAT ADDS NEW LAYERS TO HER TRAJECTORY, EVEN IF IT DOESN’T DEFINE IT ENTIRELY.

WHAT’S STRIKING ABOUT CLARA, THOUGH, ISN’T JUST WHERE SHE’S GOING – IT’S HOW SHE’S CHOOSING TO MOVE THROUGH IT. THERE’S NO VISIBLE RUSH TO BECOME SOMETHING ELSE, NO URGENCY TO BUILD DISTANCE OR ADOPT A HARDER EXTERIOR. INSTEAD, SHE SEEMS TO HOLD ON TO A VERSION OF HERSELF THAT REMAINS OPEN, APPROACHABLE, AND OBSERVANT. SOMEONE WHO IS STILL FIGURING THINGS OUT IN REAL TIME, RATHER THAN PRETENDING TO HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED. IN AN INDUSTRY THAT OFTEN REWARDS OPACITY, THAT CHOICE FEELS ALMOST RADICAL. TO STAY WARM. TO STAY CLOSE. TO KEEP THAT SENSE OF JOY INTACT, EVEN AS EVERYTHING GROWS MORE COMPLEX. AND MAYBE THAT’S WHERE HER REAL STRENGTH LIES – NOT JUST IN THE ROLES SHE TAKES ON, BUT IN THE WAY SHE CONTINUES TO EXIST BEYOND THEM.

Left Tank top **Acne Studios**
Right Top and skirt **Max Mara**, jewellery **Rabat**

Happy belated birthday – it was just a few days ago, wasn’t it?

Yes, it was a great day.

How did you celebrate?

I went to the mountains. I fancied celebrating there. I went with a friend; we hiked all the way to the top, camped there and came back down the next day. It was exactly what I needed, to be honest. I needed that disconnection and to feel more present. Not so much about “it’s my birthday”, but about actually celebrating the day. We brought a camping stove with us. We had some amazing sandwiches I’d picked up in Pamplona, from a bar called Jesús Mari – they make the best sandwiches in the world. And for dinner, we had a vegetable cream soup we’d brought along, a packet of risotto, and some sliced turkey. Very practical, really.

Are you much of a countryside person?

Yes, very much. I love it. I notice it even more now because I spend a lot of time in Madrid, and nature really heals me. It’s something I need, and when I go too long without it… I really feel it.

Jumpsuit The Attico, jewellery **Rabat**

Do you see yourself living in the countryside in the future?

Yes, definitely. Not right now, because I also need to be in Madrid – going to the theatre, the cinema, soaking up culture, having a social life close by. I’m very sociable. But in the future, I’m absolutely sure I’ll end up living somewhere on the outskirts.

Closer to the mountains near Madrid or back to Pamplona?

Probably closer to the mountains, because of work and my ambitions. Pamplona is home, but to stay connected to my career, it’ll be easier to remain near Madrid. And there are some beautiful villages there.

I went to the San Fermín festivities last year.

Really? Did you like it?

Left Top and skirt **Max Mara**, jewellery **Rabat**
Right Dress and coat **MM6**, jewellery **Rabat**

It was intense. Really intense.

It always is. We might have even crossed paths – I go every year. On the 6th or 7th of July, I will try to be there no matter what. It’s a very special moment for me, being with my friends and enjoying it all.

And last year?

Last year was complicated. I went, but I experienced something I’d never felt before: not being able to just be a person. I felt overwhelmed. I stayed for three hours and then went back to Madrid because I couldn’t enjoy the festivities.

Right, the crowds…

Yes, it was crazy. And it’s something I still haven’t fully processed. My friends say, “Why do you go to places that are so crowded?” But I feel the need to keep a normal life. I like talking to strangers, to the butcher or ladies at the bakery… I don’t want to lose that.

Left T-shirt **Acne Studios**, shoes **Jimmy Choo**, tights stylist’s own, jewellery **Rabat**
Right Sweater and skirt **Rabanne**, shoes **Lily&you** , jewellery **Rabat**

San Fermín is exhausting. I woke up at eight in the morning, and people were already drinking.

That’s because the city is drunk for ten days straight. No breaks. Music all the time, people doing everything… It’s intense.

And everyone dressed in white and red…

Yes, that whole performance is very fun. There are things I don’t agree with, of course, but in the end, it’s my city’s festival. And I always say there are many ways to enjoy it – without harming anyone, with respect.

Like any celebration.

Exactly.

Left Skirt and jacket **Diesel**, jewellery **Rabat**
Right Dress **Max Mara**, jewellery Rabat

San Fermín festivities are very much about sharing them with friends. What kind of friend are you?

It’s strange to define yourself, but from what people tell me – especially on birthdays, when they remind you – I’m someone who really values honesty and clarity in relationships. I like things to be clean, transparent, beautiful. But also fun, a bit chaotic, being able to be like children. Knowing how to play, but also knowing when to be an adult.

They say there are two kinds of friends: the ones who call the police… and the ones who bring a shovel.

[Laughs] I’m definitely the “whatever you need, I’m there” kind. But afterwards, we’re going to sit down and figure out what happened. I like getting to the root of things.

Left Jacket **Diesel**
Right Top and skirt **Max Mara**, jewellery **Rabat**

Where’s the line between depth and overthinking?

If you find it, let me know. I think overthinking is something more individual, something you have to manage yourself. Depth happens in dialogue, in intimacy with another person. It depends on the relationship.

What are you diving into right now?

A lot of things at once. I’m in a moment where everything feels a bit upside down emotionally. I’m rearranging things. Things that used to work don’t anymore, and now I’m trying to find new places for them. It’s a moment of growth, but also an uncomfortable one.

Sounds intense.

It is. It’s exhausting. But I think the more you postpone it, the worse it gets. And it also helps to know you’re not alone, that you have people who support you.

T-shirt **Acne Studios**, tights stylist’s own

Does that influence your work as an actress?

Completely. For a long time, I tried to separate my personal life from my creative life, but it’s impossible. Everything is connected – what happens to you affects your art, and your creativity also affects your life. Accepting that has helped me a lot. When you’re more vulnerable, you’re also more open to exploring emotions. And even though that requires care, it’s also very beautiful for the work.

Would you say your latest project, Esa noche, which you shot in the Dominican Republic, has changed you in any way? What did you learn from it?

I learned so many things. It was a tough shoot because I was away for a long time, and I came straight from Olympo completely exhausted. I only had one week between projects. Sometimes I think, “How did you even do that, Clara?” Professionally, I learned a lot because I was working with actors who had much more experience and many more tools than I did. Pedro Casablanc was there, for example. Suddenly, I was the least experienced one, and I love that. It motivates me so much because I think, “Wow, there’s so much for me to learn.” On a personal level, I learned something very important: work is important, yes, but constantly moving from one thing to another without rest drains you. It takes away your energy, your strength. There’s this idea that you have to “ride the wave”… and yes, you do, but sometimes I just want to float for a while. Just stay there, doing nothing, resting, and then swim again later. I read something recently by a writer – I can’t remember his name – about the importance of pause. He said we’ve eliminated it so much that we’ve lost our ability to truly find things. And it’s true: creativity can’t come from noise or rush, but from slowness. That’s what I learned most from this project – that I needed that pause for other things to emerge.

Left Sweater **Rabanne**
Right T-shirt **Acne Studios**, tights stylist’s own

And how are you dealing with all this exposure? Because between Olimpo and everything that followed, there’s definitely been a boom.

Yes… I’m becoming aware of it step by step. I think my mind is in survival mode because taking it all in at once is complicated. Also, I’ll admit it makes me a bit uncomfortable to acknowledge where I am or how well-known I might be. It’s hard to say it out loud because I feel like I sound egocentric, like I’m saying “I’m a star,” which isn’t the case at all. It’s not a feeling – it’s a reality. There have been several “booms” one after the other. Accepting that has been difficult because I don’t want to come across as arrogant. But in the end, it’s something tangible, and you have to learn how to live with it. It’s a constant tension between your private life – who you are – and your public life. What’s been hardest for me is going from being the observer to being observed. I work a lot from observation, so suddenly being on the other side… that’s shaken me a bit. That’s why I try to keep doing normal things: walking around the city, taking the metro, going to San Fermín, going out without hiding in VIP areas… Even if those are situations where I might get recognised more, it’s a way of reclaiming my right to observe, not just be observed. But who knows – maybe in two months I’ll say I’m sick of it… or maybe I’ll say, “I’m fucking amazing.” Hopefully I’ll get to say that too.

What everyday things have you stopped doing?

Honestly, not that many. It’s more that I sometimes tone things down or adapt them. For example, wearing more neutral, darker clothes… small, almost unconscious things. I live in a very central area, so it’s not like I can completely disappear. But beyond that, I really try to keep my life normal.

Left Full look **Dsquared2**
**Right** Dress **Max Mara**, jewellery Rabat

Do you take the metro?

Yes, I do. I actually took it today. I had a drum lesson, so I went by metro. I put my headphones on, read, and that’s it. If someone asks for a photo, no problem. It’s only in very specific moments that you suddenly become the focus.

What were you reading?

I’m reading Women Who Love Too Much.

What’s it about?

It’s quite a well-known book. It talks about psychology – how women relate emotionally to men, how childhood and attachment styles shape us… all of that.

I can solve it for you: just stay away from men.

[Laughs] Right…

Do you read a lot? Do you have a favourite author?

I read a lot, but I don’t have a favourite author. I go through phases – sometimes I get obsessed with one writer, then another. Often, I choose books based on the story rather than the author. There are writers whose work I always read when they publish something new, but that doesn’t mean I love everything they write. Some books have blown me away, others I just haven’t connected with – it really depends on the moment.

Left Dress **Max Mara**, jewellery Rabat
Right Jumpsuit The Attico, jewellery **Rabat**

Imagine your house is on fire – God forbid – and you can only grab one book, one item of clothing, one record, and one film. What do you take?

The book is easy: Women Who Run With the Wolves. For me, it’s like the Bible for women. I’d definitely take that one.

And a piece of clothing?

I have this T-shirt I bought when I was starting to discover myself. It’s very metal – black, with a skull on the front and a sort of spine made of buckles on the back.

What film would you take?

Corpse Bride.

Such a beautiful one.

Yeah.

And a record?

The last one my parents gave me for my birthday – a vinyl by Robe Iniesta, Por encima del bien y del mal. It’s a really beautiful edition.

And now a tricky one: which co-star would you save from the fire?

From any project?

Any.

That’s really hard… I can’t pick just one.

Okay, I’ll let you choose two.

Alright… I’d save Laura Ubach. And I’d also save Nuno Gallego. But honestly, I’d try to save everyone. As many people as I could.