We talked to Jaume Ibars about "L'Acadèmia", sports and acting

In "L'Acadèmia", the new series produced by 3Cat and Amazon Prime with Sony Pictures Media and Brutal Media, he plays the role of Arnau. The series tackles issues such as competitiveness, self-improvement, abuse of power, mental health, homophobia and machismo in sports.

• What has it been like to be part of a series like "L'Acadèmia"?

It has been a dream come true. While I was shooting, I couldn't imagine how big it would become, but when you see the final result on the screen, you say to yourself: "Wow, it's me there!" We have created a strong bond, both artistically and technically, that makes you feel part of a family. It's an experience worth just standing there with a pen and paper and writing it all down.

And yet, I have been able to combine it with my studies, although it has never been easy. […] Studying at the university means you can work if you sign up for the morning schedule, do it in the afternoon or the other way around. But with a job like acting, you can never foresee it. And that's why it's important that professors can help us in these cases.

• What aspects of your university education do you think have helped you the most in your career as an actor?

What we journalists do a lot is analyze the situation and consider the context from different points of view. This has been of great help to me in preparing a character. Journalism is about communicating and so is acting.

Besides, I have worked with the director Laura Jou and the coaches Aida de Sàrraga and Marta Fuertes. Lastly, the fact that I am a soccer player and I have seen all kinds of people in the locker room for many years.

I had to take a little bit of each one's characteristics and form the character.

• How do you view the repercussion that "L'Acadèmia" is having?

Yes, the success that the Academy is having is something we did not expect, but we love it. I get a lot of comments from people who tell me that they like it a lot, this makes us very excited. Because of course, we did it with so much love that receiving the same affection really satisfies you a lot. In 24 to 48 hours we rose to number 1 on Prime Video. Also, on the first day of the premiere, we were already night primetime leaders on TV3.

• What advice would you give to young people who aspire to combine an academic career with their artistic or sporting interests?

If you are interested in studying while you are working in the field of art or sports, the advice I would give is to look at the situation to see if you can make your schedule more flexible or if you can offset the work done outside the academic schedule.

• How would you describe Arnau, the character you play in "L'Acadèmia"?

Arnau is someone who has many things in common with me, I have to say that's why I liked playing him. But he is a funny guy who wants to have fun with his friends. […] He is someone who is ignorant about the evolution of the role of women in the world of soccer or other issues that are dealt with in the series.

He has had a romantic episode that I don't want to spoil, but it's quite interesting to watch.

• How do you think the plots of "L'Acadèmia" can influence young viewers in their own personal and academic experiences?

I think that specifically in L'Acadèmia, the good thing is that it touches on very common issues and problems such as anxiety, bulimia, homophobia and racism. These are aspects that turn into reality in young and not-so-young spaces. So, in the end, young people can really relate to what they have watched in the series.

• "L'Acadèmia" is a training school, where they also study. Do you think it is important that teenagers who combine studies/sport can have academic measures to do so?

It's essential. We can do sports and some artistic pursuits outside the academic sphere. But studying is very important for your culture, for your knowledge and to constantly manage your head.

• Approaching adulthood while you are a professional athlete can be complicated. What do you think is the main mission of "L'Acadèmia" in relation to the youth audience?

The goals of the series are to normalize and highlight problems that exist in reality. And growing up as a professional soccer player is complicated, we would say that 80% of your thoughts are constantly inside the sport.

Once you grow up, you see how the "real world" outside of professional soccer works very differently. That's why the values that L'Acadèmia transmits to people are very important, such as: pride, ambition, discipline, individual work and teamwork. Playing in a club implies discipline, effort, punctuality and teamwork, which is also very useful when you stop playing and have to face real life.

• What impact do you think "L'Acadèmia" can have on the way young people perceive sport and its dynamics?

"L'Acadèmia" continually shows two youth teams working as a team and competing both inside and outside the team. Us too, above all, young people who are starting to discover the world of work. And if you really want a job, you have to be better than the next guy, but also work as a team wherever you are to get the job done. It is perhaps the relationship that has the most impact.

• Do you think that university studies and high-performance sports can be taken simultaneously?

Yes, high-performance sport and a university degree at Blanquerna can be successfully coordinated. At Blanquerna, for instance, it works really well.

• If you had to choose a university, what support and what would you expect it to provide in the field of sports?

In the field of sports, above all what I would ask the university to provide is flexible hours […]. And that they take into account that wherever you are, you can also be working. I, for instance, have been shooting a film in Mallorca. When I finished shooting, I would go to the hotel and work on the computer. You can do it, but it must be permissible.