Locked Up is the critically acclaimed Spanish prison drama that's set to hit the UK tonight (May 17) after finishing filming its second series in Spain.
Credit: Antena 3
As the first Spanish title brought to the UK to be broadcast on UK terrestrial television, it's making quite the mark on TV history.
We got the opportunity to chat to the show's lead, Maggie Civantos who plays Macarena Ferreiro, all about the series, what we should expect and more. Read on to find out what she had to say...
Can you tell us a little bit about Locked Up and the character you play?
Locked Up is a marvellous thriller about a girl who is sent to prison. Macarena finds a clue to where nine million Euros are buried but Zulema, a dangerous woman in prison is also searching for the money. This is the start of the conflict between Macarena and Zulema.
My character is Macarena Ferreiro, a young financial business woman who is conned by her boss into stealing money from their company. She is caught and ends up in jail, where she has to learn how to survive in a harsh prison. The character evolves in every episode during the first season.
In the second season, she'll have to change her personality, her morals and she'll have to be tougher in order to survive in jail.
What was the audition process like when going for and securing the role?
The audition was not easy. I did three castings. They wanted to know my performance range. The final casting for Macarena lasted more than six hours but I trusted myself because I knew I was the right person for the role. I felt I really knew how to play Macarena.
She becomes friends with Yolanda - what can you tell us about their relationship?
(NOTE: There are spoilers for the show in this answer)
Yolanda is a happy young girl who helps Macarena. In her first night in prison, Yolanda empathises with Macarena's fears and she comforts her, holding her hand and gives her a silver chain which was really valued by Yolanda. Her death is going to be crucial for Macarena's perception of prison, she'll find out that being inside there is not a joke and she'll need to be strong because there is no place for compassion or good feelings in jail.
How does it feel to be part of the first ever Spanish drama to air on UK terrestrial TV?
It makes me very proud and I'm so excited about the show airing in the UK. English actors and the great respect to culture and to our profession shown in United Kingdom has always been a guide for me. I've always told myself, since I started studying performing when I was 14 that I wanted to be held in the same regard as the British actors that I have so much respect for. I want to become a complete actress knowing how to act, sing, dance and so I am always looking to improve myself. That's the reason why seeing our show broadcast in the UK makes me so proud and I hope it is well received.
The series has been a critical success and has received a number of awards in Spain. It has already received a great level of recognition for both the first and second season. But when we received the news about the UK it was amazing. Now we are part of Spanish drama history as it's the first Spanish series to air on an FTA channel. We are the first Spanish TV show to achieve this and we are really proud of the job that we have done.
Prison dramas have really taken off as of late - what is it about this genre do you think really lights a spark with audiences?
It is a curious phenomenon, but it is true. Stories set inside prisons are really interesting and I think the reason for this is that, you are talking about personal relationships in a closed environment, which always adds to the intensity of those relationships.
Prison dramas are really hugely emotional beasts - do you ever find it hard to switch off at the end of a day filming and go back to regular life?
When I go home, I keep working on that darkness and doing research, as Macarena gradually loses her values and loses faith in life and people. To put myself in her shoes, I need to feel what she feels. When you are studying this kind of dark world, some of it remains with you at the end of the day, so, once you're done, you need to shake that off and draw the line between the character and yourself. I insist, I have my own method, but a part of the character inevitably gets to you when you are studying it in such a close, intense way.
How do you think you'd cope in a real life jail?
I think I'd be afraid like Macarena was. I do not like violence and being inside that atmosphere would be terrible for me. I'd try to keep away from all the violence and try and find the good guys, stay away from trouble, keep my head down and take refuge by reading and studying... But I've no idea.
Probably if that question were posed to Macarena, she'd have answered that life is so unpredictable, one thing leads to another and you realise you're inside a wheel of tragic events you cannot stop, all you can do is try and survive. Our environment changes people, we are a reflection of our circumstances and that is Macarena's story, her transformation in order to survive leads to her compromising her principles to the point of becoming someone unrecognisable. It's the journey from light to darkness, because there is a fine line between right and wrong and everything exists inside us as humans. All this and more is the story of the Ferreiro family... In the mean time, I'll behave myself so as not to discover how I would fare inside of prison!
Episode 1 of Locked Up premieres on Channel 4 on Tuesday 17th May. The rest of the series is available to watch straight afterwards on Walter Presents.