Macarena Gómez

The face of Macarena Gómez (Córdoba, 1978) has become well-known on the Spanish horror film scene. “I love it when people say that I’m the muse of Spanish horror —the actress confesses—. Antonia San Juan once told me: ‘You don’t have to think of being put in a box as something negative, but rather as a positive thing, because it proves that you’re one of the best in the field.’ So, I don’t see it as a problem, quite the contrary, I feel proud.” We met Macarena to chat about one of her favourite genres and her favourite Spanish horror films; don’t miss the video. For this reason, we met her at a place shrouded in paranormal mysteries, the Palacio de Linares, and in case anyone was wondering: no, we didn’t hear anything from little Raimunda or her famous spirit voices. Thank goodness!

Macarena is already bored of classic horror (which the ghost of Raimunda would fall under): “I think that type of horror film, of ghosts, spectres, little children, and abandoned dolls, it’s all already been done before and there’s little left to explore. I prefer psychological horror more than jump scares and I love comedy horror, which combines my favourite genres. Even though I look like a good girl, I also love slasher and gore films. If I hadn’t been an actress, I would’ve loved to be a surgeon (laughs)". This Andalusian actress knows what she’s talking about because she enjoys both making horror films and watching them, a passion she also shares with her son: “I prefer to watch horror films with someone, and I often see them with my son, huddled on the sofa. People don’t get it, but he loves them.”

“As an actress, horror makes me travel emotionally to places that are so unbelievable and far removed from my everyday life that I find it appealing and exciting”

Unlike her son’s, Macarena’s passion for horror films doesn’t come from her childhood, rather the opposite. And it’s not the fault of Freddy Krueger, or Michael Myers, or Jason Voorhees… It’s E.T.’s fault! “I saw E.T. when I was four or five, and even though it’s not a film from the genre, it terrified me. After seeing it I was afraid of opening wardrobes and finding E.T. among my clothes, that he might be under my bed or behind the bathroom door... I started being afraid of the dark and I couldn’t sleep alone. In short, I refused to watch horror films until, at the age of 20, I went to see The Nameless by Jaume Balagueró with my mother, and I was fascinated by its emotional and psychological charge. I remember looking at my mother and saying: ‘How have I been missing out on this?’ After that, I started watching horror films by myself and destiny decided that the first film I ever shot, Dagon, was based on a story by Lovecraft.”

After that debut, Macarena continued daisy-chaining horror projects and she confesses that, paradoxically, she enjoys scaring the audience more than making them laugh. Which doesn’t mean that it’s easier to scare people than entertain them: “You often have to use your imagination and react to stimuli that don’t exist, and that’s an added difficulty. For example, when you shoot chroma keying and you have to imagine that there’s a monster behind you.” Another aspect this actress enjoys when approaching these types of roles is that she can step away from her everyday life: “As an actress, horror makes me travel emotionally to places that are so unbelievable and far removed from my everyday life that I find it appealing and exciting.” When we ask her if you need a special talent to succeed in this genre, Macarena confesses: “Being bad (laughs). Just joking.” With a smile on our faces and with no signs of Raimunda, we say goodbye to the muse of Spanish horror.