Juan Alfonso “the cat” Baptista He spoke about one of the hardest moments he had to go through in his life, which few people are aware of. In conversation with his fellow actor Juan Pablo Raba in the podcast Men cryhe remembered Facial paralysis, which he suffered at the age of 19.
He is remembered for playing in the soap opera “Óscar Reye”. Passion of Gavilanescommented on how this condition shaped his personal life and career since his first steps into acting. According to him, it all started during the recording With all my heartwhen a change in temperature caused paralysis.
“I got it when I was 19 because the temperature was changing. I was very sweaty when I recorded my first project and I remember feeling like a calaca. Do you know what a calaca is? That’s what happens when it’s very hot. My eye went out and my mouth went out” said.
He never imagined that climate change would completely change his life, as at such a young age he had to face an unexpected and painful process from which he still has some consequences. “I had to speak again, learn to speak when I already knew how to, because I was 19. So I had to speak and eat again; My mouth dropped and I had facial paralysis.“, he explained.
Despite the difficulties he faced over the years, the Venezuelan actor never gave up and although he still struggles with physical ailments, he knew how to deal with them.
“I sit here and talk it bothers me and it hurts mebut the point is not that men cry or not, but stop! And look forward to it. And so with everything. “With everything in life,” he said with emotion. At first it was quite complicated for Baptista because he received too much criticism and many people made fun of him without knowing what really happened to him; it’s something that still hurts him to remember.
“Sometimes I drink something or do something and people, without knowing it, come back and play: When this conversation started, society starts pointing at you and referencing you based on what they supposedly said or heard you. But no one knows that everyone has a process in their life; this legitimate respect, existing without question and without pointing out. I went out on the street and people said, “You don’t understand?” Man Why did he lose one eye like that? Are you high yet?’ (…) Shut up, brother, you can’t imagine what happened and how hard it was for me to get there,” he said.
For a long time of his life had to deal with criticism and although he is aware that they sometimes come without knowledge of the cause and without empathy, he managed to have a successful career despite the facial paralysis he suffered. “Not to get emotional, but if I stop for a moment and say, ‘Oof, go do it,’ and you can’t speak and your face is distorted. And you go to Mexico and you feel like it,” he stressed.
Instead of seeking pity with his comments or what he had to live with, he sent one deep reflection on empathy and respect for othersespecially when it comes to public figures, as many do not know what really happens in the lives of each of them.
“Everyone there is talking nonsense, what if this, what if that. Let’s talk well, let’s treat each other well.” Let us look for the virtues of who we are, because we are the same and we feel the same. We don’t have to wait until we reach mutual collapse to screw them over. Why are we so sadistic about this? Why do we hurt ourselves? “Why are you better than who?” he said through tears.
By Wendy’s Pitre Ariza
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