Guillermo Pfening

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Guillermo Pfening
Guillermo Pfening en "Cromo" (cropped).jpg
Pfening in a 2015 acting role
Born (1978-12-09) 9 December 1978 (age 47)
Marcos Juárez, Córdoba Province, Argentina
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film director
Years active1998–present [1]

Guillermo Pfening (born 9 December 1978) is an Argentine actor and film director.

Contents

Career

Pfening, who has German ancestry, [2] was born in 1978 in Marcos Juárez, a city in Córdoba Province of about 30,000 inhabitants. [3] At the age of 18, he moved to Buenos Aires to study social communication, later changing to philosophy and literature and history of the arts at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). [4] [5] While attending classes at UBA, Pfening took classes of theatre, beginning to get important acting roles in 2002. [5] As a consequence, he gradually put aside his studies, taking only a single assignment per year, describing it as a hobby. [6] [5]

In 2004, Pfening made his directorial debut with a short film titled Caíto, which won a prize honouring French filmmaker Georges Méliès by the French Embassy and the Argentine Film Archive. [7] [8] The short film is a self-referential documentary about his family living in Marcos Juárez, as well as the relationship with his younger brother, who suffers from muscular dystrophy. [9] [5] In August 2019, Pfening served as a juror in the comeback of the Mélliès Award in Buenos Aires. [8]

Pfening's credits as an actor include main roles in the 2010 TV film Belgrano, [10] the HBO series Foodie Love , [11] Netflix original Welcome to Eden , as well as the 2023 drama film Alma, sharing cast with fellow Argentines Carolina Kopelioff and Florencia Otero. [12] [9] [13] [14] Aside of his works in Argentine cinema and television, Pfening took part in some international productions like the 2020 Spanish thriller The Paramedic , [15] and Fever Dream by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa, with the film being an adaptation of Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin 's novel of the same name, and premiered by Netflix at the 69th San Sebastián International Film Festival. [16] [17]

Among his accolades, Pfening was awarded with the Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film award at the 2017 Tribeca Festival for his role in queer drama Nobody's Watching of Argentine director Julia Solomonoff, where Pfening portrays an Argentine actor who immigrates to the United States, settling in New York City and seeking a new life while struggling with language and cultural barriers. [18] [19] [20] Pfening received critical acclaim for his role in Nobody's Watching, with critics praising his "melancholic and full of nuances" acting. [18]

Personal life

Pfening is openly gay. [12] [21] He has stated that his coming out as gay did not mean much to his father Néstor, but was harder to accept for his brothers. [12] Pfening said that his brothers did not object to his sexual orientation, instead showing confusion because Pfening had dated women while he lived in Marcos Juárez. [12] In the same interview, he added that while always knowing that he was gay, as a young man he "wanted to have sex" and "(being) with women was the norm" in Marcos Juárez. [12]

In regard with his sexual orientation, Pfening said that he does not conceal who he is but that he does not share some things with the LGBTQ movements, instead preferring to tell his story with the aim of helping others. [12]

Pfening has a daughter named Asia, whom he had with his friend Cynthia Pinasco as part of a coparenting project they shared. [22] The girl was born in 2014, with Pfening saying that he had spoken with Pinasco about having a child under those terms, agreeing to share custody of the baby. He added that he and Pinasco had made a promise that if they did not have a child of their own nor a partner by the age of 35, they would conceive a baby together. [12] [9]

He is engaged with a longtime partner, Rafael, who helps raise Asia, taking an important role in the girl's upbringing. [23] According to a November 2020 interview, Asia spent a week with Pfening and his partner, and one week with her mother. [24]

His mother, Alicia Caloso, was a dermatologist who developed an addiction to cosmetic surgeries and beauty treatments. [25] Pfening recounted that she would meet with her friends to inject themselves with liquid silicone. When he was 26, Pfening moved with her to avoid committing her to a mental hospital. He said that his mother suffered intense pains towards the end of her life, killing herself in 2008. As a result of his relationship with his mother, Pfening produced a film titled Alicia, where actress Cecilia Roth plays the role of Pfenning's mother. [26]

Pfening's father, Néstor, died in April 2019 in Marcos Juárez, while Pfening was filming Foodie Love in Spain. [23] [9]

Pfening resides in Argentina and has stated that he prefers European cinema over American industry films, adding that sharing Spanish language, despite having different accents and intonation, helps Argentina and Spain to share cinematographic projects. [20] In an interview with Spanish radio Los 40 , Pfening said that he chooses to live in Argentina, recalling that he had not even considered leaving the country during its most difficult times. [20]

Selected works

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1998 Corazón iluminado Young GodoyFirst acting role [1]
2001Rodrigo, la películaEzequielMain role. Made shortly after the death of Argentine cuarteto singer Rodrigo [27]
2007 The Effect of Love Martín Argentine film [28]
XXY Narrator (voice only) Lucía Puenzo production [29]
2011 Belgrano Dr. TerranovaArgentine TV film [12]
2013 The German Doctor Klaus Lucía Puenzo production [30]
2017 Nobody's Watching NicoAwarded with a Tribeca Festival award [18] [19]
2018 My Best Friend AndrésArgentine film [31]
2020 The Paramedic RicardoSpanish film [15]
2021 Fever Dream Marco [32]

Selected accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryWorkResultRef.
George Mélliès Award2004Best Short FilmCaítoWon [12]
Tribeca Festival 2017Best Actor in a Narrative Feature FilmNadie nos miraWon [20]

References

  1. 1 2 "Belinda publicó una foto con Guillermo Pfening en medio del escándalo con Nodal y despertó los rumores". La Nación (in Spanish). 19 May 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "En Cannes, con la historia de un criminal nazi". Clarín (in Spanish). 21 May 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "31365 habitantes surgen del Censo 2024 en Marcos Juárez". Cadena Sudeste (in Spanish). 1 November 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "¿Su nuevo novio? Él es Guillermo Pfening, el actor argentino que apareció junto a Belinda en Instagram". Milenio Televisión (in Spanish). 18 May 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Guillermo Pfening en el Departamento de Artes Audiovisuales". Universidad Nacional de las Artes (in Spanish). 5 November 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Guillermo Pfening: "Que la gente elija todo el tiempo entretenerse me parece un problema"". Clarín (in Spanish). 18 July 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Un cortometraje argentino ganó el concurso "Georges Méliès"". Adlatina (in Spanish). 8 December 2004. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Vuelve el Premio Georges Méliès". Página 12 (in Spanish). 22 August 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Comisso, Sandra (12 April 2019). "El doloroso momento de Guillermo Pfening, en medio del éxito internacional". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Belgrano, la pelicula". Radio Continental (in Spanish). 20 June 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Zato, Lola (4 December 2019). "'Foodie Love': todo sobre la sabrosa serie de Isabel Coixet en HBO". Diez Minutos Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dunand, Ignacio (9 August 2023). "Guillermo Pfening, íntimo: su coming out gay, el proyecto familiar que lo une a Cecilia Roth y las películas que le cambiaron la vida". El Destape Web (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  13. ↑ ""Bienvenidos a Edén": primer tráiler y fotos de la serie de Netflix con Belinda | VIDEO". El Comercio (in Spanish). 3 March 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ya podés ver ALMA, una película con Florencia Otero, Guillermo Pfening y Carolina Kopelioff". Global Buenos Aires (in Spanish). 23 July 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Pfening, sobre "El practicante": "Es muy entretenido de ver"". Cadena 3 (in Spanish). 23 September 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Holland, Jonathan (20 September 2021). "'Fever Dream': San Sebastian Review". Screen International . Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "Netflix: "Distancia de rescate" se transformó en la película más vista en Estados Unidos". Aires de Santa Fe (in Spanish). 17 October 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 Contreras Vergel, Jazid (8 July 2019). ""Nadie nos mira", la historia de un artista estancado". Señal Colombia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  19. 1 2 "16TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JURIED AWARDS". Tribeca Festival . 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Sisí Sánchez, Alberto (21 June 2018). "Guillermo Pfening: "Me gusta hacer películas incómodas, que generen preguntas"". Los 40 (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  21. ↑ Ajmat, Silvina (22 October 2013). "Guillermo Pfening, el nuevo amor de Julio Chávez en Farsantes". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Guillermo Pfening explicó por qué tuvo un hijo con su amiga". Exitoína (in Spanish). 1 March 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  23. 1 2 García Testa, Valeria (5 September 2020). "Guillermo Pfening: "Todos tenemos una tragedia dentro"". Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  24. ↑ "Guillermo Pfening reveló cómo fue que decidió ser padre con una amiga: "Empezó como una humorada"". Pronto (in Spanish). 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Taboada, Andrea (3 December 2025). "El crudo relato de Guillermo Pfening sobre la adicción de su madre: "Se terminó muriendo por eso"". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Riggio, Pablo (25 April 2020). "Cecilia Roth y el desafío de interpretar a la madre del director de su próxima película, Guillermo Pfening: "Esta historia me envuelve a mí también"". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "Guillermo Pfening, cinco razones". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 30 September 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  28. ↑ "El resultado del amor (2007)". Cine Nacional Argentino (in Spanish). 16 August 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  29. ↑ "Guillermo Pfening: el mundo del hombre". El Planeta Urbano (in Spanish). 20 December 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  30. ↑ Cinelli, Juan Pablo (20 September 2013). "Cita en la Patagonia con lo siniestro". Página 12 (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  31. ↑ "Mi mejor amigo | My Best Friend". Cine Las Américas (in Spanish). 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "Distancia de rescate / Fever Dream". San Sebastian Film Festival . 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
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