2024-08-17 01:26:09
The actor behind the character of Joaquín in “Juego de Ilusiones”, Nicolás Rojas, opened up and spoke about the cancer he experienced before and after his participation in the series “Zamudio, Perdidos en la Noche”.
Before the TVN series premiered in 2015, the artist was diagnosed with the disease, which he faced away from his family.
As he recounted in the podcast “Reyes del Drama“, the condition struck again when the production ended, at which point he had to undergo chemotherapy, the same treatment that kept him away from acting.
“I had cancer twice, before ‘Zamudio’ and after. (It was) Complex because the word cancer means living with a condition. It marks you for years until they give you medical clearance,” he began recounting.
He added, “I don’t like to say that one fights against cancer or that I live fighting because at the end of the day it’s not a fight. I mean, if I die of cancer, I didn’t lose the battle,” he reflected.
“I went through that twice and it was hard to feel that you can die from this, but when you have that idea in your head is when you want to live the most. The desire to live appears from nowhere, you don’t want to die,” he confessed.
“That makes me appreciate life much more,” he acknowledged. “I was away from my family all the time (…) there were days with chemotherapy… cancer for me was not the painful part, the treatment was the terrible part,” he added.
In this regard, he recounted: “I was young, so the symptoms of the chemo were really tough, and there were days that just sitting on the bed was (difficult) and I would faint. Of course, I feared for my life,” he admitted.
While living through this cancer, Nicolás Rojas recognized that there were days when he thought he would die; however, what helped him were the desires to live.
“I rarely cried, or felt sadness or anger. I focused on being okay, getting up, and enduring,” he added.
After recovering, the actor stayed away from acting due to one of the side effects of the treatment: hair loss.
“It’s a matter of image. As I was at that moment, I didn’t fit the character,” he revealed; however, he assured that he understood these decisions.
Currently, as he hinted, he is cancer-free and working on a Mega soap opera.
The Future of Health Narratives in Entertainment
The recent candid revelations by actor Nicolás Rojas, known for his role as Joaquín in “Juego de Ilusiones”, signal a transformative shift in how health issues are portrayed in the media. His open discussion about his personal battle with cancer before and after his time in the series “Zamudio, Perdidos en la Noche” highlights the potential for more authentic storytelling in entertainment.
As audiences increasingly demand transparency and relatability from their favorite stars, we may see a rise in narratives that encompass real-life health struggles. This could lead to an era where mental and physical health issues are approached with the same gravity and relevance as traditional plotlines in television and film.
Moreover, Rojas’s perspective on the notion of “fighting” cancer—suggesting it’s less about battle and more about living with the condition—could influence how writers craft characters and story arcs. This nuanced understanding could encourage empathy and support for characters facing similar challenges, ultimately fostering a dialogue about the realities of illness beyond the screen.
Engaging with audiences through such authentic narratives may also pave the way for partnerships between the entertainment industry and health organizations. Such collaborations could promote awareness and provide resources for viewers, breaking the stigma surrounding illnesses like cancer.
As society continues to embrace mental health discussions and personal storytelling, we can anticipate a landscape where the complexities of living with a health condition are treated with sensitivity and depth, enriching the cinematic experience for audiences everywhere.