---
name: "Gael García Bernal"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gael-garcia-bernal"
fi1m_id: "gael-garcia-bernal"
imdb_id: "nm0305558"
tmdb_id: 258
wikidata_id: "Q179576"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 November 1978"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-21T20:49:11.067537+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gael García Bernal

## Identity

Gael García Bernal

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gael-garcia-bernal
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gael-garcia-bernal
- **IMDb ID:** nm0305558
- **TMDB ID:** 258
- **Wikidata ID:** Q179576
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gael_Garc%C3%ADa_Bernal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179576, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0305558/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/258

Actor. Born 30 November 1978 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 November 1978, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- **Active:** 2000–present
- **Also known as:** Gael Garcia Bernal, Gael García
- **Frequently works with:** [Alejandro González Iñárritu](https://film.one/person/alejandro-g-inarritu.md), [Guillermo Arriaga](https://film.one/person/guillermo-arriaga.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 78 (4), 2010s 84 (1), 2020s 84 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 74 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 4 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Adventure 1, Animation 1, Family 1, Music 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,062m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gael_Garc%C3%ADa_Bernal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179576, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0305558/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/258

## Coming up

- *Zero A.D.* (2026-12-03), as Joachim

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Amores Perros*](https://film.one/film/amores-perros.md) (85)
- **HBO Max:** [*Station Eleven*](https://film.one/tv/station-eleven.md) (84)
- **Disney+:** [*Coco*](https://film.one/film/coco.md) (84)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Motorcycle Diaries*](https://film.one/film/the-motorcycle-diaries.md) (77)
- **Hulu:** [*Babel*](https://film.one/film/babel.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Gael García Bernal

> Gael García Bernal makes restless, difficult young men worth watching without asking us to forgive them. We rate his urgency and vulnerability most highly when a director lets both remain uncomfortable.

Octavio seems incapable of waiting in *Amores Perros* (2000). Gael García Bernal gives him such restless urgency that we can understand his desperation without approving of what he does. We were unsettled by the performance because it drew us towards a man whose behaviour gave us good reason to keep our distance. García Bernal makes that attraction possible without smoothing away the reasons for our discomfort. It is a strong introduction to what we value in him: he makes a character's feelings matter without suggesting that those feelings excuse his actions.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's film places that urgency alongside Goya Toledo's difficult Valeria and Emilio Echevarría's quietly sad El Chivo. That contrast matters, because García Bernal need not supply all the tenderness himself. The connections between their stories sometimes feel strained, and he cannot make those contrivances disappear. He does help us care enough about the people to accept them. The actors keep our attention even when the plotting is asking a little too much of our patience.

*Y Tu Mamá También* (2001), directed by Alfonso Cuarón, gave that early image another setting, with García Bernal as Julio Zapata alongside Diego Luna. His rapport with Luna and the vulnerability of his performance broaden the early impression left by Octavio. The turn towards international work brought *The Motorcycle Diaries* (2004) and Pedro Almodóvar's *Bad Education* (2004). A historical role in the former and questions of gender and identity in the latter took him beyond a single kind of youthful urgency.

His later work includes voicing Héctor in *Coco* (2017). We would still send a newcomer to the uncomfortable company of Octavio: the film gives García Bernal plenty to do without requiring us to like the man he plays. Start with *Amores Perros*, provided its graphic cruelty to dogs is something you can face.

## Biography

Gael García Bernal is a Mexican actor and filmmaker. He was born on 30 November 1978 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He began acting as a child and studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

His breakthrough role came as Octavio in *Amores Perros* (2000). He is also known for performances in *Y tu mamá también* (2001), *The Motorcycle Diaries* (2004) and *Babel* (2006). García Bernal co-founded the production company Canana Films with Diego Luna.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Station Eleven* (2021), Fi1m 84, as Arthur Leander — [page](https://film.one/tv/station-eleven.md)
- *Coco* (2017), Fi1m 84, as Héctor (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/coco.md)
- *Babel* (2006), Fi1m 64, as Santiago — [page](https://film.one/film/babel.md)
- *The Motorcycle Diaries* (2004), Fi1m 77, as Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna — [page](https://film.one/film/the-motorcycle-diaries.md)
- *Y Tu Mamá También* (2001), Fi1m 87, as Julio Zapata — [page](https://film.one/film/y-tu-mama-tambien.md)
- *Amores Perros* (2000), Fi1m 85, as Octavio — [page](https://film.one/film/amores-perros.md)

## Complete filmography (104)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Zero A.D.* (2026), as Joachim
- *Hombre al agua* (2026), as Camilo · Director, Writer, Producer
- *Nothing Between Us* (2026), as Guillermo
- *The End of It* (2026), as Diego
- *Santita* (2026), series, as Alejandro
- *Thesis on a Domestication* (2025), Producer
- *Sueño Perro* (2025), Actor
- *Magellan* (2025), as Fernão de Magalhães
- *Holland* (2025), as Dave Delgado
- *ASCO: Without Permission* (2025), Executive Producer
- *La Máquina* (2024), series, as Esteban 'La Máquina' Osuna · Original Story, Executive Producer
- *LEGO Pixar: BrickToons* (2024), series, as Héctor (voice)
- *State of Silence* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Gombrowicz or The Immaturity* (2024), Actor
- *Another End* (2024), as Sal
- *Cassandro* (2023), as Saúl "Cassandro" · Executive Producer
- *The Mother* (2023), as Hector
- *This One Summer* (2023), as Thiago
- *Werewolf by Night* (2022), as Jack Russell
- *Station Eleven* (2021), series, as Arthur Leander — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/station-eleven.md)
- *Maya and the Three* (2021), series, as The Jaguar Brothers (voice)
- *Old* (2021), as Guy
- *El Tema* (2021), series, as Host · Producer, Creator
- *Wasp Network* (2020), as Viramontez
- *It Must Be Heaven* (2019), as Gael García Bernal
- *Lorena: Light-Footed Woman* (2019), Executive Producer
- *Ema* (2019), as Gastón
- *Birders* (2019), Executive Producer
- *Chicuarotes* (2019), Director, Producer
- *A 3 Minute Hug* (2018), Executive Producer
- *The Kindergarten Teacher* (2018), as Simon
- *The Accused* (2018), as Mario Elmo
- *Museo* (2018), as Juan Núñez
- *Here on Earth* (2018), series, as El Pájaro · Director, Creator
- *If You Saw His Heart* (2017), as Daniel
- *Coco* (2017), as Héctor (voice) — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/coco.md)
- *Zama* (2017), Executive Producer
- *Salt and Fire* (2016), as Dr. Fabio Cavani · Executive Producer
- *You're Killing Me Susana* (2016), as Eligio
- *Neruda* (2016), as Oscar Peluchoneau
- *Madly* (2016), Director, Screenplay, Story
- *Zoom* (2016), as Edward
- *The Empty Classroom* (2015), Producer
- *Eva Doesn't Sleep* (2015), as Massera
- *The Chosen Ones* (2015), Executive Producer
- *Desierto* (2015), as Moises · Executive Producer
- *Leagues* (2015), Creative Director, Producer
- *The Visible Hand* (2015), Director
- *Rosewater* (2014), as Maziar Bahari
- *The Ardor* (2014), as Kaí
- *Mozart in the Jungle* (2014), series, as Rodrigo De Souza
- *Paraíso* (2013), Executive Producer
- *Who Is Dayani Cristal?* (2013), Producer
- *Vamps* (2012), as Diego Bardem (uncredited)
- *No* (2012), as René Saaverdra
- *The Loneliest Planet* (2012), as Alex
- *Casa de Mi Padre* (2012), as Onza
- *Miss Bala* (2011), Executive Producer
- *A Little Bit of Heaven* (2011), as Julian Goldstein
- *Even the Rain* (2011), as Sebastián
- *Los Invisibles* (2010), Director
- *Hidalgo, Frenesí de Libertad* (2010), as Narrator
- *Revolución* (2010), Director
- *Abel* (2010), Executive Producer
- *Letters to Juliet* (2010), as Victor
- *The Limits of Control* (2009), as Mexican
- *Sin Nombre* (2009), Executive Producer
- *Mammoth* (2009), as Leo Vidales
- *Rudo & Cursi* (2008), as Tato
- *Walking Vengeance* (2008), Executive Producer
- *8* (2008), Director, Producer, Writer
- *I'm Gonna Explode* (2008), Executive Producer
- *Blindness* (2008), as Bartender / King of Ward Three
- *Chevolution* (2008), Actor
- *The letter* (2008), Director
- *The Past* (2007), as Rímini
- *Saint Death* (2007), as Narrator
- *Déficit* (2007), as Cristobal · Director
- *Cochochi* (2007), Executive Producer
- *Babel* (2006), as Santiago — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/babel.md)
- *The Science of Sleep* (2006), as Stéphane
- *Drama/Mex* (2006), Executive Producer
- *The King* (2006), as Elvis Valderez
- *Bad Education* (2004), as Ángel / Juan / Zahara
- *The Motorcycle Diaries* (2004), as Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-motorcycle-diaries.md)
- *Traveling with Che Guevara* (2004), as Che
- *Dot the I* (2003), as Kit Winter
- *Dreaming of Julia* (2003), as Ricky
- *The Crime of Padre Amaro* (2002), as Padre Amaro
- *I'm with Lucy* (2002), as Date 2 - Gabriel
- *Fidel* (2002), as Che Guevara
- *Fidel* (2002), series, as Che Guevara
- *Don't Tempt Me* (2001), as Jack Davenport
- *The Last Post* (2001), as Jose Francisco
- *Y Tu Mamá También* (2001), as Julio Zapata — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/y-tu-mama-tambien.md)
- *Private Lives* (2001), as Gustavo 'Gana' Bertolini
- *The Eye on the Nape* (2001), as Pablo
- *Amores Perros* (2000), as Octavio — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/amores-perros.md)
- *De Tripas, Corazón* (1996), Actor
- *Vovô e Eu* (1992), series, as Daniel García Medina
- *Z*, as Zorro
- *Monkey Hill*, Actor
- *In the Valley of Shadows*, as Álvar Toledano
- *The Boys: Mexico*, series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Gael García Bernal as Octavio in Amores Perros (2000)](https://film.one/media/title/920/still-eca6c55f4451.jpg) Gael García Bernal as Octavio in *Amores Perros* (2000) — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal as Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna in The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)](https://film.one/media/title/873/still-da52e04551c5.jpg) Gael García Bernal as Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna in *The Motorcycle Diaries* (2004) — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-f8773b0e7bf5.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Gael_Garc%C3%ADa_Bernal-7783.jpg/1280px-Gael_Garc%C3%ADa_Bernal-7783.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-5aeecefd1af2.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-c591ea2f2ec2.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-4dac8fad9719.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-5cffec2fcb40.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-2d989e589107.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB
- ![Gael García Bernal](https://film.one/media/person/96841/gallery-ffceae22d218.jpg) Gael García Bernal — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2011: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated), for *Even the Rain*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/gael-garcia-bernal