There was a time when many confused the name of the high school subject with the title of the series of the moment. And Physics or Chemistry has been one of the most successful Spanish series, even becoming cult fiction for adolescent audiences. One of its protagonists was the Mallorcan Angy Fernández (Palma, 1990), who had risen to fame shortly before with Factor X, “the program that changed everything.” This Thursday the singer and actress’s first book hits bookstores: nice mess (Editions B).
nice mess is a diary in which he bravely demonstrates that, in the world of celebrities, all that glitters is not gold…
—With social networks there has been a rapprochement on the part of celebrities, but it is true that not everyone shares their fears and nothing happens. In my case, what I do is tell how I felt, although logically everyone doesn’t have to do the same. Many people say that I have been brave, but I don’t see it that way, because the book also cost me a lot of work. It has helped me to know how I felt writing, in case in the future I want to continue writing, perhaps a script, but also as therapy… Talking about this still bothers me.
It seems that there is a movement to open up about these aspects on the part of some well-known faces…
—In the United States there has been more than here: Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga… Here it is not so normal. Obviously I don’t have their level of world fame or anything like that, but whether you like it or not, when you’re young everything affects you much more. For example, in the book I talk about the death of my father and other very hard things that I have experienced… And, in any case, I have also experienced very beautiful things because, at the end of the day, I consider myself privileged, although I haven’t had it easy, I’m sure many readers, whatever they do, have gone through something like this at some point.
Don’t you think that celebrities have more responsibility when it comes to raising people’s awareness about mental health?
—It is true that we have a loudspeaker, which many of us use, but I understand that there are people who do not want to tell their things… In fact, sometimes I myself have regretted having opened up so much.
Because?
—For fear that I wouldn’t get a job later, that they would think that I’m weaker or that I’m going to cause problems… I’m afraid of falling into complacency, I don’t want to feel sorry for myself, because I’ve also had a blast many times. It all started very naturally, I was sharing my experience on Instagram, I wasn’t thinking about making a business out of it and then they asked me to write this book.
What motivated you to agree to do it?
—I thought about it a lot, but I finally agreed because it was an opportunity to tell my life, with its lights and shadows, although fear almost prevented me. Actress, singer, now I write… where will people place me? But one day they stopped me on the street to thank me because, based on what I posted on Instagram, I had finally decided to go to therapy. Then I saw that it could be useful. I am not a psychologist, I insist, I am only telling my experience, which is that of a normal girl who has lived a sometimes slightly abnormal life. I wish everyone who needs it and wants to go to therapy could access it through public health….
In the first chapter of Physics or Chemistry A suicide already appears…it is a series that gave visibility to mental health issues, also racism or abuse…
—Yes, I remember that before, in CompanionsI was also shocked that a case of bulimia appeared. I remember very well how I felt with that first chapter because on top of that I was in a very bad time. From there I began to talk naturally about mental health.
“I love being Mallorcan,” but she admits that when she goes to Mallorca she doesn’t feel completely happy…
—I left when I was 16, although I was a happy teenager and I wouldn’t have left so quickly, but it came about like that, suddenly, when they called me to X Factor. But half of my life I have spent in Madrid, I have been losing contact with my friends… and yet, I feel very Mallorcan and I am proud to be so, I want everyone to know that I am Mallorcan. What happens is that I feel very nostalgic when I return home, many memories are awakened…
But he confesses that he is not a prophet in his land, although he fondly remembers that he started at the age of 13 on regional television…
—I notice, for example, that my Andalusian colleagues pay more attention to them in Andalusia, but in Mallorca it doesn’t happen as much. I have felt that they have taken me more into account to work in the Canary Islands than in my homeland, when I would love to work in my homeland.
In fact, it’s in the play A comprehensive therapy, along with Llum Barrera, also from Mallorca.
-Yeah! And I went to Mallorca with The call, which made me very excited because my grandmother was able to come see me, although she was already very old. I hope this work also comes to Mallorca. With Llum, I will also be on his new IB3 Televisió program, Pim, pam, Llum. On the other hand, I have been invited to the program Here the landfrom La 1, and they asked me where I wanted to record and I was clear that in my land, Mallorca.