Between the two of them they have more than 4 million followers on Instagram, and they haven’t needed to buy any of them. Omar Ayuso and Arón Piper owe this to Élite, the Netflix-produced series that has become a global phenomenon. They have more people following their actions than there are residents in their hometown of Madrid.
New roles
Omar is 19 years old, Arón is 22. Fans don’t just love their on-screen relationship but their off-screen friendship too. “Kissing someone I can’t stand would be unbearable,” says Omar. They spend more hours working together than with anyone else, but they haven’t got fed up with each other yet. “We imagined that we would like our storyline, but we didn’t imagine that it would cause so much of an impact,” Arón admits as the two continue to adapt to their new celebrity status. “Fame is a strange thing,” shares Omar. But he states that his friends are what ground him. “They anchor me. They’re the most critical of me.” Arón’s reiterates, “My lifelong friends have helped me a lot. They and my family are fundamental.”
Intense time together
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The Madrid-born Omar moved out of the family home a few months ago. “I live downtown, in a shared apartment.” Before that, he lived in Manzanares el Real. Arón is already used to living alone. “I’ve been independent since I was 18, but I’m still in the process of becoming an adult.” They spend eight months in a row filming. At the end of the second series they started working on the third. They share a very active WhatsApp group (named Elite Pon) with the rest of the cast. “In the first season we had summer camp syndrome and we were together every weekend. Not so much now, but that is normal,” they explain. “Our life is not like in Elite.”
Early calling
Omar is studying broadcast communications. He began his studies before working on Elite and he still attends university. “I go whenever I can. Last week I balanced everything and I didn’t miss a day of class.” But in the future he would like to be on the other side of the camera. “I have always wanted to be an actor, but after watching Bad Education by Pedro Almodóvar I discovered cinema from the director’s point of view. Since then I’ve wanted to create, direct and tell my stories.” He writes non-stop, “I really enjoy doing it, but then I read it at the end and think its worthless.” Arón played the son of the actress Maribel Verdú in Gracia Querejeta’s film 15 years and one day. At 14 years of age he was not only the protagonist of the film but he also wrote the rap song at the end of the movie which was nominated for a Goya award. “In addition to wanting to be an actor, as a child I started composing, but I lack the courage to share it with others. Music is something very personal.”
Endless nights
In the second season there are even more parties than in the first. A year ago, the actors were also seen going from party to party, but nowadays this happens much less often. “At the beginning I went to any event I was invited to because it was all new,” says Arón. Omar agrees, “The same happened to me, but I then realized that I didn’t like to go to certain types of parties.” They prefer not to say where they go, and to do their own thing. “I am completely nocturnal. I really like the night, it’s when my brain is active,” admits Arón. “I prefer the daytime, but the night is great too. Nights in Madrid especially,” Omar believes.
Madrid as the set
The fictional series directed by Dani de la Orden and Ramón Salazar is set in an undetermined place. “Madrid isn’t spoken about but is seen.” In the second season it is easy to recognize the front of the club that the characters go to (the old Pachá, now the Barceló Theater) or the Metropolis Building and Gran Vía from the terrace of the The Principal hotel. The exterior scenes of Las Encinas (the school they attend) is the campus of the European University of Madrid, in Villaviciosa de Odón. All interiors (classes, changing rooms and others) are filmed on a set. The reservoir that’s shown repeatedly in the first season is Los Arroyos, in El Escorial. The fictional locality where part of the action takes place, San Esteban, is set in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Collado Villalba and Guadarrama, where there’s the fruit shop that Omar runs. “Filming in the center of Madrid would complicate everything,” they agree.
Genetics and tattoos
Contrary to what one might think, the boys do not smash it in the gym. “I’m thin as twig. I haven’t been to the gym for four or five months,” admits Arón. The same goes for Omar, “I joined the gym in September of last year. and I’ve been twice.” Omar has a tattoo on his hand of drawings by Ricardo Cavolo. “I took several of his drawings to a tattoo artist. He took a flame from one, an eye from another and the tear from another. He put it together and tattooed it.” He also has an olive crown on his arm, the title of a song by Blondie (Heart of Glass) on his chest and a 19 on his hand. Arón also has several tattoos scattered throughout his body. “Some have more meaning, others are more for aesthetics.” Among them stands out an M. “It’s for my father and my mother. It’s the initial of their names.” He also has a crying heart. “It symbolizes how much crying has helped me in life.”
Unexpected fans
Fans write to them from all countries and in all languages. “It’s crazy. They write us more from Italy, Brazil, Argentina or Mexico than from Spain… ” There are Elite fans who you wouldn’t expect, even ones that the boys find it hard to believe, like “Frank Ocean!” And he’s not the only one, Ricky Martin, soccer stars like Neymar and Marcelo and many actors and directors like Carlos Vermut have shared their enthusiasm for the show. “We never imagined anything like this!”
Possible films
While they continue with Elite, the two actors fantasize about their future. Omar wishes, “I would love for Fernando Franco to call me to go with Marian Álvares to shoot a movie in a lost village of Asturias.” And aside from that, “it would be a dream to work with Ryan Murphy or Paolo Sorrentino.” Arón prefers not to give names. “I really like the films made in Spain, but the ones I like the most don’t always make it to the billboards. Plus, I would love to make movies in France, Germany or the United Kingdom. I don’t have Hollywood as a goal.”
English version by Alicia Kember