Facundo Calvo, the son of beloved Argentine actor Carlín, is forging his own path in the entertainment industry. Calvo, who shares his father’s captivating smile and mischievous glint, is steadily building a career that began with a small role in the 2018 series 100 días para enamorarse. The rising actor has since appeared in El encargado, Pequeñas Victorias, and Días de gallos, and is currently preparing for a new play at Microteatro, running from Wednesdays to Saturdays in April.
Calvo’s journey hasn’t been without its detours. More than a year ago, he embarked on an adventure to Hawaii, working at the beach for six months. Although he considered staying longer, visa issues prompted his return. Now settled back home, he’s balancing his artistic pursuits with remote operate for a Swiss company, selling AI-powered courses to schools in the United States.
In a recent interview with LA NACION, Calvo reflected on how his passion for acting developed and shared what his father, who passed away in 2020, told him about pursuing his dreams. He acknowledged the opportunities that approach with his family name, but emphasized the importance of earning his place in the industry. “We’re starting rehearsals these days with my colleagues Luciano Heredia, who is an actor and producer, and Adabel Guerrero and Sofía Jujuy Jiménez, who will alternate days, and under the direction of Diego Ramos,” he said, brimming with enthusiasm. “I’m also going to be in El tiempo puede esperar, which premieres on Netflix this year, where I had a small part. I’m hooked on acting.”
“And do you have another job?” he was asked.
“Yes,” Calvo replied. “I’ve been working since August on a job I found through LinkedIn. Basically, I call schools in the United States to sell them an artificial intelligence product, but the company is Swiss. I can’t live off art yet (laughs). I recently moved out on my own and have bills to pay. Sometimes, I also get commercials or something on social media.”
Living alone, he says, is a positive experience. “It’s good… I needed my space. Until two months ago, I was living with my mom (Carina Galucci) and my sister Abril, and we got along well. But at a certain point, you aim for your own place. I don’t particularly like cleaning, and I cook just to survive (laughs). Honestly, I don’t cook so I don’t have to do dishes. When I got back from Hawaii, I stayed at my mom’s house, and it felt strange after being alone for six months.”
His time in Hawaii came about after a breakup and a lull in acting work. “I left in August 2024 and stayed until January 2025. I just wanted to attempt something different. A friend recommended Hawaii, and I went without knowing anyone. I loved it. I worked on the beach setting up chairs and umbrellas, giving canoe rides, a bit like a tour guide. If my visa hadn’t expired, I might have stayed a little longer because it was a great experience. But I also wanted to come back and get back into acting, which is what I love. I saved some money and had a really good time in Maui.”
Returning home was an adjustment. “The return was a little tough because I was in a different rhythm. Everything is more relaxed there; people head to bed at 10 p.m. Here, there are so many stimuli, and you end up feeling overwhelmed. It felt strange, but I’m back in the routine now.”
When asked if being Carlín Calvo’s son made it easier to break into the industry, he acknowledged the advantages. “Obviously, a lot of doors open for me because of who my father is, but that doesn’t guarantee anything, and I know I have to earn my place. It’s true that I have more opportunities, and I’m grateful for that, but it’s up to me to stay in the industry and move forward. I try to be myself, to forge my own path, and to make my dad proud.”
He doesn’t shy away from comparisons to his father. “I know there will be comparisons because that happens to all ‘sons of…,’ and it doesn’t bother me at all. Physically, I’ve never seen myself looking like my dad, but when I watched some episodes of Amigos son los amigos, I realized I have a lot of his mannerisms. Watching him makes me laugh a lot because I realize I was imitating him, and it felt like being at home. You can really see how much fun he was having, and that’s wonderful to me. Sometimes people who knew him tell me I remind them of my dad, and that’s a compliment because, in a way, it means I’m doing things right. I sense a little hesitant to ask for favors, just because of being ‘the son of…’. When I filmed El tiempo puede esperar, produced by Sebastián Ortega, it was great because he worked a lot with my dad. And it was nice to share that connection.”
People often share fond memories of his father. “They tell me funny anecdotes. I love it because he’s an icon, but sometimes I don’t know how to react. I’m glad they remember him so fondly. I grew up surrounded by actors, and the industry is very natural to me. I don’t remember a summer that I didn’t accompany my dad during the seasons in Mar del Plata. It was normal for people on the street to greet him and ask for photos.”
When he told his father he wanted to be an actor, Carlín was supportive. “He was happy. I know my dad would be proud of me. When I found out I was going to do the play Convivencia obligada, I ran to tell him, and I felt like a kid. That day he said, ‘excellent, extraordinary son.’ That was enough for me. He couldn’t come to see me in the theater because of his schedule and he went to bed early, but he recorded the play, and we watched it together.”
He described his father as a good man who always made time for him. “He was very good. We always enjoyed each other’s company. Sometimes he would pick me up from school at noon, and something else I remember is that we went to South Africa together to watch the World Cup, and he was a little afraid of being alone with me. I feel like we’re very similar in some ways. I have a good feeling now. I no longer have any pain or sadness over what happened. My dad had his first stroke in 1999, when I was in my mother’s womb. That one didn’t affect him too much, and he recovered quickly. And when he had his second one, in 2010, I was at the theater, waiting for him to go on stage. The play, Taxi 2, was canceled that day, and I didn’t see him again for two months. I remember that night I didn’t understand what was happening until the next day, when my mom traveled to Mar del Plata. They explained it to me because I was young.”
Calvo believes acting is in his blood. “It must be… I spent my entire childhood in the theater, until I was 11 years old. From the age of 15, I’ve been studying theater and always taking courses. When I finished school, I enrolled in Psychology and lasted two long, arduous months (laughs). And this year I finished a personal trainer course, which I really enjoy. I like to train and also motivate people.”
