What is Gael García Bernal's Net Worth?
Gael Garcia Bernal is a renowned Mexican actor, director, and producer with an impressive net worth of $12 million. He gained prominence through his performances in iconic Spanish-language films like Amores Perros, Y Tu Mamá También, Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries, and No. Bernal has also made his mark in English-language cinema, starring in films such as A Little Bit of Heaven, Rosewater, and Old. His television career has been equally remarkable with roles in Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle, which earned him a Golden Globe Award, and the Disney+ special Werewolf by Night.
Early Life and Education
Gael García Bernal was born on November 30, 1978, in Guadalajara, Mexico, to actor and director José Ángel García and actress and former model Patricia Bernal. He gained two half-siblings, Darío and Tamara, through his stepfather Sergio Yazbek. Active from a young age, Bernal taught indigenous communities to read and participated in the 1994 Zapatista uprising. He initially attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico, but a student strike interrupted his studies, prompting him to travel through Europe. Eventually, Bernal settled in London, becoming the first Mexican student accepted to the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Career Beginnings
García Bernal’s acting career began on telenovelas in the late 1980s. His early roles included appearances in Teresa, starring Salma Hayek and featuring his mother. He gained further recognition in 1992 with a lead role in El Abuelo y Yo.
Film Career, Part 1
In 2000, García Bernal debuted in the critically acclaimed psychological drama Amores Perros, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. He then starred in Don't Tempt Me and Alfonso Cuarón's crossover hit, Y Tu Mamá También, alongside Diego Luna and Maribel Verdú. He continued to shine in films like The Crime of Padre Amaro, Dreaming of Julia, and Dot the I. Notably, his roles in Pedro Almodóvar's Bad Education and Walter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries, where he portrayed Che Guevara, earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. García Bernal also appeared in The King, Babel, The Science of Sleep, The Past, and his directorial debut, Déficit. His acting and directing talents were showcased in the anthology film 8 and subsequent films like Blindness, Rudo y Cursi, Mammoth, The Limits of Control, Letters to Juliet, and Even the Rain. Notable performances followed in A Little Bit of Heaven, Casa de mi Padre, and The Loneliest Planet. His role in Pablo Larraín's acclaimed historical drama No cemented his reputation as an actor of depth and versatility.
Film Career, Part 2
In 2014, García Bernal starred in The Ardor and Jon Stewart's political drama Rosewater. His later films included Desierto, Zoom, Eva Doesn't Sleep, Neruda, Salt and Fire, You're Killing Me Susana, and If You Saw His Heart. He voiced the character Héctor in Pixar's animated hit Coco and starred in the heist film Museo, The Kindergarten Teacher, and The Accused in 2018. His prolific year in 2019 saw him return as a director in Chicuarotes and act in Ema, Wasp Network, and It Must Be Heaven. In 2021, García Bernal starred in M. Night Shyamalan's Old.
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Television Career
García Bernal transitioned to English-language television with his role as Rodrigo De Souza in the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle. The show ran from 2014 to 2018, earning him a Golden Globe Award. In 2021, he appeared in the miniseries Station Eleven as Arthur Leander. In 2022, he starred as Jack Russell in the Disney+ special Werewolf by Night.
Film Entrepreneurship
In 2005, García Bernal co-founded Canana Films with Diego Luna. He also established the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival and contributed to Amnesty International’s short documentary series, Los Invisibles.
Personal Life
Bernal was in a relationship with Argentine actress Dolores Fonzi from 2006 to 2014. They have two children, Lázaro and Libertad. He began dating Mexican journalist Fernanda Aragonés in 2019, with whom he has another child, born in 2021.
