Gabriel Spahiu in Martin Scorsese’s New Film
Over a career spanning more than 3 decades, Gabriel Spahiu has played in films that define contemporary Romanian cinema
Corina Sabău, 10.10.2026, 13:30
Over a career spanning more than 3 decades, Gabriel Spahiu has played in films that define contemporary Romanian cinema, from “Next Stop Paradise”, “Occident”, and “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” to “California Dreamin’” and “Everybody in Our Family”. He won his first Gopo Award for the latter in 2013. In 2026, he received his second Gopo Award for his role in “Kontinental ’25”, a film by Radu Jude that also won the award for Best Film at the Gopo Gala.
For Gabriel Spahiu, acting was not a predetermined destination, but rather a path discovered along the way. Although he dabbled in theatre as early as high school, Gabriel Spahiu initially pursued a completely different course: he lacked the confidence to apply to drama school and wanted to avoid mandatory military service. He chose mathematics, a field that, at the time, offered the prospect of a predictable and secure future. Gabriel completed his university studies in sciences, yet his passion for the stage ultimately prevailed, and he went on to become one of Romania’s most acclaimed actors.
Gabriel Spahiu: “Before choosing mathematics and discovering the Podul Student Theatre, back when I was still in high school, I had considered applying to drama school. I had toyed a bit with theatre, but I didn’t actually have the courage to sign up for the admission exams. However, I knew that if I didn’t get into university, I’d have to serve a year and a half in the military, that’s how things were in the late 80s, so complications would arise. And so, the solution was to enrol with the Mathematics Faculty. I was good at math; I took the exam and got in. But at university I met real mathematicians, people who did it out of pure passion. They were my colleagues; we’d go out for a beer, and they would discuss math problems. I realized that if you aren’t truly passionate about something, there’s no point in going on, it’s almost a shame, in a way. That’s how I started looking for things to do out of genuine pleasure and moving toward them, trying to find something I could be truly passionate about. And, in the end, I realized that acting was the answer.”
So, the path to acting began not with a career plan, but with a shift in perspective. And after so many years in the profession, Gabriel Spahiu says that experience has taught him to control things less, to avoid judging his characters, and to stay open to whatever emerges along the yaw: “After 30 years of experience and more than a hundred roles, you cannot judge your characters and you cannot prepare everything mathematically. So you have to take the plunge and trust your instincts and, of course, the director’s guidance. And it is very important to reach a point where you can perform without trying to control everything and to relinquish control to the director, as I was saying. It is an act of courage, especially when you do not know the director, when you have never worked with them before. But I now believe that your chance as an actor is to be present in that moment, to be authentic and to let things happen, to let them come from within you, without overthinking. That does not mean that I do not prepare for my roles, but I leave myself the freedom to improvise on set as well. I actually give myself a great deal of freedom, and I enjoy it. From the moment you go to an audition, the work on the character actually begins. You go about your everyday life, you go to the market, you take care of your usual business, but you keep thinking about the character: why are they like this, why do they do this, why do they not do things differently? Little by little, you begin to understand them.”
With more than 100 film roles to his name, Gabriel Spahiu says he does not feel he has reached a point where he can simply rely on formulas. On the contrary, curiosity and the need to adapt are what continue to keep him connected to his profession: “I am still passionate, I enjoy acting and I actually act as much as I can, in anything. I recently also became an actor at the Brașov Theatre, and I am enjoying this new experience. And I can say that I am still curious, I still have anxieties and emotions. Somehow, it is still the same as it was at the beginning, and I am happy about that. I try to adapt to every new challenge, to keep my mind alive and not to pass judgment.”
And for an actor who says he wants to remain curious and avoid passing judgment, Martin Scorsese’s new film, shot this spring, represents another new challenge. In “What Happens at Night”, Gabriel Spahiu stars alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Romanian actress Ilinca Manolache. (AMP/EE)
