Elsa Pataky: ‘You have to do everything possible to slow down the passage of time, but not oppose it’

Elsa Pataky, 48, is back in Spain. And no, this isn’t a sporadic visit or a vacation. The actress and Madrid native is returning to star in a Spanish series after two decades, a time during which she has focused on her family and international projects. It’s the first truly warm day of the year in Madrid, and the entire cast of Matices, the SkyShowtime production premiering June 5, is promoting the show at the Santo Mauro Hotel in the Spanish capital. Each room in this luxurious oasis is a film set that, as the day progresses and advertising commitments are fulfilled, gradually regains its original image. The last to leave is Pataky, who greets EL PAÍS with the excitement of someone who knows this is the beginning of a new stage in her life: “It’s a wonderful experience to be back working in Spain and in my own language.”

The actress stars alongside Maxi Iglesias, Juana Acosta, and Raúl Prieto, among others, in this eight-episode psychological thriller that explores the traumas of six patients seeking a solution to their treatment by psychiatrist Dr. Marlow (played by Eusebio Poncela). Pataky plays Eviana Marlow, the doctor’s daughter, a mysterious psychiatrist who leaves viewers spellbound. “We had a very nice experience. We lived at the estate, we slept there... And he forced everyone to train,” she explains about the filming that took place last summer.

This is the major project with which Pataky returns to acting in her native country and opens the door to new experiences. “I find the subject of psychiatry and the psychological world of each of the characters very interesting. We all have certain wounds that haven’t healed. The character of Eviana has something special; she controls all her emotions and knows how to handle and read people immediately. She also has a trauma, which is her relationship with her father, where all she seeks is his approval, admiration, and for him to feel proud of her.” A role that, she acknowledges, has little in common with her: “Perhaps the strength of conviction. When I want something, I’m very stubborn.”

Pataky has been acting for almost three decades, during which time she has participated in productions such as Spanish television shows Al salir de clase and Los Serrano, as well as the Fast & Furious saga, which have helped her grow as an actress and as a person. “The years give you life experience and a maturity that you don’t have when you’re young. When you get older, you mature and you’ve had life experiences that help you interpret, create characters, explore their feelings... you get to know yourself and people better,” she says. But what she’s learned the most from are her setbacks: “Every mistake I’ve made in life is a learning experience. You learn a lot more from mistakes and from what we do wrong. When you go through a tough time or think you’re never going to get through it, in the long run you realize that you had to go through it, that you had to have that experience, and in the end it was a life lesson.”

Has Pataky become disenchanted with her profession? “No. There are tougher moments and more beautiful ones, but I’ve never wanted to say ‘no more.’ It’s true that when I became a mother, I retreated a bit into my role as a mother, which was what fulfilled me at the time, and I distanced myself a bit. But I’ve always been there. I’ve tried to stay in touch because it’s something that fulfills me and is my passion.” Pataky has been married since 2010 to fellow actor Chris Hemsworth, with whom she has three children: India Rose, 13, and twins Tristan and Sasha, 11. “When I had my children, it seemed very hard to be away from them and be working. It created a feeling of insecurity and a need to be there for them,” she says.

After marrying Hemsworth, Pataky decided to move her life to Byron Bay, Australia, a place she fell in love with when she first visited. It’s here that she’s found a new home. But she also wants her children to spend short periods of time in Spain: “They love Spanish traditions. For example, grapes [on New Year’s Eve]. When you talk about it, it seems a little absurd, but my children find it incredible. I want them to experience and enjoy these things. They speak a little Spanish, but with an Australian accent.”

Something she hasn’t yet managed with Hemsworth, who after 15 years of marriage still hasn’t learned the language. “I’m shocked. Either I’m a terrible Spanish teacher or he’s a complete zero with languages. His intention when we met was to learn Spanish in a year. That was the promise. He visits Spain every year and I say, ‘I’m embarrassed, Chris. You just say the same phrases.’ Like, ‘A coffee with milk, please,’ and ‘Where’s the library?’ Which doesn’t help him at all,” she confesses. “I’m going to start putting up signs around the house so he knows the words and learns them. I speak a lot of Spanish at home; I only speak Spanish to my children... but he has no interest whatsoever in what I say to them.”

Both are now facing one of the most complicated stages of parenthood: adolescence. “There are some changes in temperament... especially my daughter. From 11 to 12, it was tough. She has a lot of personality and character... I don’t know where it comes from,” she says with a laugh. “You see yourself; it’s a mirror. It’s the price we mothers pay; we see in our children many of the same characteristics we have and have to confront: character, temper, the passion with which we do everything, stubbornness... She’s much calmer now. She’s gained in maturity, and you can already see those glimpses of a thinking woman, a slightly more rational person who doesn’t get so carried away by emotions,” Pataky says about India Rose.

In 2010, a language teacher set them up on a blind date so she and Hemsworth could get to know each other. At the time, Pataky was improving her English, while he was working on his American accent. The rest is history. They married in a secret wedding on a beach in Indonesia, and after a decade and a half, they’ve learned the importance of communication: “It’s a constant effort for a couple. It’s so many years. You change in some ways, and you have to keep adapting to the other person, make an effort to understand them and yourself and not distance yourself, because between the kids and work... you end up drifting apart. You have to know how to reconnect and have those moments to discover new things about the other person.” And to do that, she affirms that it’s important to know how to dedicate time to your partner: “You have to find those moments when you’re alone and can communicate.”

On July 18, 2026, Pataky will turn 50. A milestone she faces with some trepidation. “When it comes to aging, what scares me most is the wear and tear on my body, not being able to do the things I like because I’m afraid of getting hurt. I’m a very active person,” she says. But she’s already found a way to combat it: “What I try to do is exercise more to be in better shape, to be able to keep up, to be with them [her children], and to enjoy myself. I wish there were a magic pill to keep us looking like we’re 20 or 30, but it’s part of life, and it’s better to accept it than fight it. You have to do everything possible to slow down the passage of time, but not oppose it.”

After so many years in the spotlight, she’s grown accustomed to public exposure and the talk about her and her family. “You try not to let it influence you. What’s most painful are the comments about absolutely everything you do. Now, anyone is allowed to make a comment without the courage to say it to your face. It’s very cowardly. At my age, things bounce off because you don’t attach importance to them. But I feel sorry for young people, who are so judged,” she says.

Getting here hasn’t been easy, but she admits she wouldn’t give any advice to her past self. “She wouldn’t listen to me because you have to live the experiences. It’s like your children... No matter how much you tell them, they have to do it because they have to try it themselves; they have to make mistakes to learn. In life, you have to live every moment.”

At the moment, Pataky has no new professional projects in the pipeline, but she doesn’t need them either.

— What does success mean to you?

—Success is making what you do make you happy. If one day, when I’m old, I look back on everything I’ve done and feel satisfied and happy, that’s what I consider a success.

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