‘I didn’t study to be a gay actor, I’m an actor,’ says Diego Martins, now also a singer

Singer, actor, drag queen, voice actor. Diego Martins, 28, performs all these functions and became known from the general public by playing Kelvin in Globo’s “Terra e Passion”, two years ago. It was his television debut, but he, who defines herself as a multiartist, has a long trajectory in the musical theater -and now he will invest in his side singer.

After winning the reality Queen Stars Brazil and forming the trio Pitayas, the São Paulo artist is releasing an album, “Both” (Universal). In an interview, he talks about the new project, the fear of losing creative control and the desire to live characters beyond sexuality: “I didn’t study to be a gay actor. I’m gay because that’s my life and studied to be an actor.”

Read below the main excerpts of the conversation with the F5:

Singer or actor? Or both?

I always wanted to do everything, honestly. I grew up making one everything. I was always very encouraged by my parents. My first great passion, the first great love, was the theater. But I like to mix the arts and I’m not an actor who sings or a singer who works, you know? I am an artist, and point.

Stigmatization

I’m not afraid, but it bothers me. I think opportunities need to be given more broadly to actors in general. I made a very successful character, who was a gay character (Kelvin of “Earth and Passion”, 2023), but I will make as many characters as I want, whether gay or not. I want the same as much opportunities to make characters whose narratives are others and not just about their sexualities.

A new Kelvin?

He would accept to interpret a gay character again, and who knows with a completely different narrative from Kelvin, who had a dream of getting married, building a family. I said once I didn’t study to be a gay actor. I am gay because this is my life; I studied to be an actor. So an actor plays any kind of role. Yes, there is this stigma, and it is worrying. But I do so many other things that don’t get hurt me, you know? We fight, talk to cast producers and opening the heads around too.

MUSICAL STYLE AND REFERENCES

My style is pop. We like to call a new pop, in fact, because here in Brazil the style mixes with various musical genres. I grew up listening to everything: Zé Ramalho, Queen, Madonna, Gilberto Gil. Then I went more to pop, and my great inspiration is Lady Gaga, as I am like me. I really like Liniker, Marina Sena, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.

Contract with Universal

In 2022, I and two more wonderful drags, Red and Leila, won the “Queen Stars Brazil” and form the Pitayas trio. In addition to money, the awards provided for the recording of an EP by Universal, entitled to a clip. There I felt the taste of being part of the label’s casting for a while. Now it was all very fast. We talked, signed a contract and recorded. My album “so much” is coming.

Authorial project

I participate in everything! Me and my team: Larissa Castilho and Lennon Silva. Of course now it has Universal, and we had to divide all decisions, but I felt comfortable. I was very afraid of this “the label is the boss.” It didn’t happen. The final word was mine.

“Both”

It is an album that speaks of love. I am a person who is very fond of talking about romance, romantic themes, but almost always from other points of view. I like to play with melancholy, longing, abandonment, learn to be alone again. It is a job where I expose myself a lot.

What’s coming

I am focused on the release of the album. I recorded a movie at the end of last year and I believe it will come out later this year. In the coming days it arrives in theaters “Smurfs: The Great Movie”, in which I dubbed a Smurf called Unnamed, which has a beautiful story. Television? There is something to come, but there is the confidentiality bid, and I can’t say anything.