Patricia López Arnaiz and Raúl Cimas are experiencing one of the best periods of their professional careers. She is an acclaimed auteur film star whose career has soared following the films “20,000 especies de abejas” (2023) and “Chinas” (2024), while he is a popular comedian who has earned recognition as a dramatic actor thanks to the series “Poquita fe.” Their artistic paths seem completely different, yet in their personal lives, they are united by something much deeper than just working on set or a shared love of art.
Both artists are currently in the spotlight thanks to nominations for the prestigious Spanish film awards Forqué and Feroz. Patricia is up for Best Actress for her role in the new drama “Los domingos” by director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, where she plays a woman swimming against the tide in a family that has come to terms with her niece’s decision to join a convent. Raúl, meanwhile, is a contender for Best Actor in a Series for the second season of the successful project “Poquita fe.” Despite working in different genres, their talent is unanimously recognized by critics and audiences alike.
Interestingly, neither Patricia nor Raúl originally planned to pursue acting. Simas studied fine arts at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, while López Arnaiz graduated with a degree in advertising and public relations from the University of the Basque Country. Raúl never finished his degree, leaving three courses incomplete to focus on a comedy career that quickly became profitable. Although Patricia completed her studies, she admitted she never felt a calling for a career in advertising. Her path to the big screen began on the theater stage, with her first major role in the historical series “La peste” in 2018.
The main thing these two very different stars have in common is their conscious decision to live far from the noise and hustle that fame inevitably brings. Patricia López Arnaiz, originally from Vitoria, settled in a tiny village in the province of Álava, where the population barely reaches fifty. She deliberately avoids social media and even smartphones, preferring an old Nokia with buttons, which she uses exclusively for calls. “This peace gives me strength and brings me joy,” the actress explains her choice.
Raúl Cimas, unlike his colleague, is present on social media but uses it solely to announce his projects. Like Patricia, he traded city life for solitude. The actor sold his house in Barcelona, where he hadn’t yet paid off the mortgage, and moved to a small municipality in the La Alcarria region with just over a thousand residents. “The only thing I regret is not doing this sooner,” he admitted in an interview. These days, his main hobby is tending his own vegetable garden and watching his eggplants and other crops grow.
Soon, Patricia and Raúl’s names will once again be heard at award ceremonies. But when the celebrations are over and the camera flashes fade, both will return to their quiet, measured lives—something they value far more than red carpets and applause.
For the record, Patricia López Arnaiz already holds Spain’s top film award, the Goya, which she received in 2021 for Best Actress in the film “The Daughter.” Raúl Cimas, meanwhile, is widely known as one of the creators and stars of the iconic comedy shows “La Hora Chanante” and “Muchachada Nui,” which had a profound influence on an entire generation of Spanish comedians. His recent success in the series “Malo de fe” is yet another testament to his versatility as an artist.
