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Gael García Bernal

Gael García Bernal

Actor, producer and director, also writer · Born November 30, 1978 (47) · Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Golden Globe winner · BAFTA Award nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Gael García Bernal (born November 30, 1978) is a Mexican actor and filmmaker who acts in both Spanish-language and English-language films and series. He is known for his performances in the films Y tu mamá también (2001), Bad Education (2004), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Babel (2006), Coco (2017), Old (2021), and Cassandro (2023). He has also played music conductor Rodrigo de Souza in the television drama series Mozart in the Jungle (2014–2018) and starred in the Disney+ special Werewolf by Night (2022). García Bernal was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of a young Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries in 2005, and in 2016 won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for Mozart in the Jungle. He and fellow actor Diego Luna founded the production company Canana Films in Mexico City. In 2016, Time magazine named him in the annual Time 100 Most Influential People list. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him No. 25 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 30, 1978 (47)
From
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Works as
Actor, producer and director, also writer
Titles
71 on MovieCove · 107 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What are Gael García Bernal's films like?

Across their 68 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama22 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
25%
Bonds
23%
Power
13%
Survival
13%
Morality
12%
Society
9%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds18 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love13 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival12 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity12 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 62 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 16 · Serious 16 · Dark 30

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 30 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 10

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 29 · Intense 23

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 24 · Shifting 30 · Whiplash 8

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 40 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 28 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 16 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 14

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 14 · Affecting 19 · Heavy 29

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 26 · Open-ended 20 · Ambiguous 16

Roles they play

43 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 24 of 43 analyzed roles.

Hero
24 of 43
Shadow
6 of 43
Shapeshifter
4 of 43
Mentor
4 of 43
Ally
4 of 43
Trickster
1 of 43
Show the 43 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
41
Melancholic
34
Contemplative
26
Dread
16
Hopeful
11
Other
49

How their films linger

Thought-provoking44 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet27
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous31

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gael García Bernal's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 50 of their 71 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gael García Bernal's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

107 credits, 71 with a MovieCove page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Joachim

  • Hombre al agua(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Camilo

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Nothing Between Us(2026)

    as Guillermo

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The End of It(2026)

    as Diego

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Santita(2026)

    Show 7 episodes · as Alejandro

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all shows

  • Thesis on a Domestication (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • Sueño Perro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • Magellan(2025)

    as Fernão de Magalhães

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Holland(2025)

    as Dave Delgado

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • ASCO: Without Permission (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • La Máquina(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer · Original Story · as Esteban 'La Máquina' Osuna

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Lego Pixar: BrickToons(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as Héctor (voice)

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • State of Silence(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Gombrowicz or The Immaturity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • Another End(2024)

    as Sal

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cassandro(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Saúl "Cassandro"

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Mother(2023)

    as Hector

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • This One Summer(2022)

    as Thiago

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Werewolf by Night(2022)

    as Jack Russell

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Station Eleven(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · as Arthur Leander

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Maya and the Three(2021)

    Show 9 episodes · as The Jaguar Brothers (voice)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Old(2021)

    as Guy

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • El Tema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Producer · as Host

  • Pan y Circo(2020)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Wasp Network(2019)

    as Viramontez

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • It Must Be Heaven(2019)

    as Gael García Bernal

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Lorena, Light-footed Woman(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Ema(2019)

    as Gastón

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Birders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Executive Producer

  • Chicuarotes(2019)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • A 3 Minute Hug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Executive Producer

  • The Kindergarten Teacher(2018)

    as Simon

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Accused(2018)

    as Mario Elmo

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Museo(2018)

    Producer · as Juan Núñez

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Here on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · as El Pájaro

  • If You Saw His Heart(2017)

    as Daniel

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Coco(2017)

    as Héctor (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Zama(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Salt and Fire(2016)

    Executive Producer · as Dr. Fabio Cavani

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • You're Killing Me Susana(2016)

    as Eligio

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Neruda(2016)

    as Oscar Peluchoneau

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Madly(2016)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Zoom(2015)

    as Edward

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Empty Classroom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer

  • Eva Doesn't Sleep(2015)

    as Massera

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Chosen Ones(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Desierto(2015)

    Executive Producer · as Moises

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Leagues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Creative Director · Producer

  • The Visible Hand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Rosewater(2014)

    as Maziar Bahari

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Ardor(2014)

    Producer · as Kaí

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Mozart in the Jungle(2014)

    Show 40 episodes · as Rodrigo De Souza

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Cesar Chavez(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Paraíso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Executive Producer

  • Who is Dayani Cristal?(2013)

    Producer · as Himself

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Vamps(2012)

    as Diego Bardem (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • No(2012)

    as René Saaverdra

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Loneliest Planet(2011)

    as Alex

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Casa de mi Padre(2012)

    as Onza

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Miss Bala(2011)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • A Little Bit of Heaven(2011)

    as Julian Goldstein

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Even the Rain(2010)

    as Sebastián

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Niño Santo(2011)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Los Invisibles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · as Self

  • Hidalgo, Frenesí de Libertad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Narrator

  • Revolución (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Abel(2010)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Letters to Juliet(2010)

    as Victor

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Limits of Control(2009)

    as Mexican

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Sin Nombre(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Mammoth(2009)

    as Leo Vidales

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Rudo y Cursi(2008)

    as Tato

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Walking Vengeance(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • I'm Gonna Explode (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Executive Producer

  • Blindness(2008)

    as Bartender / King of Ward Three

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Chevolution(2008)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The letter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • The Past(2007)

    as Rímini

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Saint Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Narrator

  • Déficit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · as Cristobal

  • Cochochi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer

  • Babel(2006)

    as Santiago

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Science of Sleep(2006)

    as Stéphane

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Drama/Mex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Executive Producer

  • The King(2005)

    as Elvis Valderez

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Bad Education(2004)

    as Ángel / Juan / Zahara

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Motorcycle Diaries(2004)

    as Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Traveling with Che Guevara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Che

  • Dot the I(2003)

    as Kit Winter

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Dreaming of Julia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Ricky

  • The Crime of Padre Amaro(2002)

    as Padre Amaro

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • I'm with Lucy(2002)

    as Date 2 - Gabriel

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Fidel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Che Guevara

  • Fidel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as Che Guevara

  • No News from God(2001)

    as Jack Davenport

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Last Post (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Jose Francisco

  • Y tu mamá también(2001)

    as Julio Zapata

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Private Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Gustavo 'Gana' Bertolini

  • The Eye on the Nape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Pablo

  • Amores Perros(2000)

    as Octavio

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • De Tripas, Corazón (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Vovô e Eu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 90 episodes · as Daniel García Medina

  • In the Valley of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Álvar Toledano

  • Monkey Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Boys: Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Zorro

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 105 titles, 100 of them dated from 1992 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Coco (2017)

$822M worldwide

Highest rated

Coco (2017)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward winNomination
19922026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 38 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 2 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting78 of 105: 70 only acting, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thDirecting10 of 105: 4 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting4 of 105: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing28 of 105: 18 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thOther crew4 of 105: 0 only other crew, 4 with another role

105 titles, 13 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s33 · 26 acting · 8 crew2010s41 · 25 acting · 19 crew2020s24 · 20 acting · 8 crew

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 54% of 46 roles
0005101520

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Golden Globe and 2 other major awards from 10 major nominations, 2001–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Venice award, nominated
  2. 2017
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
  3. 2016
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  4. 2007
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Cannes award, nominated
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Acting Ensemble
  5. 2006
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  6. 2005
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
  7. 2003
    • Cannes award, won · Male Revelation
  8. 2001
    • Venice award, won · Best Young Actor or Actress

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Gael García Bernal's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 63; across their 62 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 62

Midcredits score across 71 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th24
  • 25th to 49th19
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 71 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed23

Most divisive · actor

Chevolution (2008)

90th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Coco (2017)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 54 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Gael García Bernal's work okay for kids?

Across up to 33 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore21 titles24–84 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity33 titles20–77 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles29–88 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs19 titles19–61 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles31–78 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Gael García Bernal work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gael García Bernal's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Diego Luna shares the most, 16.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles