Madrid-residing Spanish / American actor Alex Hafner makes an impact on Netflix Korean series When the Stars Gossip, standing tall and impressive as the only non-Korean talent alongside powerhouse talents like Lee Min-Ho (Pachinko, Boys over Flowers, The King: Eternal Monarch) and Gong Hyo-Jin (When the Camelias Bloom, Pasta, Jealousy Incarnate).
With a long and varied list of acting credits behind him, Hefner who is known for his roles in highly successful shows such as Mallorca Files, Vampire Academy, Cable Girls , Now And Then, and Spanish hit La Que Se Avecina, is a citizen of the world, his ability to speak many different languages helping him stand out as a versatile talent amidst the crowd.
On When the Stars Gossip, he plays Santiago Gonzalez Garcia—Santi for short— one of the astronauts on board the G.O. 10, a Soyuz rocket en route to the International Space Station. Hafner speaks of relating to the Spanish-American roots of his character. He says, " On paper, Santi’s confident, capable—the kind of guy who’s made it to the top of his game. But beneath that, there’s a deep vulnerability and a sense of isolation.He’s navigating life in zero gravity while wrestling with some very grounded, very human struggles. He’s questioning identity, legacy, connection… all while literally floating above the Earth I always say Santi’s story isn’t really about space—it’s about the space inside us. The kind we try to ignore, fight, or—if we’re lucky—learn to embrace. His pursuit of purpose feels very personal to me, and I think a lot of people will connect with that, no matter where they are in their lives."
Relating to a character, their background and lifestyle is a cornerstone of Hafner's acting process. Taking us through the his process of getting into Santi's shoes, he says, "I always start by understanding the lifestyle before diving into the part. What’s their world like? What drives them? For Santi, that meant exploring how astronauts live, think, and move—and then finding where that intersects with my own experience. That’s where the connection starts to feel real.With When The Stars Gossip, Director Park had a strong sense of the emotional landscape we were all building together. His insights on Santi helped refine some of my choices, particularly in the quieter, more complex moments.
"And then there’s what I call the Tetris of character coherence. We shot most of When The Stars Gossip out of order, so I kept detailed notes to track Santi’s emotional journey. Physically, it was like learning a new instrument—zero gravity movement, wire rigs, and mastering the quiet control astronauts carry. Emotionally, it was about tapping into the loneliness and wonder that comes with leaving Earth behind."
Delving into being the only non-Korean in the series, he says, "Being the only non-Korean in the main cast felt unique, but I was lucky to be surrounded by such a welcoming environment. What stood out most, though, was that once we stepped in front of the camera, it didn’t matter what language we spoke. We understood each other instinctively. That’s the magic of storytelling—it’s universal."
"The level of consideration and precision in Korea is something I’ll never forget. There’s a deep respect for the work, for time, for one another—and yet it’s so practical, which feels like a contradiction in the best possible way. Everything has a purpose, but it’s carried out with extreme care," he adds on their work culture.
Speaking of the series, he also reflects on working with Korean greats like Lee Min-Ho, saying "Working with Min-ho, Hyo-jin, Jung-se, and the rest of the cast was a great experience. They’re true pros—focused, collaborative, and incredibly welcoming.Hyo-jin was actually my first friend on set. We realized pretty quickly that we have similar personalities—curious, playful—and we both enjoyed pranking the other actors whenever we could. It definitely made the long days a lot more fun.Min-ho is exactly the big brother figure his fans call “Oppa.” He really looked out for me, especially on set. Whether it was helping me navigate a tricky scene or just making sure I was part of the group, both he and Hyo-jin made the experience feel easy and natural."
He further shares a peek of the bond, they've built, " We spent a lot of time together in the Soyuz capsule—long shoots, sometimes late into the night—and in between takes we’d talk about life, philosophy… and food. Min-ho had a habit of ordering snacks at random times, and somehow, I was always eating something on that set.What stays with me is the camaraderie. Like in Casablanca, “we’ll always have the Soyuz.”"
Inspired by actors like Bradley Cooper and Marion Cotillard, Hafner says that "as someone who’s lived between cultures and languages his whole life," he is drawn to those who take risks and bridge cultures in their work. It's exactly this multi-cultural core that also sets Hafner apart from many. With the ability to several different languages, Hafner describes his multilingualism as something that has opened many doors for him. On how he uses language as a tool in his acting, he further adds, "To me, they’re like different instruments—each with its own rhythm, its own tone—and I think every actor dreams of having a full orchestra to play with."
He also expresses a desire to push his grasp of languages further, saying " One thing I’d love to do is a project where switching between languages is part of the character’s world—where they live between cultures, and the code-switching is as emotional as it is linguistic. In Cable Girls and When The Stars Gossip, I mostly speak one language, but sometimes a personal thought or reaction slips out in another. I think it would be fascinating to lean into that, where the layers of language tell their own story.It’s something that happens naturally in my life. Anytime I host a dinner, I mix people from different places, and I inevitably end up speaking the wrong language to the wrong person. It’s fun, and sometimes awkward, but it always makes me think about how much of communication is really beyond words."
With hopes of learning Korean next, there's plenty of desires on Hafner's list – one of them being a project which combines acting with music or sports. He says," A Star Is Born is one of my favorite films—it’s romantic, it’s raw, it’s musical—and I’d love to take on a role where I have to live and breathe music like that. I’ve been learning piano for a while now, and the idea of fully committing to a character through music would be a dream.At the same time, I’m drawn to physical roles, something athletic. I’ve always been very active, so a project where I get to push my body—whether that’s an F1 film like the one Brad Pitt is doing, or something action-driven—would be incredible. Driving at 300 km/h for a role? That’s the kind of challenge I’d jump at."
Beyond all of that, want Hafner wants is to keep exploring connection and solitude, to be forced to see the world differently – as he leaves himself open to any new experiences that come his way. Having begun his acting journey aged 10, before stopping to study and work in engineering, Hafner swerved into the path of his true passion for acting and has since gone from strength to strength as he works to expand his horizons even further.
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