PHOTOS **KEVIN SINCLAIR** STYLING **AVO YERMAGYAN** DOCUMENTED IN LOS ANGELES, CA. (SCREEN RECORDED FOR PRESERVATION)
Total look KIDSUPER, shoes CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN.

“ CAREERS EVENTUALLY END. AWARDS, PREMIERES, CAMPAIGNS—ALL OF THAT DISAPPEARS. THE WAY YOU TREATED PEOPLE DOESN’T.”

Fernando Lindez is handsome. That much is obvious.

What becomes more interesting after spending time with him is discovering that beauty is not the first thing you notice. Originally from Spain, Fernando arrived in Los Angeles with a busy schedule ahead of him: the premiere of The Last Sunrise, appearances, fittings, and everything that comes with a career moving quickly in the right direction. He had also just come off an international flight. Jet-lagged and tired, he still came directly to set for our cover shoot and gave himself completely to the moment.
He is remarkably natural in front of the camera. Modeling has given him an instinct for it, but there is something beyond technique. He listens. He takes direction. There is a calmness to him. And then there is the man behind it. Fernando is respectful, thoughtful, and confident. He knows what he wants while still discovering who he is along the way. That balance makes this moment in his career particularly interesting. He isn't simply leaving modeling for acting; he is using everything he has learned to discover what comes next. Fashion clearly remains part of that story. Fashion loves Fernando, and Fernando loves fashion. There was an undeniable excitement surrounding the premiere and the designers who wanted to dress him. But beneath the clothes, campaigns, and attention is a growing focus on acting and on taking the work seriously. His looks may get your attention first, but they don't tell you everything. Beneath the beauty is a young man with discipline, ambition, and a growing sense of himself. Which brings us to Who’s the Boss? The title comes from the television series I grew up watching in the 1980s, but for Fernando, it takes on a different meaning. It's about knowing when to take ownership of your direction and deciding what kind of man, actor, and artist you want to become. And that's what makes him interesting. He has the looks. He has the opportunity. He has a supportive team behind him. And increasingly, he has something even more important: a sense of where he wants to go.
In conversation with VESTAL, Fernando talks about ambition, acting, success, vulnerability, fashion, and the person he is still becoming. For now, the question isn't whether Fernando Lindez can be the boss. It's what kind of boss he wants to become. — Kevin Sinclair

Shirt and pants PRIVATE POLICY, shoes SCAROSSO, belt DSQUARED2.

“ I WANT TO BECOME AN ACTOR THAT PEOPLE TRUST WITH DIFFICULT CHARACTERS.”

— FERNANDO LINDEZ ON ACTING

Vestal __ Does the excitement of living your dream outweigh the exhaustion it takes to get there?

Fernando Lindez __ Absolutely. Of course, your body feels the exhaustion, especially after traveling, but mentally I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I love. I remember dreaming about moments like these years ago, so when they actually happen, I don’t want tiredness to take anything away from them. I try to remind myself: you wanted this life, so enjoy it while it’s happening. And somehow, when I step in front of a camera, the adrenaline takes over.

Vestal __ Do you feel you’re introducing the world to a version of yourself that has always existed, or are you still discovering him too?

FL __ I think it’s both. Acting was always something I wanted to do, even when people knew me mainly through fashion. So in a way, I’m finally showing a part of myself that was always there. But at the same time, acting is constantly making me discover new things about myself. Every character pushes you somewhere different. I don’t think I completely know the actor I’m going to become yet, and that’s probably the most exciting part.

Coat MAX ESMAIL, shirt and pants DSQUARED2, boots AMIRI.

Vestal __ Do audiences ever confuse the image they’ve created of you with the person you actually are?

FL __ Definitely. Especially with social media, people see pictures, campaigns, premieres, traveling — and naturally they create an idea of who you are. But that’s only a very small part of my life. I’m actually quite simple. The things that make me happiest are my family, my friends, sports, being outside, having normal moments with the people I love. I think the older I get, the less interested I am in protecting an image and the more interested I am in just being myself.

Vestal __ Has fashion become part of your creative identity, or is it separate from acting?

FL __ Fashion will always be part of my story, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything it has given me. I’ve worked with people and houses I admired since I was very young, and fashion taught me a lot about cameras, presence, discipline, and confidence. But acting touches something different in me. With fashion, you’re often communicating something through an image. With acting, you disappear into someone else’s life. They’re different forms of creativity, but I think they’ve influenced each other in me.

Vestal __ Has acting changed the way you define ambition?

FL __ Yes. When I was younger, ambition was probably more connected to achieving things — getting the job, doing the campaign, reaching the next level. Now I’m much more ambitious about becoming good at what I do. I want longevity. I want to keep learning and work with people who challenge me. Success is great, obviously, but I don’t want to just be successful. I want to become an actor that people trust with difficult characters.

Vestal __ Talent or discipline?

FL __ I believe instinct gives you something that can’t really be taught, especially in acting. But instinct without discipline can only take you so far. I’ve learned that the people I admire most are usually incredibly disciplined. They prepare, they listen, they keep learning. So for me it’s both, but if I had to choose what builds a career, I would probably say discipline.

Vestal __ Has success ever challenged your identity more than failure did?

FL __ That’s interesting because failure forces you to question what you’re doing, but success can make you question who you are. Suddenly people treat you differently, expectations change, and there’s more noise around you. I’ve learned that it’s important to keep the same people around you and remember the person you were before any of this happened. Success should give you opportunities; it shouldn’t change your values.

Vestal __ What truth has acting uncovered about Fernando that you hadn’t recognized before?

FL __ Probably that I’m much more sensitive than I thought I was. Acting requires you to stop protecting yourself emotionally. Sometimes a character takes you into feelings or memories that you wouldn’t normally explore in everyday life. And I’ve realized that sensitivity isn’t a weakness — for an actor, it’s actually one of the most useful things you can have.

FOR ME, BEING PRESENT MEANS NOT CONSTANTLY LIVING IN WHAT’S NEXT.

Coat MAX ESMAIL, shirt and pants DSQUARED2, belt and boots AMIRI, ring AROCK.

“ SUCCESS SHOULD GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES; IT SHOULDN’T CHANGE YOUR VALUES.”

Vestal __ Is there a role you’re waiting to be offered?

FL __ I would love to play something that completely transforms the way people see me. Something psychologically complex, maybe darker, where I’m almost unrecognizable emotionally. I don’t necessarily have one specific role in mind. I’m more attracted to characters that scare me a little, where my first reaction is, I don’t know if I can do this. That’s usually when I know I should try.

Vestal __ What do you hope people remember beyond the headlines, campaigns, and premieres?

FL __ Hopefully the work, first of all. I’d love to build a body of work that means something and characters that stay with people. But beyond my career, I hope people who actually worked with me remember that I was kind, respectful, and good to be around. Careers eventually end. Awards, premieres, campaigns — all of that disappears. The way you treated people doesn’t. For me, that’s much more important.

Vestal __ What was it about Julián in The Last Sunrise and the story that made you want to be part of it?

FL __ Julián immediately felt very alive to me. He has this warmth, freedom, and spontaneity that I really connected with. But underneath that, there’s also depth to him. And I loved what the story was saying about time — that we spend so much of our lives thinking about tomorrow that sometimes we forget we’re actually living right now. It felt like a beautiful story to tell.

Vestal __ How did you approach understanding Julián?

FL __ I didn’t want to overcomplicate him. Julián has this natural ability to experience life as it comes. He’s curious, spontaneous, and emotionally open. I tried to understand where that freedom comes from rather than simply playing him as the “fun” person. Because I think his warmth is also his philosophy. He genuinely believes life is something you’re supposed to experience, not control.

Vestal __ What does Julián see in Ry?

FL __ I think he sees something in Ry that maybe Ry can’t fully see in herself yet. He sees someone capable of experiencing much more than the life she’s allowing herself to live. And I don’t think Julián wants to change her. That’s important. He simply gives her a different way of looking at life and creates a space where she feels safe enough.

Vestal __ Did the film change how you think about time, love, or taking risks?

FL __ Definitely. It reminded me how temporary everything is. We spend so much time worrying about what’s next — the next job, the next goal, the next problem — and suddenly months or years have passed. The film made me think more about being present with the people I love and saying yes to experiences. You can’t control how much time you have, but you can control what you do with it.

Vestal __ This was your first major English-language role. What was the biggest challenge of acting in another language, and what did it teach you?

FL __ The biggest challenge was reaching the point where I wasn’t translating in my head anymore. Acting is about reacting, listening, and being completely present, and if part of your brain is thinking about pronunciation or grammar, you lose some of that freedom. So I worked a lot on the language beforehand. There was a moment when I stopped thinking about the fact that I was acting in English. I was simply playing Julián. That was a big breakthrough for me.

“ JULIÁN IMMEDIATELY FELT VERY ALIVE TO ME. HE HAS THIS WARMTH, FREEDOM, AND SPONTANEITY THAT I REALLY CONNECTED WITH. BUT UNDERNEATH THAT, THERE’S ALSO DEPTH TO HIM.”

— FERNANDO LINDEZ ON HIS ROLE IN THE LAST SUNRISE

(SCREEN RECORDED FOR PRESERVATION)

Vestal __ What does “being present” mean to you personally?
FL __ For me, being present means not constantly living in what’s next. And I’m still learning that because I’m naturally ambitious and always thinking about the next project or goal. But some of the happiest moments of my life have been incredibly simple — being with people I love, traveling, watching a sunset, having a conversation without looking at my phone. Presence is realizing that the moment you’re waiting for might actually be the one you’re already in.

Vestal __ Do you think love changes people, or reveals who they already are?

FL __ I think real love does both. It can change the way you see the world because suddenly you’re considering another person in everything you do. But I also think love reveals you. When you really care about someone, your fears, insecurities, generosity, and vulnerability all come to the surface. So maybe love doesn’t create a new version of you, it gives you the courage to discover parts of yourself that were already there.

Editor-in-Chief Kevin Sinclair, Styling Avo Yermagyan (The Wall Group), Grooming Christine Nelli (Forward Artists), Co-Producer David Gargiulo, Stylist Assistant Mary Yermagyan, Talent Fernando Lindez (Uno models), Documented in Los Angeles.