This article is published in issue 21 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until 21 May 2024.
It’s not just the English royals who have a fictional life: after the success of The Crownthe arrival on Rai 1 is expected next summer series Maximainspired by the life of Máxima Zorreguieta, became queen of Holland after her marriage to Willem-Alexander of Orange. Born in Buenos Aires, educated in Economics and Finance in Argentina and the United States, Zorreguieta met the then prince in 1999 during a trip to Seville and, before learning of her role, she fell madly in love with him her. The couple married in 2002 after many difficulties due to issues of descent and the past of her father, who was involved with the Argentine dictatorial regime in previous years. The couple has three daughters: Catherine Amalia, 20, heir to the throne of the Netherlands, and princesses Alexia, 18, and Ariane, 17.
Based on the book Máxima Zorreguieta: Moederland by Dutch journalist Marcia Luyten, the series was presented last April at Canneseries, is breaking every audience record in Holland, where the sixth and final episode will be broadcast on May 18, and has already been distributed in 25 countries. We talk about it with Delfina Chavesthe Argentine actress who plays the role of Máxima.
When did you start acting?
«I was born in Buenos Aires and raised in Lobos, a small town where my mother is from. She is a very good comedian but she couldn’t have a career because my parents divorced when I was little, and she had no one to rely on. So I started taking acting classes with her at nine years old, for fun. Until, for my fifteenth birthday, my father gave me a trip with workshops to Los Angeles, and then I acted in theater and in some television series. At first it seemed easy, but things change. I hated it so
many times this profession only to then fall in love with it again, as happens in a toxic relationship. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs, and I definitely never thought I’d be able to act in a series like that Maxima. If I were asked to give advice to those who want to take this path, I would say to inform yourself well and prepare to accept all the rejections that will inevitably arrive. Fame is often romanticized, but it also has a dark side.”
397579 03: (FILE PHOTO) Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander (L), and Argentine fiancee Maxima Zorreguieta (R) pose for an undated portrait. The couple will marry February 2, 2002 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Photo by RVD/Getty Images)Getty Images
What brought you to the casting for Maxima?
«I had known for some time that they were looking for the right actress to play Máxima, and I had the first audition at the end of 2022. I was skeptical, because I don’t look much like her, I’m not blonde and I have blue eyes. At that time I was also dealing with some personal problems, and I only had a week to learn a long and complex monologue, partly in Dutch. For the second audition I wore brown contact lenses, and after the third they told me I got the role. I was incredulous. There are many other good actresses in Argentina, and there are many factors that come into play in the final choice. I think knowing English has benefited me.”
What were the most difficult and most enjoyable aspects of playing Máxima?
«It was great to work in so many countries and with people from all over the world. The most difficult thing was acting in two foreign languages, English and Dutch. It was a great challenge, but I enjoyed it. And it’s hard being so far from home. Coming back after a day of filming and finding dinner prepared by your family is different from eating eggs and tomato alone, but it also helps you grow on a human level.”
What do you think of Máxima’s choice? Being queen is a privilege but it can also become an enormous burden.
«I have never met her and I prefer to avoid expressing personal opinions, because I believe it is not up to me. I can say that she had to sacrifice a lot, learn a language quickly and answer dozens of journalists who also bombarded her with difficult questions about her family, and she did it with great politeness. I admire her very much for this. A woman who had the courage to go to New York alone in the 1990s, work like crazy and have a career on Wall Street deserves respect. I don’t know anything about her on a personal level, but I just need to look at her to realize how much she knows how to shine, love her daughters and be full of life.”
