Manu Ríos

Manuel Ríos Fernández (born 17 December 1998), known professionally as Manu Ríos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmanu ˈri.os]),[2] is a Spanish actor, singer and model best known for his role as Patrick in the Netflix series Elite.[3] He has been working in the entertainment industry since he was nine years old.[4]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ríos and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.
Manu Ríos
Born
Manuel Ríos Fernández

(1998-12-17) 17 December 1998
Calzada de Calatrava, Ciudad Real, Spain
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • model
Years active2008–present
Known forElite
Modeling information
Height5 ft 10.5 in (179 cm)
Hair colordark brown
Eye colorblue-green
AgencyNext Management
Musical career
Genresalternative pop[1]
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano

Early life and career

Manuel Ríos Fernández was born on 17 December 1998 in Calzada de Calatrava, a village in the province of Ciudad Real, in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, Spain.[5] His mother is a hairdresser and his father is an electrician.[6] When Ríos was five years old, he would sing for the clients in his mother's hair salon.[7] He made his television debut at the age of nine when he was cast in Cantando en familia after his mother received a phone call from a local Spanish television looking for young talent.[8] In the following year, he participated as a dancer in ¡Tu sí que vale!, a Spanish talent show.[9][10] At that age, he also began uploading covers of popular songs on YouTube, earning him the nickname "the Spanish Justin Bieber".[7][11] He studied classical ballet and street dance, and won the Spanish Championships in hip hop dance as a member of the dance crew Sweet Babies.[12] He was also a member of Parchís in its 2012 relaunch, a children's musical band with which he released an album and toured throughout Spain.[12][13] In addition, he portrayed Gavroche in the musical Les Misérables.[14] In 2013, Ríos signed a 6-year contract with a Grammy Award winning music producer Richy Peña, and moved with his parents and brother to the United States to pursue a music career.[8] His social media presence caught the attention of modeling agencies, and at age 19, Ríos signed with Next Management worldwide.[15] He garnered attention for his facial features described by media outlets as feminine, and became an internet sensation.[16] At that time, Ríos expressed his criticism of gender norms: "I think masculinity is sort of dumb. I don’t understand why people need to label things as feminine or masculine. For instance, why are skirts for girls? It’s just a piece of clothing. And what about perfumes? Certain scents are for girls and others are for boys. It’s just a scent. It doesn’t make sense to me."[1] His style has been described as gender-fluid.[4] In 2020, Ríos created his first jewellery collection "Trust No One" with jewellery brand TWOJEYS.[17] In late 2021, TWOJEYS launched his second jewellery collection "Love Me, Love Me Not".[18]

Ríos made his international breakthrough in 2021, when he landed the role of Patrick in the Netflix series Elite, joining the cast for the fourth, fifth and sixth season. In Spain, Ríos faced criticism that he was cast in the series solely based on his looks and his popularity on social media.[19][20] Following the international success of the series, Ríos teamed up with Prada, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Dior, Balenciaga, Moschino, Jacquemus, or Louis Vuitton, among others,[21] and graced the cover of numerous magazines around the world including Vogue Man, Esquire or GQ.[4][22] The Spanish edition of Esquire awarded Ríos with the 2021 Man of the Year award in the Best Actor category.[23] The Council of Fashion Designers of America placed Ríos on their 2023 list of the most fashionable celebrities to watch.[24] GQ dubbed him "the rising darling of the fashion world", while Vanity Fair called him "an authentic syle icon".[25][21] He received a nomination at the 2022 MTV Millennial Awards, as well as a nomination for Best TV Actor at the 2022 Fotogramas de Plata.[26][27] In November 2022, ICON honored Ríos with the Premio Revelación, an award for the best new talent.[28]

Just days after attending the 2022 MET Gala in New York, Ríos began filming the Netflix psychological thriller series Muted.[29][30][31] He was also cast in the lead role in La edad de la ira, an adaptation of the bestselling eponymous novel by Nando Lopez.[32] Ríos portrays Marcos, an introverted gay teenager growing up in a toxic family environment, who is accused of murdering his father. The coming-of-age mini series touches on sexual and gender based violence, bullying, homophobia, racism, and mental health struggles of Generation Z.[33][34][35] In 2022, Ríos was cast in Pedro Almodóvar's short film Strange Way of Life, set to premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[36][37] In March 2023, Ríos signed with WME.[38]

His work on his debut EP has been postponed due to his acting career, but he has confirmed he will release it in the future.[39] Ríos characterized the songs he had written as alternative pop with dark elements.[1] He can play the guitar and piano and has cited Lorde, Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey as some of his musical influences.[40][1] In a cover story with Vogue Man Hong Kong, Ríos referred to the songwriting process as "therapeutic".[4]

Ríos is known for being vocal about the perils of social media, speaking out against sexism, advocating for equality, diversity, or mental health.[4][1]

Personal life

Ríos resides in Madrid, Spain.[1]

Impersonation incident

In December 2022, an Indian man was arrested for sextortion by impersonating Manu Ríos on social media and blackmailing young women. The man created a fake Instagram account using pictures of Ríos to lure women into sharing their intimate pictures with him, which he then used as leverage to extort money from them.[41]

Sexuality and relationships

Despite gaining prominence for his portrayal of gay characters, Ríos has not commented on his sexual identity publicly.[42] In his teens, he was pen-pals with American singer Conan Gray.[43] In a 2022 interview, Ríos spoke about how soccer players "would have the disadvantage of losing sponsors" if they came out as gay.[44]

He also spoke about the bullying he faced growing up and the perceptions of homosexuality in Spain saying “when I was a child I tried to avoid being called a maricón (Spanish for faggot), but over time I have been learning and I don't even consider it an insult” and that he believes that "only a neanderthal uses the word 'faggot' as an insult."[44]

When asked whether he shared any similar experiences with the closeted gay teenager he portrays in La edad de la ira, Ríos told Esquire that he "never had to hide anything" from his parents. [35]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result
2021 Esquire Man of the Year Best Actor Himself Won
2022 ICON Premio Revelación Himself Won
2022 Fotogramas de Plata[27] Best TV Actor Himself Nominated
2022 MTV MIAW[26] Celebrity Crush Himself Nominated
2023 Premio Ídolo[45] Lifestyle Himself Nominated

Filmography

Series
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 Chiringuito de Pepe Mauricio Martínez Recurring cast (season 1); 6 episodes [46]
2021–2022 Elite Patrick Blanco Commerford Main cast (seasons 4–6) [3]
2021 Elite: Short Stories Patrick Blanco Commerford Lead role (story: Patrick); 3 episodes [3]
2022 La edad de la ira Marcos Lead role; 4 episodes [3]
TBA Muted Eneko Main cast [3]

Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2002 ¿Dónde está? TV film
2021 La Tarotista Himself
2023 Strange Way of Life TBA Short film

TV appearances
Year Title Television Notes
2008 Cantando en familia HImself Contestant
2009 Tu sí que vales Himself Contestant
2010 Cántame cómo pasó Carlos Alcántara Contestant
2011 Castilla La-Mancha en vivo Marcos Host
2012 El patio Eneko Host
2014 Castilla La-Mancha me gusta Himself Host
2022 El homiguero Himself Host
2022 Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event HImself Host
2023 Goya Awards Himself Presenter

Theater
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 Les Miserables Gavroche Thénardier Musical, Lope de Vega Theatre (Madrid) [47]
2012–2013 Don Pepito Don Pepito Musical, Lope de Vega Theatre (Madrid)

References
  1. "BBG Presents: Manu Rios. Photography by Amber McKee". Boys By Girls. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  2. Manu Ríos de "Élite" y las 10 cosas sin las que no puede vivir (video) (in Spanish). GQ México y Latinoamérica. 9 November 2022. Event occurs at 00:10–00:12. Retrieved 27 April 2023 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. EDT, Molli Mitchell On 6/23/21 at 8:01 AM (23 June 2021). "All you need to know about "Elite" star Manu Rios". Newsweek. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. "Manu Ríos Stars On Vogue Man Hong Kong's April Issue". Vogue Hong Kong. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  5. "De Calzada a la serie 'Élite': Manu Ríos, el nuevo rey midas de los 'influencers' que arrasa en Instagram con más de 5 millones de seguidores". Lanza Digital (in Spanish). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. "Manu Ríos: "Yo encuentro la belleza en todo tipo de físicos, y me gustaría que en Élite hubiera esa visibilidad"". GQ España (in European Spanish). 13 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  7. "Manu Rios the Spanish Justin Bieber by neo two". I-MAGAZINE Inc. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  8. Real, La Tribuna de Ciudad (19 June 2013). "El sueño americano". La Tribuna de Ciudad Real (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. "De Calzada a la serie 'Élite': Manu Ríos, el nuevo rey midas de los 'influencers' que arrasa en Instagram con más de 5 millones de seguidores - Lanza Digital - Lanza Digital" (in Spanish). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  10. SensaCine. "Quién es Manu Ríos, el cantante e 'influencer' que vuelve locos a Ander y Omar en la temporada 4 de 'Élite'". SensaCine.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  11. Sanguino, Juan (5 March 2022). "Manu Ríos: "Antes de salir de mi pueblo, ya tenía tres millones de seguidores"". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  12. Coruña, Luis P. Ferreiro - A. (14 March 2012). "Manu Ríos: "Hacemos los temas clásicos con un toque más moderno"". La Opinión de A Coruña (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  13. Dios, Marisa de (19 June 2021). "Manu Ríos, el niño de Parchís que ahora triunfa en 'Élite'". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  14. "Manu Ríos, entrevista con el Instagramer español más potente del mundo". Neo2 Magazine (in Spanish). 2 February 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  15. Piera, Mar (15 April 2022). "Manu Ríos: the star of Élite, the star of Gen Z". HIGHXTAR. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  16. ICON (14 April 2020). "Manu Ríos: "Cualquier foto en la que pueda romper un estereotipo me hace sentir útil"". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  17. Liao, Lorry (10 August 2022). "《菁英殺機》演員 Manu Rios 聯名配飾台灣買得到！ARTIFACTS 引進巴賽隆納配件品牌 TWOJEYS！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  18. Liao, Lorry (10 August 2022). "《菁英殺機》演員 Manu Rios 聯名配飾台灣買得到！ARTIFACTS 引進巴賽隆納配件品牌 TWOJEYS！". GQ Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  19. Cobos, Abel (8 April 2022). "Manu Ríos: la estrella de 'Élite' que vive por y para la fama". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  20. Escalada, Paula (10 July 2021). "Manu Ríos: "Entrar en una serie no es por el número de seguidores"". Diario de Sevilla (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  21. Tato, Marta Martínez. "Manu Ríos: de Élite a la primera fila de Prada". Vanity Fair España (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  22. "Manu Rios is the master of elegant, yet sexed-up, flesh-flashing". British GQ. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  23. Madrigal, Por Juanjo (11 November 2021). "Manu Ríos, cambio, corto y de rubio platino: el peinado perfecto". Esquire (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  24. "CFDA". cfda.com. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  25. Maoui, Zak (29 September 2022). "Manu Rios is the master of elegant, yet sexed-up, flesh-flashing". British GQ. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  26. Juárez, Paola. "MTV Miaw 2022: Lista completa de ganadores". Glamour México y Latinoamérica (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  27. Rosado, Por Ricardo (21 March 2023). "Fotogramas de Plata 2022: lista completa de ganadores y toda la información de la gala". Fotogramas (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  28. ICON (25 November 2022). "Una noche para aplaudir el talento y la transgresión: así fueron los Premios ICON 2022". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  29. "Manu Ríos: "¿Qué probabilidad hay de que nazca en el mismo pueblo que Almodóvar y luego trabaje con él? Sigo en shock"". GQ España (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  30. "Arón Piper y Manu Ríos, juntos de nuevo en Netflix (pero no en 'Élite')". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  31. GrupoRPP. "'El silencio', la nueva película de Netflix protagonizada por Arón Piper y Manu Ríos". rpp.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  32. "La verdadera moraleja de 'La edad de la ira'". ElHuffPost (in Spanish). 24 February 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  33. Álvarez, Inés (11 March 2022). "'La edad de la ira', una historia de adolescentes que tienen que ver los adultos". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  34. Herrera, Por Nuria (2 September 2021). "'La edad de la ira': Eloy Azorín se une a la nueva serie de Manu Ríos tras 'Élite'". Diez Minutos (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  35. Trasobares, Por Ana (23 February 2022). "Manu Ríos: "Es necesario hablar de la homosexualidad en la adolescencia"". Esquire (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  36. Girela, F. Javier. "Manu Ríos: de Élite a 'Chico Almodóvar'". GQ México y Latinoamérica (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  37. Keslassy, Elsa (11 April 2023). "Pedro Almodovar's 'Strange Way of Life' to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  38. Petski, Denise (14 March 2023). "'Elite' Actor Manu Rios Signs With WME". Deadline. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  39. "Manu Ríos Brings Horny Chaos to 'Elite' Season 5". W Magazine. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  40. "MMSCENE MAGAZINE: MANU RIOS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW + SHOOT". Male Model Scene. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  41. "Detienen a un estafador que pedía fotos íntimas a chicas haciéndose pasar por Manu Ríos, actor de 'Élite'". www.lavanguardia.com. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  42. Valentino, Jamie. "Manu Ríos is 'Elite's' breakout star, but there's so much more to this Spanish sex bomb". Queerty. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  43. Thomas, Micaih (31 August 2022). "Manu Rios and Conan Gray on Their Rise From Small Town Boys to Gen Z Heroes". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  44. "Manu Ríos: "Sólo un neandertal te insulta llamándote maricón"". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 28 November 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  45. Confidencial, El (9 March 2023). "Premios Ídolo 2023: los 'influencers' ganadores, en directo". elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  46. "El calzadeño Manuel Ríos participó en la serie "El Chiringuito de Pepe"". CalzadaPlus. Retrieved 13 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. "Manu Rios' Quarantine Diary in Madrid". PAPER. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
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