Mr. Bernal's next film role was in another globally celebrated feature, Alfonso Cuáron's Academy Award-nominated “Y Tu Mamá También”, starring opposite his lifelong friend Diego Luna. For their performances, the two friends were jointly voted the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice International Film Festival.
He subsequently starred in the title role of Carlos Carrera's Academy Award-nominated romantic drama “El Crimen del padre Amaro [The Crime of Father Amaro].” His performance earned him the Silver Goddess Award for Best Actor from the Mexican Cinema Journalists, as well as a nomination from the Chicago Film Critics Association for Most Promising Performer.
The year 2004, proved to be a breakthrough year for him. He starred in Focus Features’ “The Motorcycle Diaries” directed by the award-winning Brazilian director, Walter Salles. He received rave reviews for his portrayal of the young Che Guevara out of both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals. The film earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards and was honored by the Motion Picture Club as the Male Star of Tomorrow. Then, in November audiences saw him in the critically acclaimed “La mala educacíon [Bad Education]” helmed by famed Spanish director Pedro Aldomovar. In the film, he took on the challenge of playing three complex characters.
