The Black Ball has already become a historic phenomenon and can boast of being the highest-grossing Spanish film of 2026, after dethroning Torrente President by Santiago Segura. Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, and Carlos González lead a very young cast that also includes established figures such as Lola Dueñas, Penélope Cruz, or Glenn Close. But Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s film has also revealed to us an even more precocious talent, namely Milo Quifes.
Milo Quifes, whose real name is Camilo Joaquín Villarruel, was born in Huelva in 2001 and plays the lead role in the unfinished tale of Federico García Lorca. Carlos is a young man from a well-to-do family in 1932 Granada whose application to become a member of a casino is rejected by a committee through a ‘black ball’ due to his homosexuality.
Milo Quifes’s experience in The Black Ball began with an Instagram casting call, to which he showed up convinced that they were seeking young Andalusians to act as extras. Since then he has immersed himself in the work of the Granada-born poet, has attended the Cannes Film Festival, has rubbed shoulders with Hollywood stars at the Academy Museum Gala, and also dreams of making history for our country’s cinema at the Academy Awards next March.
And his profile has also risen beyond our borders, as shown in his interview for the Dutch magazine Numéro, which described him as “the most exciting discovery” of The Black Ball. Already the author of his first novel, Ultraviolet, Milo Quifes also feels drawn to writing, music, and acting, making this unexpected entrance onto the international scene seem the start of a promising creative journey.
Milo Quifes and The Black Ball
“A friend sent me an open casting call to everyone. I remember that at that time I was very anxious about going out into the street and I thought I had to do things that scared me to step out of my comfort zone, and I certainly did it,” Milo Quifes recalled to Numéro about how Los Javis’s film came into his life. “I did five or six auditions over two months and, to my own disbelief, they had already selected me.”
Milo Quifes in The Black Ball.
When asked what he felt upon learning that the role of Carlos was his, he admitted that he nearly cried. “It was a very strange moment in my life, in which happiness, personal growth, and impostor syndrome were mixing. But I felt grateful and excited. I have to admit it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”
Regarding the character of Carlos, who faces his identity and family expectations in 1932 Spain, he stated that “the film, in itself, deals with the experiences that queer people have shared throughout history and how their stories, in turn, intertwine with family, desire, and everything that remains unsaid. In that sense, Carlos and I are one.”
Milo Quifes also offered words of affection and admiration for Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. He said that the Spanish filmmakers have “an incredible talent” but he emphasized that, “above all, they are deeply kind people who never hesitate to take care of you and lend a hand when you need it. They give you space to fly freely, artistically speaking, and they truly rejoice in seeing you do it.”
A Star with Both Feet on the Ground
“I remember being in the car on the way to the red carpet with my co-star, the incredibly talented Carlos González, who held my hand and kept telling me again and again that this was our moment,” he recalled when remembering his Cannes experience. “And we got out of the car, hand in hand, and walked together, fearless and joyful, towards the screening of the film.”
Now, for Milo Quifes it is important not to put artistic limits between acting and writing. “I think that if there is one thing I’ve learned from being part of the cast of The Black Ball, it is that I must never close doors or opportunities,” the Huelva-born actor assured, who is clear that there is still much to learn. “There are steps I haven’t taken yet and obstacles I haven’t had to face yet. I am surrounded by wonderful people and I always listen to their advice.”
