By Juanita Barajas
Hispanic Professional Network
“Suertuda” (lucky) is definitely a fitting word when used to describe Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo’s luck of late. Her current project “La Reina del Sur” has become an instant hit, making it the highest rated premier telenovela in the history of Telemundo. In the soap opera, Del Castillo portrays the lead character, Teresa Mendoza.
Del Castillo is not new to the acting business. She got her start in front of the cameras as a child and recently crossed over to the English market interpreting characters in “Under the Same Moon” and more recently Showtime’s hit series “Weeds,” to name a few.
This past weekend the actress was in Chicago to mingle with her fans and show her appreciation for the amazing support “La Reina del Sur” has received.
Hispanic Pro had an opportunity to briefly chat with Del Castillo amidst the madness. We learned what she thinks about the success of the telenovela, why she feels sadness for her country and what she really thinks about Mendoza’s whereabouts.
“I have been very lucky, it was marvelous that they wanted me to interpret Mendoza,” the actress said about her feelings toward the project adding that she feels fortunate for the opportunity. When addressing the success of the telenovela, she added that, “It’s a hit because, it has been a hit for I don’t know how many years. Anytime you have a good story, well, there are going to be [those] results." When the beautiful actress learned that she would be interpreting this role, she reread the book an additional three more times. She had initially read it when it was published.
“It was my bible,” she said because she wanted to ensure that she could engage the viewer and really connect them with Mendoza. Del Castillo stressed that this project is not meant to “glamorize” the narcotráfico lifestyle, a misconception that people have about the project.
“Anybody that has read the book or watched the novela can see that it’s the complete opposite. What Teresa Mendoza lives in is a hell.” This hell on Earth has caused Mexico to become one of the deadliest countries due to the ongoing drug cartel wars. “It makes me feel super sad. I have the desire to bring my family with me. I miss them and of course I fear for them, but I am also Mexican and I want to go back and do something for my country,” she said about the current situation.
In regards to the woman she brings to life, she had this to say: “Look, I think that we don’t even know if she exist or not. I know it’s based on true events. True events and that is it. Arturo Perez-Reverte [the author of the book] hasn’t even told me. I think we all have our fantasies about Mendoza. Maybe it’s one of you.”
So there you have it folks. Teresa Mendoza, can very well be any of us, but for now you can catch her weekdays on Telemundo at 9 p.m.
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