Once again, a project brings together Mayrín Villanueva and Gabriel Soto, two actors with an important career in television; it is the telenovela “Heart of Gold”. This production has already hit screens here in the United States, but previously it premiered in Mexico, where it has already become a popular story and well received by the audience.
The melodrama follows the intense life of “Luz”, played by Villanueva, a deeply responsible and selfless mother who is willing to do absolutely everything to protect her ambitious daughter, “Catalina”, portrayed by actress Gala Montes.
To the emotional complexity adds “Miguel Ángel”, played by Soto, a noble blind lawyer who has harbored a deep love for “Luz” for more than two decades. There, the main story will revolve.
“It’s a pleasure to come across those kinds of stories, because they enrich you so much as an actor, because that’s what you look for, to be given those ranges, because there are many times you can’t even imagine that you could reach certain ranges. And here, with these so well-drawn, so well-made stories, you can go wherever you want,” Villanueva shared.
Soto also felt the challenge when portraying a blind character for which he had to prepare and draw on his acting experience.
“The fact of facing challenges of that magnitude is something very beautiful. It is something very rich, because it takes you out of your comfort zone, it makes you learn new things. In this case, I had consultations with the director of the Institute for the Blindness of Mexico City, where we talked in several sessions so that she could share how she lives her day-to-day life, and you put yourself in the shoes and feet of a blind person; it truly is something quite complicated that left me a lot on a personal level. As an actor, those challenges are what make you grow,” Soto stated.
Both actors agree that all the work done in “Heart of Gold” represents their experience and also carries its personal essence because they are giving it life.
“The interpretation of each character is unique; you can tell the same story a thousand times, but with different actors and each will be very different from the other. It is because it carries that essence, even if you say: ‘It’s not me’. The character will always have something of you,” Mayrín explains.
As Soto said, “each character comes on paper, but I think as an actor, you bring in your energy, your essence; I always say it’s like an audio console. Each character needs to be equalized in such a way that you raise and lower what is required by both the character and the director, the producer, and the writer.”
Across their careers, both have worked on various projects, which have been very successful, and now once again they share credits in this telenovela.
“My first jobs as a model when I was 17 or 18 were with Mayrín. We have done various telenovelas along the way, one of them very well known, which marked an era, “Friends and Rivals”. We have known each other all our lives and we are great friends. So, working with someone you love so much, whom you admire so much, is a pleasure,” Soto concluded.
The telenovela “Heart of Gold” airs from Monday to Friday at 9 p.m. on Univisión.
