14 Stars Who got their start on telenovelas

Gael Garcia Bernal

Before becoming a sought-after actor in Hollywood, Gael García Bernal tried his luck as a telenovela actor when he made his debut in ‘El abuelo y yo’, for which he won a TVyNovelas award in the category of best children’s performance. His rise in the cinema came when he played the role of Octavio, in the acclaimed film ‘Amores perros’, which was followed by titles such as ‘Y tu mamá también’, ‘Diarios de Motocicleta’ and ‘Babel’.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek is probably the most prestigious Mexican actress in Hollywood. She began her career in 1989, starring in the successful telenovela ‘Teresa’, of which numerous adaptations have been made. After the success of this telenovela, Salma Hayek packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles, where she began looking for roles in major productions, which she has achieved with great success.

Mark Consuelos

Mark Consuelos is a Spanish-American actor known mainly for his television appearances, although he has also been seen in films such as ‘Wedding Daze’. His career began in 1995, when he was cast in the soap opera ‘All My Children’, on ABC. He played the role of Mateo Santos for more than 15 years.

William Levy

William Levy began his acting career appearing in the telenovela ‘Mi vida eres tú’, a production of Venevisión and Univisión Internacional. His most important role came a year later, when he appeared in another telenovela ‘Acorralada’, in Mexico. For many years, Levy was the main face of telenovelas in Mexico. However, he decided to establish his permanent residence in Miami and dedicate himself to looking for more opportunities in Hollywood. His most recent role was on ‘Café con aroma de mujer’.

Jon Ecker

Jon-Michael William Ecker is an actor from San Marcos, Texas, and the son of renowned actor Guy Ecker. His career began in 2010, when he had a small role in the Mexican telenovela ‘Niña de mi corazón’. Since then, Ecker’s fame has skyrocketed, landing roles in hit American series like Chicago Fire, Criminal Minds and NCIS: New Orleans. He recently starred in the Hallmark Christmas movie ‘Gingerbread miracle’.

Roselyn Sanchez

Roselyn Milagros Sanchez is a Puerto Rican actress, singer and model born on April 2, 1973. Her career has been very successful, especially on television, where she began playing the character of Pilar Domingo on the soap opera ‘As the world turns’. This opened the doors for her to nab bigger roles in film and on television. She currently plays Elena Roarke on the series Fantasy Island.

Alfonso Herrera

Alfonso Herrera’s career began simultaneously in film and television in 2002, when he landed two important roles. The first was the lead in the film ‘Amar te hule’ and the second was the telenovela ‘Clase 406’. Although he already had a recognized career, Herrera’s star rose even higher when he played Miguel. He appeared in the Netflix series Sense8.

Diego Luna

Before acting in Hollywood, Diego Luna was a successful actor in children’s and youth telenovelas, having major roles in productions such as ‘El abuelo y yo’ and ‘El Premio Mayor’. Away from television, Luna dedicated himself to a career as a film actor, acquiring great fame and a reputation as one of the most talented Mexican actors in Hollywood.

Eiza Gonzalez

In 2007 the premeir of the telenovela ‘Lola, érase una vez’ was announced. It was an adaptation of the successful Argentine show ‘Floricienta’. Many were surprised when Eiza González landed a starring role because she was an unknown at the time. Although the telenovela did not have the hoped for success, Eiza’s career took a totally different course, as she made the decision to move to Los Angeles to try her luck in Hollywood.

Jaime Camil

Before gaining fame as ‘Rogelio de la Vega’, in the acclaimed American series ‘Jane the virgin’, Jaime Camil was the protagonist of several telenovelas in Mexico. His first role was on ‘Demasiado corazón’, where he acted in 225 episodes. He has shared the screen with actors such as Lucero, in the telenovela ‘My destiny is you’ and, later, in ‘For her I am Eva’.

Danna Paola

When it comes to child stars, we can’t forget Danna Paola, who began her career when she was still 5 years old in the children’s telenovela ‘Rayito de luz’, alongside Alex Speitzer. Although she managed to establish herself as the greatest star of her generation on Mexican television, Danna Paola decided to break through into the international market, earning a role in the Netflix series Elite.

Diego Boneta

Although technically Diego Boneta made his debut in a musical reality show, his career really began to take off when he appeared in the children’s telenovela ‘Alegrijes y Rebujos’, on the Televisa network. After his role in ‘Rebelde’, Boneta, he established his residence in the United States, where he landed jobs on series like Pretty Little Liars, 90210 and Jane The Virgin.

Belinda

Belinda Peregrín began her television career at the age of 11, appearing in the children’s telenovela  ‘Amigos X siempre’, alongside Martin Ricca, Ernesto Laguardia and Adriana Fonseca. This production was followed by roles in shows such as ‘Complices al rescate’. Although it was moderately successful, the actress was disappointed and decided to focus on her singing career.

Sofia Vergara

Although Sofía Vergara is known worldwide for having played Gloria Pritchett in the successful series ‘Modern Family’, her career began in 1995, when she played Irasema in ‘Acapulco, cuerpo y alma’

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