‘Ugly Betty’ traded her bangs, glasses and braces for makeup and sophisticated clothes, married the man she had always dreamed of, had a daughter and became the president of the company where she was previously the boss’s secretary, but is she happy 20 years later?
The most successful soap opera in the history of television returns to the screens following a 25-year hiatus to continue the story of the original characters, with new actors and plots that will expose the protagonists to new challenges and dilemmas, in a current context and “adapted to the new times.”
The cast of ‘Betty la fea, la historia continua’ presented this week in Bogotá the new series, which brings Beatriz Pinzón Solano (played by Ana María Orozco) back to life in 10 episodes, which will be broadcast on Prime Videoin which she faces different challenges than before, more vital and less related to her physical appearance, all framed in her own search for happiness and within herself.
The creators say they introduced current themes into the novel to adapt it to the new times, paying more attention to what the characters say or how they behave but respecting the essence that Fernando Gaitán – the creator and screenwriter of the 1999 series – designed for each one.
Natalia Ramírez, the actress who plays the female antagonist, Marcela Valenciaexplained that, although time has passed, “it is as if we had said ‘cut, off the air’ in 2001 and we met once more in the new studio the next day but 25 years later.”
The new challenges of ‘Ugly Betty’
In addition to Ramírez, the director, Mauricio Cruz, and the producer of the series, Yalile Giordanelli, attended the event, along with the acclaimed actors who gave life to the iconic characters of Patricia López (Lorna Cepeda), Hugo Lombardi (Julián Arango) and Nicolás Mora (Mario Duarte), who emphasized their preparation to play them once more following so many years.
“I thought Hugo would be more serious, calmer, I tried to play a different character, I looked for another way of walking. But the first time I dressed up as him I had no business there, that guy came out following 20 years of waiting to come out. Hugo is Hugo,” explained Arango amid the laughter of the audience.
Cepeda, for his part, adds that “the essence of the character is the essence, there is nothing to do”, and assures that he believes that people are “excited” and “expectant” with this evolution of the characters and their plot.
Bringing these beloved participants of Colombian popular culture back to life following years without the public following their steps was “a challenge,” explains the director of this new season of the series, since he had to “fit into a team that has been working together for 25 years.”
New characters and the challenge for the actors
In addition to the original cast of the series, two of the new actors from the 2024 cast, Zharick León and Rodrigo Candamil, joined the presentation. They said they felt “lucky” and did not hesitate to join the ‘Betty’ universe as soon as they were given the opportunity.
“When I arrived at the studio and saw all of them (the actors), I forgot that I was an actress,” says León, laughing, adding that she hopes her character will be loved because she is a woman who has “admirable things” but “if the series were a painting, she would be the shadow.”
‘Ugly Betty’ is considered by the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful television show in history, having premiered in 1999 and ended in 2001. It was broadcast in many countries, dubbed into 25 languages and reproduced 28 times in different parts of the world.
Following the success of the series, Gaitán made ‘Eco Moda’, a sequel that continued with Betty’s life in the company and lasted one season.
Bogota / EFE
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2024-07-21 07:40:05
