When Gabriel Soto appeared in Amigas y Rivales in 2001, audiences barely recognized the young heartthrob.
Covered in prosthetics and transformed into the awkward character known as "El Feo," Soto embraced one of the earliest physical makeovers of his career, proving he was willing to look past vanity in pursuit of a memorable role.
Over the next three decades, he continued reinventing himself. He has played romantic heroes, cowboys, truck drivers, villains, and action leads, building one of Mexican television's most versatile careers. But according to Soto, nothing compares to the challenge of becoming Miguel Ángel Arango-Nova, the blind protagonist of TelevisaUnivision's Corazón de Oro.
"It's probably one of the biggest challenges I've had as an actor," Soto told this reporter during a promotional event for the series. "Playing someone with a visual disability required me to rethink absolutely everything."
Unlike many television roles that rely on costumes or makeup to create a transformation, Soto said this one demanded a complete rewiring of instinct.
Every movement had to change.
He could no longer look toward the person speaking, react naturally to sudden movements or use eye contact to communicate emotion. Walking across a room, sitting in a chair or reaching for an object became carefully choreographed actions that required constant concentration.
The commitment came with consequences.
"I bumped into walls, furniture. I fell several times," Soto recalled. "There were moments when I became so immersed in the character that those accidents just happened naturally."
Determined to avoid stereotypes, Soto spent weeks preparing before cameras rolled. He worked with the director of the Institute for the Blind in Mexico City, studying how people with visual impairments organize their homes, choose their clothes, cook, navigate public spaces and use a white cane. He also developed the role alongside his directors and acting coach to ensure every physical gesture felt truthful rather than theatrical.
"I wanted to portray the character with all the respect in the world," Soto said in previous interviews, explaining that authenticity, not imitation, became the guiding principle behind his performance.
That preparation extended beyond technique.
Soto said he often closed his eyes during rehearsals, even when cameras were not rolling, forcing himself to navigate sets the way Miguel Ángel would. The exercise helped him discover how easily someone without sight can become disoriented and why movements that seem routine for sighted people require entirely different strategies.
The actor admitted the experience fundamentally changed his perspective.
Watching the director of the Institute for the Blind go about her daily routine, working, exercising, leading meetings and living independently, gave him a new appreciation for the resilience of people with visual disabilities.
"They're warriors," Soto said. "You realize how admirable they are because when you lose one of your most important senses, you develop so many others."
That emotional connection is what Soto hopes audiences ultimately take away from Corazón de Oro.
Miguel Ángel is not defined by blindness, he said, but by his ability to love, persevere and rebuild his life despite enormous obstacles.
The role also marked a turning point in Soto's own career.
Now celebrating three decades on screen, the actor says he has no interest in repeating himself. If anything, he actively seeks characters that force him outside his comfort zone.
"As actors, we want a wide range of opportunities," Soto said in another recent interview. "I've played 'El Feo,' a truck driver, a villain, a cowboy, and now a blind man. That's what I enjoy most—creating and interpreting completely different lives."
For viewers, Miguel Ángel may simply be another telenovela hero.
For Soto, however, the character left behind bruises, falls and a renewed respect for a community whose daily challenges he came to understand in ways he never expected.
"It wasn't just another role," he said. "It was a lesson in empathy."
