For Rafael Amaya, stepping back into the boots of Aurelio Casillas no longer begins with a script or a gunfight.
It begins with a scent.
After more than a decade portraying one of the most iconic and controversial characters in Spanish-language television, the Mexican actor revealed to me that there is one simple ritual that instantly transports him back into the ruthless world of El Señor de los Cielos.
"It starts with a perfume," Amaya told me during our conversation ahead of the July 7 premiere of the show's tenth and final season.
"As soon as I smell it, my sensory memory comes back. I think our sense of smell is the strongest memory we have."
The fragrance is Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather. For Amaya, it has become the bridge between Rafael, the man, and Aurelio, the fictional drug kingpin who changed his career and, at one point, nearly changed his life.
It's a remarkably intimate confession from an actor who has spent the last 12 years carrying one of television's heaviest roles.
When I first interviewed Amaya in 2013, El Señor de los Cielos was an ambitious new Telemundo production inspired by the life of Mexican drug trafficker Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Nobody could have predicted it would become the network's longest-running scripted franchise, spanning ten seasons and redefining the narco-drama genre for audiences across Latin America and the United States.
Looking back, Amaya believes the series earned that place because it continually evolved.
"The country changed. The industry changed," he said. "We were part of that change because we were at the forefront of the narco-series genre. Many have tried to imitate El Señor de los Cielos, but they haven't been able to do it."
"There are series with eight or ten episodes. We tried to make 90 episodes with the same or even better quality, and not just one season, but ten."
The role also demanded an enormous personal price.
Over the years, Amaya has spoken publicly about his struggles with addiction and mental health during the height of the show's success. After leaving the series for a period, he later revealed that substance abuse had overtaken his life, forcing him into rehabilitation and a long recovery. In interviews promoting his return, he admitted there were moments when the line between Rafael Amaya and Aurelio Casillas became dangerously blurred.
Today, sitting across from me, the difference is impossible to ignore.
The actor appears relaxed, healthy and genuinely excited about closing this chapter, rather than burdened by it.
Perhaps that is why the ritual has changed.
Instead of losing himself in the character, he now chooses when to step back inside Aurelio's world.
The final season picks up two years after the events of Season 9. Aurelio Casillas returns to a dramatically transformed criminal landscape, where shifting alliances, new enemies, and escalating violence force every character into unfamiliar territory. According to Telemundo, the story raises the stakes for the Casillas family while bringing long-running storylines to their conclusion.
Returning alongside Amaya are fan favorites including Carmen Aub as Rutila Casillas, Iván Arana as Ismael Casillas, Isabella Castillo, Robinson Díaz, and Alan Slim, among others who have shaped the sprawling saga over the years.
Rather than simply recreating current events, Amaya says the writers once again transformed reality into fiction.
"So many things have happened over the last two years," he explained. "There was a lot of material to draw from. But why would you want to watch a series that tells you exactly what you're already seeing every day on the news? We analyze reality and turn it into entertainment."
That philosophy also shaped the performances.
"We wanted to put the characters into extreme situations so their reactions would be different," he said. "We didn't want them behaving the same way all the time."
For Amaya, the biggest difference this season wasn't the script but the preparation.
The production devoted more than a month to rehearsing and choreographing action sequences before filming began, something he believes elevated the show's already ambitious set pieces.
"We became much more disciplined," he said. "We trained so that when it was time to shoot, everything would flow naturally. We wanted the action to reach a level that hadn't been seen in Mexico."
The actor said he also approached this season with the knowledge accumulated over more than a decade in the franchise.
"I've always been curious," he told me. "From the first season, I was asking questions about cameras, lenses, production, everything people don't usually see. Over all these years I learned what should be done and what shouldn't."
Those lessons won't stay behind with Aurelio.
Amaya confirmed they will guide his next chapter, which includes new projects through his own production company and his previously announced portrayal of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
"There is a lot of work ahead," he said. "We already know what works with audiences."
Still, saying goodbye to Aurelio Casillas is emotional.
This isn't even the first farewell. The character has seemingly died before, only to return. But this time, both Amaya and Telemundo insist this is the end of the saga that captivated audiences for more than a decade.
As our conversation came to a close, I asked him what he needs to become Aurelio one final time.
He smiled before returning to that small, deeply personal ritual.
One spray of Tuscan Leather.
One breath. And suddenly, Rafael Amaya is no longer Rafael Amaya. For one last season, Aurelio Casillas lives again.
