For decades, audiences have asked the same question every time a new telenovela premieres: Why do the same actors keep landing the leading roles?
Mexican superstar Gabriel Soto has heard the criticism before, but the Corazón de Oro male lead says the answer has little to do with favoritism and everything to do with experience, endurance, and a demanding profession that many actors simply aren't prepared to sustain.
Speaking with this reporter during a promotional event for TelevisaUnivision's primetime drama, Soto offered a candid look at what it really takes to become and remain a telenovela protagonist after nearly three decades in the industry. Actress Mayrin Villanueva, his co-star in Corazón de Oro, agreed, saying the grueling pace of daily television often goes unnoticed by viewers.
"I hope not," Soto joked when asked about reports that actors could begin taking longer breaks between productions to avoid overexposure on television.
"But I've always heard people ask, 'Why the same actors? Why the same actors?' It's because it's not easy. It takes a long journey, a lot of training and a lot of study. Carrying a leading role is very complicated."
The actor, who has starred in hit productions including La fuerza del destino, Libre para amarte, Soltero con hijas, and Mi camino es amarte, among many many other productions, said leading a telenovela is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding jobs in television.
"It's very exhausting, both physically and emotionally," Soto said. "When you're doing a telenovela, you don't have a life. You really have to love this profession. You have to love being on set because otherwise you burn out."
According to Soto, many actors dream of becoming protagonists but quickly realize the workload isn't what they expected.
"There are people who get tired of it," he explained. "Very few truly have the craft to keep doing one telenovela after another. It's not that the company decides to use the same people. There simply aren't that many leading actors because many people fall by the wayside or choose to do something else."
Villanueva, who has spent more than 25 years in front of the cameras with acclaimed projects including Niña... amada mía, Yo amo a Juan Querendón, Mentir para vivir and Si nos dejan, echoed her co-star's perspective.
While younger actors often headline youth-oriented productions, she said carrying a primetime telenovela demands a level of technical skill that only comes with years of experience.
"It really requires a craft," Villanueva said. "Telenovelas are sometimes criticized, but every department involved in making one has an incredible level of expertise because the work is so demanding."
She pointed to marathon filming days that often involve dozens of scenes, long hours outdoors and unpredictable weather conditions.
"We shoot 30 scenes, sometimes in the rain, in the cold," she said. "The workload is enormous."
Their comments come as the pair reunite to lead Corazón de Oro, TelevisaUnivision's adaptation of the acclaimed Portuguese telenovela Coração d'Ouro. Produced by Pedro Ortiz de Pinedo, the drama follows Luz and Miguel Ángel, two people whose lives become intertwined by love, family secrets and redemption. The cast also includes Gala Montes, Sergio Goyri, Alejandra Barros, Martha Julia and Arturo Peniche.
The production can be seen in TelevisaUnivision at 10 pm, Monday to Friday.
Far from seeing longevity as a sign of a lack of new talent, Soto believes it reflects the reality of an industry where surviving is often harder than getting the opportunity in the first place.
"There aren't many protagonists," he said. "You can't simply put someone who's just starting in a leading role because it's incredibly difficult."
For Soto and Villanueva, longevity isn't about staying comfortable. It's about earning the trust to shoulder one of television's toughest jobs, day after day, year after year.
