Estylo February/March 2008 - Kate del Castillo interview

As a poor illegal immigrant in her latest film, La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon), Kate del Castillo is the furthest thing from glamorous. But on a bright Sunday afternoon as she poses for the camera in one sexy outfit after the next, waves of chestnut hair framing her flawless face, it’s obvious why she regularly makes Most Beautiful People lists. There’s a lot more to del Castillo than beauty, of course. She has the acting talent to match, as her performances—including her heart-wrenching turn as Rosario in La Misma Luna—bear out.

Best known to U.S. audiences for her portrayal of Ofelia in the PBS series American Family, del Castillo has been a superstar in her native Mexico and throughout Latin America since starring in nine popular telenovelas. She has been acting since she was a child, debuting in Las Sobrinas del Diablo, a film produced by her actor father, Eric.

“He didn’t have any money to pay an actress, but I loved it,” del Castillo explains as she settles into a couch, dressed in the first of six ensembles, an embellished Poleci top and her own jeans. Her parents tried to dissuade the young girl from an acting career, but she was not easily discouraged, even though she harbored serious doubts about her ability to succeed at it. “I didn’t have good self-esteem,” she confides, noting that at that age, “you don’t know what you’re good at and I didn’t trust myself to really make a living out of it.”

She concentrated on her classes, as her parents wished. “I was studying publicity,” she says, “but I wasn’t passionate about it. I continued acting here and there, and suddenly I couldn’t stop. So I left college.” Fortunately, she started working right away in Mexican movies and soaps. Ricky Martin cast her in his “Fuego de Noche” video, calling her personally to play the part. Then American Family led to more film work and a move to Los Angeles two years ago....