LOS ANGELES _ Kate del Castillo has spent most of the day in a small hotel room doing a steady stream of interviews. Despite the long day, she's in high spirits because after spending so many years talking about her connections to drug kingpin El Chapo, she's getting to talk about a project for which she has great passion.
A second season of "La Reina del Sur" _ Telemundo's best performing series in the network's history _ has been ordered, with del Castillo returning to the role of Teresa Mendoza. The production follows the rise to power of a Mexican woman within the world of international drug trafficking. In the reboot, eight years have passed and Mendoza is living a quiet life as Maria Dantes in Italy, where she's raising her daughter, Sofia. It wouldn't be a drama series if tragedy didn't strike.
The first episode of the 60 produced for the new season will air Monday on the cable-language channel.
"I am happy working at the only thing I know. I wasn't working for two, two and a half years. I am an actress, so I need work," del Castillo laughs and adds, "I am not Angelina Jolie. So I don't make that kind of money. I live for the day, so having to pay for all the lawyers made it a very harsh time.
"As for the other, I know I am always going to be asked about El Chapo and what happened, which is fine because it is part of my life. It's not like I want to now erase it."
The acting del Castillo loves has not only made her a huge star in Mexico, but she has also worked in numerous American television and film productions, including the "Jane the Virgin," "CSI: Miami," "Weeds," "No Good Deed," "All About Nina" and "Trade." She was only 20 when the telenovela "Muchachitas" made her famous.
Getting to work in American projects has been exciting for del Castillo, but she's more anxious for people to see her work in her native language. She's convinced that is the only way that an audience can fully appreciate her acting skills. But that doesn't mean she's going to stop looking for roles where she will work on English-language projects.
Working on the second season of "La Reina del Sur" not only got del Castillo back in front of the cameras, it also provided a huge distraction. The new season had her jetting around the world as episodes were shot in eight countries: Italy, Russia, Spain, Rumania, Mexico, Belize, Colombia and the U.S.
It's been a long stretch since the first season wrapped, as the last episode of the first season was broadcast in May 2011. Everyone _ including the cast _ was surprised how well the series did. Talks began immediately for a second season as soon as the finale aired.
"The network was ready to do a second part and I was like 'no, no, no.' That's because second parts are never as good as the first. The first part was based on a novel (by Arturo Perez-Reverte) and there was no second novel," del Castillo says. "I couldn't understand why we should do it and should just stay with this amazing success."
Talks of a second season continued for years because the interest in the show never wavered. Reruns drew large numbers, and that sparked fans to press for more episodes. The viewers _ so suggests del Castillo _ connected with the program because having a woman play an antihero was something new. No one expected to see a character like the one she was portraying.
Once the decision was made to make more episodes, del Castillo had to get ready for the physical demands of the role. She jokes about what it took to get ready to play Teresa Mendoza again.
"Botox. No. I'm training, yes, I train all the time, because I like that. It's the only way. I don't meditate. I don't do yoga. I know it's horrible, but I don't," del Castillo says. "But that's my way to liberate and release my stress or my energy. Sometimes I have a lot of energy. And to be able to support I was working from Monday to Saturday, 14, 15 hours a day. It's a very compelling character, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. So, for me, exercising was a great need."
"La Reina del Sur"'s multilingual cast also includes Raoul Bova ("Under the Tuscan Sun"), Humberto Zurita ("La Querida del Centauro"), Paola Nunez ("The Son"), Antonio Gil ("The Man who Killed Don Quixote"), Patricia Reyes Spindola ("Fear the Walking Dead"), Eduardo Santamarina ("El Senor de los Cielos") and Eric Roberts ("The Dark Knight").
