For decades, Mexican telenovelas followed an unwritten rule: men could continue playing romantic leads well into middle age, while women often saw those opportunities disappear long before they reached their 40s.
Mayrin Villanueva knows that reality well.
After 28 years in television, the Mexican actress has gone from playing ingénues to becoming one of Televisa's most enduring and beloved leading ladies. Now, as she headlines Corazón de Oro, she believes audiences are embracing a new era, one in which women over 45 are no longer relegated to mothers, villains, or supporting characters but are once again carrying the love stories.
Speaking with this reporter about her latest project with TelevisaUnivision, Villanueva reflected on how dramatically the industry has changed.
"We're fortunate," she said. "As you mentioned, we're fortunate, both men and women. Before, women's careers as leading actresses started earlier, but they also ended earlier than men's. Now women can continue, and we're getting very interesting leading roles for mature women."
"It's wonderful that this value is finally being recognized because before everything revolved around much younger women."
For Villanueva, 55, the shift, which started in Hollywood, is now more than theoretical in the world of Spanish language TV.
Villanueva has shined in telenovelas such as Mujer de Madera, Yo amo a Juan Querendón (with now husband Eduardo Santamarina), Mi corazón es tuyo, and Si nos dejan. While many of those productions established her as one of Mexico's most recognizable actresses, some of her richest and most emotionally layered characters have come in recent years, portraying women navigating second chances, blended families, heartbreak, and mature love.
Her latest role as Luz in Corazón de Oro,which airs on Univision at 10 pm Monday to Friday, continues that evolution. Rather than centering on first love, the TelevisaUnivision drama explores redemption, family, resilience, and romance later in life. Adapted from SIC's acclaimed Portuguese telenovela Coração d'Ouro, the series stars Villanueva opposite Gabriel Soto, alongside Gala Montes, Sergio Goyri, Alejandra Barros, Martha Julia, and Arturo Peniche.
Villanueva believes television is finally catching up with its audience.
Today's viewers, she said, want stories that reflect their own lives, and that includes seeing women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond as complex protagonists rather than background figures.
She is hardly alone.
Across Mexican and Latin American television, several actresses have continued proving that leading roles do not have an expiration date. Silvia Navarro has remained one of Mexico's most sought-after dramatic actresses through productions such as Cuando me enamoro, La suerte de Loli, and Juegos de amor y poder. Navarro is the lead in Netflix's My Daughter's Father, which has remained in the Top 10 since premiering last week.
Colombian star Catherine Siachoque has evolved from iconic villain to sophisticated leading actress in productions like Sin senos sí hay paraíso, VIX's Consuelo, Dark Desire, and more.
Angélica Rivera returned to television this year with the lead role in Con esa misma mirada, marking her first acting project in nearly two decades. Veteran actresses including Victoria Ruffo, Kate del Castillo, who is coming back this year in a new season of La Reina del Sur, Susana González, Lucero, Aracely Arámbula, and Itatí Cantoral, among others, have likewise continued headlining major productions, reflecting a broader shift toward stories centered on mature women rather than exclusively younger heroines.
The transformation is not limited to casting.
Villanueva explains that today's productions are also more demanding than ever. Modern telenovelas are filmed much like streaming series, with scenes shot completely out of order, forcing actors to constantly track their characters' emotional journey.
She credited directors Juan Carlos Muñoz and Jorge Robles for helping the cast maintain that continuity throughout filming.
"Having a good director who truly guides you is wonderful," she said, explaining that Muñoz meticulously documented every emotional beat of the story so actors always knew exactly where their characters stood.
Villanueva also defended the genre itself, saying telenovelas often receive less credit than they deserve.
"Telenovelas are sometimes criticized, but every department involved has an incredible level of expertise," she said. "The work is very demanding because the shooting schedules are so intense."
Those marathon days frequently include dozens of scenes, outdoor filming, rain, cold weather, and little room for error, she added.
For Villanueva, however, the biggest change has nothing to do with production schedules.
It is that women no longer have to fear that turning 40 means the end of their careers.
Instead, she believes they are finally being offered characters that are richer, more authentic and, perhaps for the first time, every bit as compelling as the ones they played when they were 25.
