After spending years dividing her time between reality television, music and only a handful of acting projects, Paty Navidad is returning to the genre that made her a household name. But as she steps back into fiction with TelevisaUnivision's upcoming telenovela Tierra de Amor y Coraje, the actress says the role has also made her reflect on a romance from her own life that still leaves her wondering what might have been.
Speaking on the set of José Alberto Castro's new production, Navidad revealed that her character, Roxy, forced her to think about the idea of "the one that got away," admitting that unlike many of her previous roles, this story hit close to home.
Roxy is a woman who returns to her hometown after many years to take over her late parents' bar and reconnect with the great love she left behind. Although she loved him, she believed he could not give her the life she dreamed of, so she walked away. Years later, she returns hoping for another chance, only to discover that time has changed everything.
Asked whether she has ever experienced something similar in real life, Navidad offered an unusually personal answer.
"I do have someone," she admitted. "At that time I thought things should go one way, but if things had happened differently, my life would probably be very different today."
The actress said she eventually crossed paths with that former love again years later, but by then both had made different choices and moved on with their lives. "We met again after many years, but things happened differently because I made other decisions and so did he. Even so, we get along very well," she said.
That emotional complexity is one of the reasons she accepted the role of Roxy, a character she describes as neither a traditional heroine nor a villain.
Instead, she portrays a woman who makes painful mistakes while trying to protect the people she loves.
"She has many beautiful qualities, but she also makes mistakes like any human being," Navidad explained. "She'll hurt people, not because she's bad, but because, just like in real life, sometimes we make decisions believing we're doing the right thing."
The project also marks a significant return to scripted television for the actress.
During the interview, Navidad revealed she had spent the last 15 years appearing in only two fiction projects before accepting Tierra de Amor y Coraje. She said producer José Alberto Castro's reputation alone convinced her to audition.
"When José Alberto Castro called me, I didn't even ask what the project was," she recalled. "I simply said yes. Then I auditioned, got the part and fell in love with Roxy even more after learning about her story."
Although she has recently become known to younger audiences through reality television, Navidad says returning to telenovelas feels like coming home.
She admitted she was initially afraid of joining reality competitions, worrying about exposing her personal life after decades of building a career through fictional characters.
Instead, she says the experience became transformative.
"I was afraid of reality shows, but they turned out to be something wonderful because people got to know who I really am," she said. "I connected with many young people who knew me not as a character, but as Paty."
Now she hopes those viewers will follow her into her latest acting project.
"I'm very fortunate because right now everything is happening at once in music, acting and in my personal life," she said, noting that she is also preparing new music, including original songs and tribute recordings honoring legendary Mexican artists.
For Navidad, Tierra de Amor y Coraje represents more than another television credit. It is a chance to remind longtime fans why she became one of Mexican television's most recognizable actresses while introducing a new generation to the dramatic storytelling that first defined her career.
