Back in February in the Morning Brew, Trish told you about the new Mexican television show Las Aparicio, which kicked off last night on Cadena 3 (Channel 28 on Open Television in Mexico and Channel 128 on Cabelvision and other cable services) in Mexico.
The show grabbed our attention (and that of some AE readers) in large part because of the inclusion of a lesbian character, Mariana Torres, played by actress Eréndira Ibarra. The inside scoop we were given indicated that Mariana would have a “major romance” and there would be some “very hot, hot scenes.”
Naturally, we had to ask the woman who plays Mariana to tell us everything. She spoke to us recently (via email) about the show, her role, and how she hopes to make a difference with her positive portrayal of an out lesbian.
AfterEllen.com: What can you tell us about Mariana?
Eréndira Ibarra: Mariana Torres is a 24-year-old lesbian. She is an aspiring actress who owns a small catering business with her best friend Julia Aparicio (Liz Gallardo).
She was born and raised in Mexico City and has practically lived in the Aparicio house since she was a child. She always knew she was different and she came out when she was really young, finding in the Aparicio household a safe haven from a bad relationship with her own parents. She’s outspoken, opinionated and extremely independent. Even when she has everything riding against her she’s always front and center.
AE: How did you get involved with Las Aparicio, and did you know when you signed on that your character would be bisexual/lesbian?
EI: I knew what I was getting into even while the idea was barely brewing. I didn’t know what character I was going to play, but I was really looking forward to the audition process, and I pretty much just kept the best attitude and crossed my fingers to have the opportunity to land one of the great parts.
Of course, the more I heard about the character, the more excited I became and the more I focused on giving the producers and writers the confidence that I could carry such an important role.
AE: You told us that your sister is a lesbian and that she is one of the writers on the show, and that she specifically writes for your character. Do you have any influence over what she writes for you?
EI:Well, it’s not so much about having an influence on what Natassja Ybarra Klor, my sister, writes for the project, it’s more about the fact that she’s my inspiration for what I portray on set. We live together, so we often have the opportunity to sit and have some pretty enlightening one on one talks.
I give her insight on the vision that the director is trying to get through and what I experience when I am in Mariana’s skin. I let her know what I embody when I “play around” in the scenes and what I have discovered about Mariana’s personality.
Natassja gives me insight into Mariana’s psyche and pointers on how to reach and express Mariana’s vulnerability and strengths, her moments of “truth.” It’s been an amazing opportunity and the teamwork has been quite an experience! I have worked with her on other collaborations before as well.
AE: Does having a lesbian sister give you any particular insight into Mariana or impact how you portray her?
EI:The fact that my sister and so many of my friends are LGBT has everything to do with where I take Mariana every day. I see the discrimination that they experience everyday and the stands they need to take. They are absolutely awesome and they are my inspiration, maybe Natassja more than anyone else for obvious reasons.
We (actors) always pray for opportunities like this one. Opportunities where we shed light on subjects that we think are important, and take on strong characters, where we can enlighten the community and help people out that have given us so much and have inspired us in so many ways. Without my friends and Natassja, Mariana might be just another stereotype or a really superficial interpretation and I hope will I do much better than that!
For me, Mariana is one of the biggest challenges that I have taken on as an actress and I hope that the audience feels and understands that I do this with the same love, respect and gratitude that all these women in my life have given me.
AE: Can you tell us anything about Mariana’s romance with her friend Julia?
EI:What can I say about the romance? Due to my contract, NOTHING! Natassja should really be answering this question! I guess pretty much all I can say is that it’s not going to happen straight away. As a matter of fact, when the show starts, Mariana is in a relationship and lives with Dany, her long time girlfriend played by Tania Angeles. So… Julia and Mariana might take a while, but it’s worth the wait!
AE: What has the public response been so far to the previews of the lesbian storyline on the show? Are you getting positive feedback?
EI:Argos is the production company that is producing it and they have always been under the magnifying glass and a bit “on the edge” in the news. The reigning television networks are waiting to see whether we sink or swim. However, after so many years and awards, Argos has demonstrated that a small company can stay on top because the founders, actors, producers and everyone that makes Argos tick love the business and respect it.
As far as the lesbian storyline, the feedback has been amazing within the LGBT community! Neither the press nor the competition have taken into consideration how groundbreaking and important this is going to be. I personally can?t wait to see their reaction when the “little train that could” starts to rake in the ratings!
That’s why we are so grateful to the blogs and the all the viewers that have and continue to forward the clips around nationally and internationally, in order to really make heads turn. Thank you for supporting us! As I mentioned before, we (I) will always be open and look forward to your feedback.
Las Aparicio airs Monday through Friday at 10 pm on Channel 28 on Open Television in Mexico and Channel 128 on Cabelvision and other cable services. You can follow Eréndira Ibarra on Twitter here.
