Toma mi Mano actor Carlos Zaldaña
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Staff Spotlight: Carlos Zaldaña

Feb 28, 2020

Toma mi Mano (“Take My Hand”) concluded this fall in Guatemala after a celebrated 156-episode run. We connected with one of the stars to talk about life as an actor, and how Toma mi Mano was a game changer.

What is your name, position, and how long did you work for PMC?

My name is Carlos Zaldaña and I am an actor. I worked for 8 months in Toma mi Mano as the character Judas, the second in command of the gang to El Diablo (The Devil), the negative character of the community violence story.

What was your favorite thing about working at PMC?

My favourite thing about having worked in PMC’s Toma mi Mano radionovela was getting to meet new national actors who have today become my friends, and giving life to such a character. 

What was a normal day for you at PMC?

On days we were going to record, I was called to [the studio] at a certain time, when all the people involved in the scene would be there. We started early for a rehearsal before going into the recording booth in order to understand what we’d all say and what would happen in the story that day. My favorite thing about it all was being in the booth because sometimes we would record the same lines up to 4 times with different nuances and tones so that the editors could pick the best one for the radionovela.What was one of the biggest challenges of your job?

The biggest challenge as an actor is when you come across a character like this, you have to actually live him, be him, and think like him, in order to bring him to life. 

Why did you decide to work for PMC?

What mostly caught my attention towards working on this project was the format. At the time, there were no radionovelas on the air, nor did you hear about them anymore. 

Tell us a little about your childhood, family, or favorite things to do outside of PMC.

My childhood was normal. I lived in Honduras for 10 years; I studied primary school there and part of secondary school too. My family is my wife, my daughter who’s a psychologist, and recently, my one-year-old granddaughter. In my free time I like reading and walking outdoors. I also teach theater class in a school. I’m a stage and movie actor. I have an Ícaro Award for Best Actor in the short film “Los Espejos” from Don Héctor Gaitán, and I work in a production house. 

Is there anything else you would like to share about working for PMC?

I think what mostly impacted me about this project was that it was an amazing opportunity for me, and it opened doors for future projects for me. It helped me to make my way, because I had had previous production experiences with different