“Overcoming Fear,” the first soap opera with social content comes to the U.S.

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Vencer el Miedo (“Overcome the Fear”), the first telenovela made in co-production between Televisa and the non-governmental organization Population Media Center, premieres on Monday in the United States and its protagonists, Danilo Carrera and Paulina Goto, are hoping that “it will have the same positive effect that has been recorded in Mexico”.

In interviews with Efe, the actors considered that the production, which in addition to the well-known love story focused on early pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, domestic violence, gender equity and [drug addiction], has helped improve social indicators in Mexico on these issues. “I spoke to the organization and they told me that there has already been an improvement in those four topics focusing on ‘Overcoming Fear’. That was achieved with the commitment of all of us who worked on the novel, starting with our producer, Rosy Ocampo,” Carrera said.

That doesn’t mean it’s a boring soap opera. “It sounds like it’s quite a lesson, but the story goes super-fast, with funny, tender, hard moments. There are everything, including many important lessons,” said Goto, who plays Marcela Durán, a strong young woman, who spends three years in a correctional period because of her relationship with a gangster.

Carrera, for his part, took care of the character of Omar/El Beto, a young man who adopts a gangster identity to investigate the murder of his father. The third in the typical romantic triangle is the leader of the band Los Peñones, Rommel Guajardo, played by Emmanuel Palomares.

“I fell in love with the story and the character and I know that the Mexican public fell in love too,” the actor said, who believes the character came “literally from heaven.”

For Goto, the role of Marcela Durán helped her give more strength to her voice: “Like many other women I have often felt that I better not give my opinion for not creating problems, or because of insecurity. This kind of character makes you think,” [the 28-year-old] said.

In addition, she is the composer and performer of “Rompe”, the theme of the telenovela, with which Goto will relaunch her musical career and encourage her to release his second album next Friday, after a 10-year hiatus.

FOOTBALL AND THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE

After finishing the telenovela Hijas de la Luna (“Daughters of the Moon”) in 2018, Danilo Carrera decided to return to his native Ecuador to realize his dream of being a professional footballer.

It was his third leading role in Mexico after No Trace of You and The Double Life of Estela Carrillo and many augured a disastrous result.

Carrera embraced his faith to the “Virgin of Guadalupe to which he had told” that if she granted him the miracle of being able to play professional football at his age “the next novel he would make would be something that would help people”.

“I turned down eight projects until Rosy Ocampo called me,” he said.

The 31-year-old actor considers Ocampo his “professional mom” and wondered how he would be able to turn her down, but he didn’t need it. “The first thing she told me was that she had a role in a soap opera with high social content. It is, in fact, the first novel made in association with a non-governmental organization.”

“I think it was the form of the Virgin by telling me ‘I’ve already fulfilled you’, now it’s my turn,” said Carrera, who spent a year as part of Ecuador’s football club Fuerza Amarilla.

For his role as El Beto, Carrera altered his appearance and spent several hours in the makeup chair, to transform into a gang member with tattoos, let his hair grow and braided it [in] “dreadlocks”.

“I learned how hard it is to live by suffering the prejudice of others just for the way you look. It’s strong to go through that every day,” he revealed.

MUSIC, FILM, AND LOVE

Despite the forced pause of the pandemic, Carrera and Goto are full of new projects.

The actor will begin in 15 days the recordings of “Want everything”, a new telenovela that [he stars in] with his partner, the Mexican actress Michelle Renaud.

“We’re excited because even though quarantine ends for us, we’ll stick together all the time,” he said.

For her part, Goto also celebrates the United States premiere of her film Ventiañera [Twentysomething], Divorced and Fantastic and prepares an internet concert next Friday.