Erika Buenfil

Erika Buenfil (born Teresa de Jesús Buenfil Lopez on November 23, 1960 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico) is a Mexican actress and singer. She is best known for her lead roles in several successful telenovelas including Amor en Silencio (1988), Marisol (1996), Tres Mujeres (1999– 2000) and Amores Verdaderos (2012–2013).

Biography

Early career

Buenfil started her career in showbiz at the age of 12. Her first telenovela appearance was in 1977 in Acompañame. More roles followed in Ambicion, alongside Edith Gonzalez, Conflictos de un Medico alongside Victoria Ruffo, Aprendiendo a Amar alongside Susana Dosamantes. An outstanding role was Cristina del Junco in the telenovela El derecho de nacer in 1981, which gave Erika international exposure as an upcoming young actress. In 1983 Erika played role of Vicky de Martino in El Maleficio. The success of the novela gave Erika her first starring role in 1985 in Angelica where she played the title character. At this point she became recognizable in Latin America thanks to her success in novelas and hosting the Mexican show XETU. The following year in 1986 Erika Buenfil starred in El Engaño, alongside Frank Moro, Guillermo Garcia Cantu, and Luz Maria Jerez.

Amor en silencio

Two years later in 1988, Buenfil appeared in Amor en silencio. This was her third starring role and the most memorable. Erika played two characters; Marisela in the first half, and Ana in the second half of the telenovela. Her leading men were Arturo Peniche and Omar Fierro. Amor en silencio, produced by Carla Estrada, became an instant hit due to the cast and the well-written story-line. However, her character was killed in a surprise twist during one episode. The story continued with plot moving 12 years after and emerged with Buenfil reappearring in the story, now playing the teenage daughter of her former murdered character.

Amor en silencio was the most awarded telenovela of the year winning Best Telenovela and Best Actress for Erika Buenfil on 1989's TVyNovela awards. During this time, Buenfil's popularity had grown and her status as telenovela actress was at its highest, making appearances in many entertainment magazines and on TV shows.

1990s

After her success with Amor en silencio, Erika Buenfil took a few years off from telenovelas before returning in 1991 in Vida Robada, alongside Sergio Goyri and Cynthia Klitbo. The telenovela had some success, but after it ended Erika disappeared from the spotlight once again. In 1993, she was being considered for the lead role of Monica in the epic novela Corazón salvaje, but the role went to Edith González. Erika was offered the part of the antagonist "Aimee," but initially refused it. In 1996, Erika admitted in El Show de Cristina that she refused the role because she wanted to be the star and did not want to accept a secondary role. She said that she changed her mind over the weekend, but when she called the producer Jose Rendón, she was told that the role had already been given to actress Ana Colchero.

Buenfil began to find it difficult to receive new roles. Among the roles that she coveted was as the protagonist of Morir Dos Veces, another Jose Rendon production, starring Eduardo Palomo (the male star of Corazon Salvaje). Again, Erika ended up losing a part because Palomo was pushing for his wife actress, the almost unknown Carina Ricco to star in the novela. The novela was an instant flop.

Marisol

By the end of 1995, Erika had been absent from the TV screen for over 4 years. However, her fortunes changed for her when she went to Televisa to ask for better treatment at the company. Her voice was heard and producer Juan Osorio wanted her to star in his upcoming production of Marisol alongside Eduardo Santamarina, in his first starring role. To the surprise of many, Marisol was a great hit with audiences, thanks to the great chemistry between the lead actors. Marisol was the typical Cinderella-type story, criticized by many, but that brought much success. The success of the telenovela was such that Buenfil and Santamarina went on a promotional tour of various Latin American countries.

Tres Mujeres

After the success of Marisol, Erika Buenfil did some theater, made a special appearance in her friend Laura Flores' vehicle El Alma No Tiene Color, and was offered various scripts, including starring in 1998's La Usurpadora. She declined and the role went to Venezuelan Gabriela Spanic.

The next year in 1999, Erika found herself headlining the cast of the novela Tres Mujeres, where she shared the lead with Karyme Lozano and Jorge Salinas, in their first starring roles. Even though Televisa placed the novela in a non-prime time slot, Tres Mujeres delivered better than the network's other primetime soaps. The show covered previous taboo issues in Latin American TV, such as homosexuality and adultery. The role of Barbara was also the first time Erika played a mature woman who committed infidelity. Due to the success of the novela, the cast of Tres Mujeres was asked to continue working on the novela, even though filming had ended. Eventually the novela lasted over 8 months (whereas most novelas last a little over 4 months).

2000s

In 2000 Erika had a special participation in the children novela Carita De Angel. In 2001 Buenfil started working on a new novela, Asi Son Ellas. Originally, Victoria Ruffo was also tapped to work on the novela, but controversy started regarding who would carry the first billing and eventually Victoria withdrew from the project. The novela was not very successful in part because of the difficult afternoon schedule and because Televisa did not promote it well, delaying over a year to air it in Mexico.

In 2004, Erika starred in "Corazones Al Limite." This telenovela was memorable because it reunited the Amor en silencio stars as lovers for the first time in 16 years. That same year Buenfil also had a small role as a villain in Amarte Es Mi Pecado. In 2006, Erika had an important role as the mother of the heroine in Duelo De Pasiones produced by Marisol's producer Juan Osorio, and starring Ludwika Paleta and Pablo Montero. In 2008. she joined the cast of another Osorio's telenovela Tormenta en el Paraiso. In 2010, Erika had a secondary role in "El Triunfo del Amor." This role was Erika's last before she returned to starring roles.

2010's

In June 2012, after an exhausting casting battle over the lead role in the telenovela Amores Verdaderos, Erika Buenfil was selected as the heroine. This marked her comeback as the lead star of a telenovela after eight years of not having a lead role. Her last one was in Corazones al Limite in 2004. Other actresses who fought for the role were Rebecca Jones, Victoria Ruffo, Maribel Guardia, and Olivia Collins.

Amores Verdaderos debuted in prime time to high ratings in Mexico and because of its success, the network extended the run of the telenovela until May 2013. For the role of Victoria Balvanera Gil de Brizz, Erika won the TVyNovelas award for best lead actress.

In 2014, Buenfil returns to television with a stellar role in La Gata, following her successful performance in Amores Verdaderos. In August 22, 2015 she performed in the Symphony Broadway Theater, acting as Fabiola in "Infidelidades" next to Laura Flores, Alfredo Adame, Natasha Dupeyron, and Omar Fierro.

In 2015, Buenfil returns to television with a stellar role in A que no me dejas, a remake of the telenovela she leaded 26 years before; Amor en silencio. She will be reunited with Arturo Peniche who was her partner in the successful telenovela they starred in 1989.

Personal life

In 2005 Erika became a mother, having given birth to Nicolás De Jesús. Controversy followed when the press pressured Erika to mention the name of the child's father, which Erika refused. She appeared in many TV shows such as Cristina and Don Francisco Presenta, where she talked about the hardships on being a single mother in the TV industry, but she was going through the happiest moment of her life being a mother to her child.

On July 10, 2007, Erika Buenfil's mother Maria Martha died after complications from a rare disease that affected her heart.^[1]

Buenfil revealed that the father of her child is the son of Mexican ex-president Ernesto Zedillo. When asked how her relationship with the father of her child is, "It does not exist. Doesn't know where he is, he knows nothing."^[2]

Filmography

Films

Television

Albumes

• 1.- Despertar al Amor
– Despertar al Amor
– Despertar al Amor

• 2.- Se Busca un Corazón

– Ya no te Amo más
– El Amor es un niño pequeño
– Esa Balada de Amor
– Se busca un Corazón
– El Engaño
– Perdóname
– Tras de Ti
– Jamas
– Es como un Sueño
– Llorando por El

• 3.- Soy Mujer

– Tu Amor a medias no me Interesa
– La Noche no es para Mí
– Crucero Mediterráneo
– Amarte
– Ramito de Violetas
– Pon Otra vez ese Disco
– La Moda Juvenil
– Groenlandia
– Soy Mujer
– Sin Amor

• 4.- Cerca de Ti
– Vuelve Pronto
– Mi Rey
– Cerca de Ti
– Rayo de Luna
– Bonus Tracks:
– Despertar al Amor
– Despertar al Amor

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Erika Buenfil at the Internet Movie Database
• Erika Buenfil at the Telenovela Database
• Erika Buenfil at esmas.com