Category Archives: TV

#AllYouNeedIsEcuador: Everything You Need to Know About That Epic SuperBowl Ad

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Ecuador

Amidst all the celebrity-laden ads on Super Bowl Sunday, there was one that stood out: Ecuador’s 30-second spot highlighting the stunning natural beauty of the small Andean country containing a world within itself — the Galapagos Islands, the Pacific Coast, the Andes mountains and the Amazon rainforest — to the familiar tune of a certain Beatles classic.

A three-part tagline anchored the memorable “All You Need is Ecuador” spot: “Like Nowhere Else, All in One Place, So Close.” The first two points are undeniably true (this coming from a proud Ecuadorian), but I’m going to have to talk to the airlines about that third one, because getting there from Los Angeles is never less than a full-day ordeal.

If those few seconds weren’t enough to make you want to make the trip, maybe these interesting tidbits will.

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Roberto Gomez Bolaños Dead: World Mourns the Loss of Beloved Comedian Chespirito

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Chespirito

Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolaños has died at age 85. Arguably the most beloved entertainer in the Spanish speaking world, “Chespirito,” as he was affectionately known, died on Friday, November 28, in his home in Cancun, Mexico.

Gómez Bolaños’ health had deteriorated in recent years due to his age and was under medical care at his home in Cancun when he died. The exact cause of death has not been determined.

The prolific comedian was born in Mexico City in 1929 and got his start in the early ’50s working at an advertising agency and later as a writer for radio, television and film.

He broke out in the early ’70s with his own self-titled sketch comedy show on Televisa, through which he introduced some of his most famous characters, such as “Chapulín Colorado,” a superhero who dressed as a red grasshopper, and “El Chavo del Ocho,” an orphan living inside a barrel of a low-income neighborhood filled with colorful neighbors.

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Behold: Variety Latino’s ‘Power of Latinos: 20 Most Beloved & Influential Stars’ List

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*I’m extremely proud of how Variety Latino’s first curated list came out. I really wanted to do something different than the usual lists and so we commissioned celebrity branding authority Jeetendr Sehdev to conduct this national survey for us. The celebrities really responded to it and shared it on their own Twitter, Facebook pages, which made me so happy. It was a big hit! And hopefully the first of many lists to come…

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Variety and Variety Latino have joined forces to launch the “POWER OF LATINOS: 20 MOST INFLUENTIAL STARS LIST,“ spotlighting the most successful Latino film and TV actors in Hollywood (10 men and 10 women). The special appears in the September 30th issue of print Variety.

But rather than focus solely on their professional accomplishments, we went one step further, and looked at how influential and appealing they are within their own community.

powerlist_collage

 

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Gina Rodriguez is our Rising Star of the Year at Young Hollywood Awards (VIDEO)

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Known as the “Oscars of Young Hollywood,” the Young Hollywood Awards on July 27 toasted the brightest trailblazing stars in music, TV, and film at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

It was a who’s who of young Hollywood – from Vanessa Hudgens to Ansel Elgort to Justin Bieber –  but the one I was most excited about was Gina Rodriguez, our Variety Latino Rising Star of the Year honoree.

This fall, Gina makes history as the first Latina lead on the CW with her very own show, “Jane The Virgin,” a heartwarming new comedy about a 23-year-old girl with big dreams who gets pregnant after being artificially inseminated – accidentally!

We are so excited about the work Gina Rodriguez is doing in Hollywood and want to recognize that with this honor. She is smart, driven, uplifting, and empowering, and so are the characters she plays on the big and small screen, sending a clear message to Latina girls everywhere that they, too, are represented, and their stories are worth telling, too. Her being the first Latina lead on the CW with “Jane The Virgin” is groundbreaking, but it’s only the beginning. She is someone we’ll be talking about for years to come.

Congrats, Gina!

Don’t miss “Jane The Virgin” premiering October 13 on the CW.

William Levy cover story for Latina Magazine

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Latina flew yours truly down to MIA to interview William Levy for the June/July Issue, tied to his new telenovela on Univision, La Tempestad.

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Check out an excerpt on Latina.com, plus there’s a behind-the-cover-shoot video for you to enjoy, too…