Kate del Castillo biography:
Kate del Castillo is a renowned Mexican actress who broke through in America with her award-winning performance in the hit Fox Searchlight/Weinstein movie Under the Same Moon (2007). This film is to date the highest-grossing Spanish-language theatrical release in U.S. history.
She starred as "Queen of the South" in La Reina del Sur (2011),a short form prime-time telenovela for Telemundo (NBC/Universal) and Antena 3 (Spain). This adaptation of the bestseller by Spanish novelist Arturo Perez-Reverte drew more than 8.1 million viewers in its debut week, making it the most successful telenovela premiere week in the web's history.
Del Castillo appeared as a guest star in six episodes of the fifth season of the Showtime hit comedy series Weeds. She starred as 'Pilar Zuazo,' a powerful Mexican crime boss who threatened Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) and Esteban's romance and was then hit with a mallet by Nancy's son.
She recently starred in Univision.com's first-ever webnovela (which she co-produced),"Vidas Cruzadas" (Crossed Lives). The series was a huge success and generated more than two million video streams through September 15, 2009, making it one of the three most-watched online properties ever according to the network.
Del Castillo began her acting career as a child, but it wasn't until the enormously successful telenovela "Muchachitas" that she became a full-fledged star in Mexico. She went on to become the leading ingénue of nine telenovelas, including "Ramona" and "La Mentira" taking them to the top of the Nielsen charts every time. Her telenovelas have aired multiple times in more than 100 countries worldwide.
She received various accolades for her critically acclaimed performance as a Bolivian dancer in American Visa (2005) including "Best Actress" awards in film festivals in Spain and Brazil, and a "Best Actress" nomination at the Ariel Awards, Mexico's equivalent to the Oscars. In the United States, the movie premiered at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles, to a sold-out crowd.
Kate del Castillo has also appeared in several other notable projects, including Bordertown (2007),Trade (2007),and Rio (2011). She has won numerous awards for her performances, including the "Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture" award from the National Hispanic Media and the Imagen "Best Actress" award for "Under the Same Moon".
Del Castillo has also been involved in various charitable initiatives, including being appointed Ambassador for the Mexican Commission on Human Rights to combat human trafficking in 2009. She has also launched the Blue Heart campaign in Mexico City with U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino in 2010.
In addition to her acting career, Del Castillo has also pursued her passion for extreme sports and is developing a project for television that showcases her love of the sport. She has also published her first novel, "Tuya", which is based on her screenplay and is now in its third printing.
