Gata Salvaje
Encyclopedia
Gata Salvaje was a telenovela
which aired first on Venevisión
in Venezuela
on May 16, 2002 and some days later was released on the Spanish station Univision
from mid-summer of 2002 until May 2003, and later aired in Mexico on El Canal De Las Estrellas from January 2003 to December 2003. It starred, Mexican actress Marlene Favela
and Cuban heatthrob Mario Cimarro
.
This telenovela marked a milestone in the history of Spanish television, for it became the first and to date the only telenovela ever to be filmed in the United States and later released in Mexico, in contrast to the original process in which they are filmed in Mexico and then later are released in the United States. Also, this is one of two telenovelas starring Marlene Favela and Mario Cimarro as the main protagonists, the other being Los Herederos Del Monte
, airing in Telemundo
from 2011.
Luis Mario Arismendi is an educated and handsome young man, heir to the family fortune, who loses his wife, Camelia, in an accident at sea, and she is never recovered. This event keeps him in a sentimental limbo for quite some time. But before that both they were together enjoying their honeymoon while Patricio,Camelia's former lover called to threaten her that if she refuses to leave Luis Mario, he would tell him that he and Camelia are lovers and he is the only one who gives the life that she desires for. But Camelia decided to leave Luis Mario forever to escape with him.
Luis Mario decides to return from New York to take over the family business – the ranch – which is not in good financial standing. As he returns, the small plane in which he travels suffers an accident very close by to the ranch. Rosaura, who is in the area, reaches him and rescues him. Luis Mario instinctively kisses Rosaura and both slowly fell in love. But when they got married Eva kisses him in the mouth Rosaura who reacts by scratching him on the face, thus getting the name of "Wild Cat".
Eduarda, Luis Mario's sister, is determined to see Luis Mario married to Eva Granados, a beautiful but impulsive and demanding rich girl that will guarantee that they will not be financially ruined; but Luis Mario, in order to go against his sister, marries Rosaura, who is deeply in love him although he doesn't share the same feelings.
Eduarda and Eva makes Rosaura and Luis Mario's life miserable and finally they manage to break their marriage.
Now Rosaura alone, penniless and sad begins a new life. But her luck is about to change when she finds out that she is the only descendant of Dona Cruz Olivares, a powerful and wealthy old lady who wants to find her granddaughter before she passes away.
Rosaura becomes a sophisticated lady that will use her fortune to ruin all of those who harmed her in the past, and surely enough she does, including Luis Mario.
Rosaura, the "Wild Cat", one day realizes that her transformation has turned her into a bitter and heartless woman, and she comes to understand that the love she feels for Luis Mario is unbreakable, and that aside from all the things she did to the Arismendi family, she passionately loves him. Finally they will both be able to conquer the happiness that long time ago escaped them.
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
which aired first on Venevisión
Venevisión
Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros...
in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
on May 16, 2002 and some days later was released on the Spanish station Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
from mid-summer of 2002 until May 2003, and later aired in Mexico on El Canal De Las Estrellas from January 2003 to December 2003. It starred, Mexican actress Marlene Favela
Marlene Favela
Silvia Marlene Favela Meraz is a Mexican actress. She studied at "Centro de Educación Artística de Televisa in Mexico City and is also a model...
and Cuban heatthrob Mario Cimarro
Mario Cimarro
Mario Antonio Cimarro Paz is a Cuban actor.-Biography:Cimarro was born in Havana, Cuba to Antonio Luis Cimarro and Maria Caridad Paz. He has one sister, Maria Antonia Cimarro Paz...
.
This telenovela marked a milestone in the history of Spanish television, for it became the first and to date the only telenovela ever to be filmed in the United States and later released in Mexico, in contrast to the original process in which they are filmed in Mexico and then later are released in the United States. Also, this is one of two telenovelas starring Marlene Favela and Mario Cimarro as the main protagonists, the other being Los Herederos Del Monte
Los Herederos Del Monte
Los Herederos Del Monte is a Spanish-language telenovela to be produced by the United States-based television network Telemundo and RTI Colombia, with Colombia as location....
, airing in Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
from 2011.
Plot
Gata Salvaje tells the story of Rosaura Rios, a beautiful and kind young woman who lost her mother and who lives with her drunkard father Anselmo, her sister Mayrita, her stepmother Maria Julia and her two children, Karina and Ivan. She has no choice but to work day as the lunch girl picking up food from the workers in the Arismendi's land, and night as a bartender in a nightclub to be able to sustain her family who lives in a small house next to the fabulous ranch of the wealthy Arismendi family. She lost the house due to the hurricane in TampaLuis Mario Arismendi is an educated and handsome young man, heir to the family fortune, who loses his wife, Camelia, in an accident at sea, and she is never recovered. This event keeps him in a sentimental limbo for quite some time. But before that both they were together enjoying their honeymoon while Patricio,Camelia's former lover called to threaten her that if she refuses to leave Luis Mario, he would tell him that he and Camelia are lovers and he is the only one who gives the life that she desires for. But Camelia decided to leave Luis Mario forever to escape with him.
Luis Mario decides to return from New York to take over the family business – the ranch – which is not in good financial standing. As he returns, the small plane in which he travels suffers an accident very close by to the ranch. Rosaura, who is in the area, reaches him and rescues him. Luis Mario instinctively kisses Rosaura and both slowly fell in love. But when they got married Eva kisses him in the mouth Rosaura who reacts by scratching him on the face, thus getting the name of "Wild Cat".
Eduarda, Luis Mario's sister, is determined to see Luis Mario married to Eva Granados, a beautiful but impulsive and demanding rich girl that will guarantee that they will not be financially ruined; but Luis Mario, in order to go against his sister, marries Rosaura, who is deeply in love him although he doesn't share the same feelings.
Eduarda and Eva makes Rosaura and Luis Mario's life miserable and finally they manage to break their marriage.
Now Rosaura alone, penniless and sad begins a new life. But her luck is about to change when she finds out that she is the only descendant of Dona Cruz Olivares, a powerful and wealthy old lady who wants to find her granddaughter before she passes away.
Rosaura becomes a sophisticated lady that will use her fortune to ruin all of those who harmed her in the past, and surely enough she does, including Luis Mario.
Rosaura, the "Wild Cat", one day realizes that her transformation has turned her into a bitter and heartless woman, and she comes to understand that the love she feels for Luis Mario is unbreakable, and that aside from all the things she did to the Arismendi family, she passionately loves him. Finally they will both be able to conquer the happiness that long time ago escaped them.
Phenomenon in Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, the soap attracted a very wide audience, which negatively affected the already weak local shows broadcasting in the island. The soap went on air on Univision PR at the same hours that Telemundo aired some of the last local shows including El Gran Bejuco, Minga y Petraca, Wilson Wilson, Mi Familia and others. Because the ratings went down with these shows, Telemundo decided to finally take them out of the air, and thus a new era of foreign programming began in Telemundo. A few local shows still remained until a few years later.Cast
- Marlene FavelaMarlene FavelaSilvia Marlene Favela Meraz is a Mexican actress. She studied at "Centro de Educación Artística de Televisa in Mexico City and is also a model...
as Rosaura Ríos - Main heroine, in love with Luis Mario - Mario CimarroMario CimarroMario Antonio Cimarro Paz is a Cuban actor.-Biography:Cimarro was born in Havana, Cuba to Antonio Luis Cimarro and Maria Caridad Paz. He has one sister, Maria Antonia Cimarro Paz...
as Luis Mario Arismendi - Main hero, in love with Rosaura - Carolina TejeraCarolina TejeraNelly Carolina Tejera is a Venezuelan model and actress.-Biography:Tejera's mother is from Spain and her father is from Guadalajara, Mexico....
as Eva Granados † - Daughter of Rafael, in love with Luis Mario, main villain (Killed by crocodiles) - Ariel López PadillaAriel López Padilla- Biography :Ariel López Padilla was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, on August 12, 1962.Being the second of three brothers, Francisco and Horacio the other two, this "sandwich brother" has always been of restless nature and avid for attention, there the root of his multiple facets like actor,...
as Patricio Rivera † - lover of Camelia, eventually falls deeply in love with Rosaura, villain but finally good - Marjorie de SousaMarjorie de SousaMarjorie Lissette De Sousa Rivas is a Venezuelan model and actress.- Early career :At age 12 Marjorie began doing commercial for television and working of model...
as Camelia Valente - Wife of Luis Mario, lover of Patricio, villain - Mara CroattoMara Croatto-Early years:Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Croatto is the daughter of Argentine actress Raquel Montero and Italian-Uruguayan folk singer, Tony Croatto. Croatto's parents moved and resettled in Puerto Rico shortly after her birth. She was raised and educated in San Juan. When Croatto was 11 years...
as Eduarda Arismendi † - Sister of Luis Mario, killed Rosaura's father, accidentallly kills Rafael by poisoning him, and Caridad (the cook) by her them with a car and ironically is killed the same way, villain. - Sergio Catalan as Gabriel Valencia - Friend of Luis Mario
- Adamari LópezAdamari LópezAdamari López Torres is a Puerto Rican actress famous for participating in several Puerto Rican and Mexican soap operas.-Early career:...
as Karina Rios - Sister of Rosaura - Ana Karina Casanova as Luisana Montero - Cousin of Luis Mario, in love with him
- Frances OndivielaFrances OndivielaFrances Ondiviela is a Spanish actress. One of her best known roles was in Acorralada.Ondiviela was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. She studied theatre and acting in Spain and Mexico...
as Maria Julia Rodriguez - Stepmother of Rosaura - Fernando Carrera as Rafael Granados † - Father of Eva and Silvia, in love with Rosaura (Dies from a heart attack after being poisoned by Eduarda)
- Julio Alcazar as Anselmo Rios † - Father of Rosaura (Killed by Eduarda and Eva)
- Liliana Rodriguez as Panchita Lopez - Servant at the Arismendi mansion
- Norma Zúñiga as Caridad Montes - Aunt of Bruno, servant at the Arismendi mansion
- Marisela Buitriago as Claudia Olivares - Daughter of Dona Cruz
- Juan A. BaptistaJuan A. BaptistaJuan Alfonso Baptista Diaz is a Venezuelan actor best known for his roles in Pasión de Gavilanes and La Mujer En El Espejo.-Biography:...
as Bruno Villalta - Nephew of Caridad, in love with Rosaura - Hada Bejar as Dona Cruz Olivares - Grandmother of Rosaura
- Sandro FinoglioSandro FinoglioSandro Finoglio is an actor, model, Venezuelan TV show host, Mister Venezuela 1997 and the second winner of the Mister World title in 1998.Participation in Soap Opera:...
as Maximiliano "Max" Robles † - In love with Rosaura (Drowned) - Ismael La RosaIsmael La RosaIsmael Armando La Rosa Fernandini is a Peruvian actor. He is best known for his roles in telenovelas.-Biography:...
as Ivan Rios - Brother of Rosaura, in love with Jimena - Sandra Itzel as Mayrita Rios - Sister of Rosaura
- Silvana AriasSilvana AriasSilvana Arias is a Peruvian actress. She also holds a degree in fashion design.-Biography:Arias got her start on telenovela series in Peru and Miami for the Hispanic market before earning her first role on American television. From May 17, 2004 through August 15, 2007 she played Paloma...
as Jimena Arismendi - Sister of Luis Mario, in love with Ivan - Virna Flores as Minerva Palacios - Masseuse at Rosaura's spa, in love with Gabriel then marries Maximiliano
- Cesar Roman as Imanol Lander - friend of Ivan, Roasaura's brother
- Carlos Cuervo as Fernando Islas - lives with Caridad and Bruno, ex husband of Silvia, later falls in love with Luisana
- Yoly Dominguez as Valeria Montemar - Friend of Eva
- Charlie MassóCharlie MassoCarlos Javier Rivera Masso is a former member of Menudo who joined the band at the height of Menudo's world wide fame. He replaced Rene Farrait and quickly became a fan favorite with his participation on the albums of Es Por Amor and Vamos A Volar, which was the soundtrack of Charlie's first...
as Rodrigo Valencia - Singer, in love with Karina - Julio Capote as Samuel Tejar = butler at Olivares mansion
- Jose Val as Abel Tapia
- Angie Russian as Laurita Montemar
- Jessica Cerezo as Silvia Granados - Daughter of Rafael
- Dayana Garroz as Wendy Torres
- Pilar Hurtado as Martha Acuna- maid at the Granados' house
- Silvestre Ramos as Julio Aldama † (Killed by Karina)
- Luisa CastroLuisa CastroLuisa Castro is a Spanish poet and writer in Galician and Castilian. She has lived in Barcelona, New York, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela. She collaborates with articles in Galician press....
as Griselda Ortiz - Servant at the Olivares mansion - Ágatha Morazzani as Charito Lander - friend of Jimena
- Osvaldo RíosOsvaldo RíosOsvaldo Ríos born Osvaldo Ríos Alonso on October 25, 1960 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, is a Puerto Rican actor, model, singer, and guitarist, of Armenian descent, who is best known for his roles in telenovelas...
as Silvano Santana Castro - In love with Rosaura - Aura Cristina GeithnerAura Cristina GeithnerAura Cristina Geithner is a Colombian actress. In her teens, she lived in Mexico and studied painting and international public relation. Her twin brother, Harry Geithner, is also an actor.-Trajectory:...
as Maribella Tovar † - In love with Luis Mario, villain (Killed by Eva)