AUGUST COVER: ROSELYN SANCHEZ

COVER STORY: ROSELYN SANCHEZ

By Teryl Warren

Without shame or equivocation, I can honestly say that I’ve been chasing Roselyn Sanchez for the past three years.  Since the earliest days of Wiles Magazine, I’ve carried a wish list of women who epitomize beauty, poise and substance that I hoped would one day grace the magazine’s cover, and Roselyn Sanchez’s name was near the top of that list.

Roselyn Sanchez for Wiles Magazine/Photo by Kawai Matthews

Setting my personal and professional senses of gratification aside, I found that chatting with Roselyn in her hotel suite was, in many ways, quite surreal. She was, of course, everything that I’d expected: warm, engaging and drop dead gorgeous. But even more, I found her enchanting, because she lives up to expectations and defies them all at once.

She’s an elegant international star who’s as personable and accessible as the girl next door.  She’s a stunning beauty whose easy charm and disarming wit quickly put everyone around her at ease.

And then there’s that sense of humor.

If you’ve seen her work in films like Rush Hour 2 with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, Chasing Papi with Sofia Vergara and Jaci Velasquez and her current stint on “Devious Maids,” then you already know that Roselyn Sanchez isn’t just beautiful – she’s also pretty damn funny.

“I’ve learned a lot about comedy and timing and how to deliver jokes from working with Marc Cherry [on Devious Maids],” she said. “Working with people like him and Carlos Espejel, the actor who plays my husband in ‘Familia en Venta’ is like going to school. There’s so much improvisation and I know I have to stay on-point. I’m learning so much from both of them.”

 

In addition to her work in big budget films, Roselyn thrilled television audiences as Elena Delgado in the dramatic series “Without a Trace.”

Roselyn is also an accomplished recording artist whose album entitled Borinqueña features many legendary Puerto Rican artists from various musical genres such as Tego Calderon and Victor Manuelle.

In her native Puerto Rico, Roselyn found fame as one of the models in the TV show “What Vacilón” with Raymond Arrieta and also won the title of “Miss Puerto Rico Petite” in 1993.

Her first acting role was as the character “Pilar” on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns – making hers the first Latino character in the history of American soap operas.

After 20 years of working in the English market, Roselyn was anxious to work on a project in Spanish. She always assumed that project would be a drama. But then, fate, comedy and some really great writing intervened.

“Familia en Venta is my first project in Spanish. People have seen me working in the English language market for so long, and many weren’t sure that I even speak Spanish,” she laughed. “When I read the script for this pilot, it was such an easy, fast, funny read. I was laughing so much.I knew I had to do this project. I truly believe ‘Familia en Venta’ is gonna be incredible.”

They say the family that prays together stays together. But in the new Mundo Fox comedy series “Familia en Venta,” (Family for Sale) it’s the family that’s forced to stay together for economic purposes that is truly in need of prayer.

Reminiscent of the classic dark comedy War of the Roses, Pipo and Lili are a couple who love each other, yet can’t stand each other. After 15 years of marriage, Pipo and Lili initiate divorce proceedings. But their dreams of starting over and finding love in the arms of someone else are quickly dashed when, due to the housing market crisis, they are unable to sell the home they’ve been sharing as a family. Crippled by economics, they are forced to continue living together with their two children, their housekeeper  and, at times, a senile grandfather.

Roselyn Sanchez for Wiles Magazine/Photo by Kawai Matthews

“Familia en Venta” is, in every way, about, well, family. Through the characters, audiences will see the emotional journeys that we all encounter – the laughter, the tears, the mistakes and the recovery. It is fitting then, that consideration of Roselyn’s own family played a role in her decision to take on the part of Lili to begin with.

“My mom is super-proud of everything I do, but she speaks very little English,” she shared. “To know that she’ll be able to watch this show and understand it and enjoy it is such a great feeling for me. I encourage other actors who can speak both English and another language to work in both languages. Language is such an important part of who we are.”

Great storytelling is about capturing people’s attention through relateable characters, universal themes and taking them on an adventure that feels real and relevant. These days, many families are coping with challenges like infidelity, economic setback, disappointment and dysfunction. But, regardless of our personal circumstances, Roselyn hopes that one message will resonate with audiences.

“At the end of the day, the message of ‘Familia en Venta’ is that these people truly love each other,” she said.  “Things change dramatically these days. The most important thing we can do is raise our children with love and appreciate the value of family.”

 

 

 

“Familia en Venta: premieres on Mundo Fox this Sunday, August 10 at 9pm.

To view the trailer and for more information, please visit: http://www.foxtelecolombiainternational.com/series/familia-en-venta/videos.php?vid=47

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