Gil Returns to Telenovelas in “La usurpadora” Remake

Julián Gil returns is making his triumphant return to television…

The 42-year-old Argentine-born Puerto Rican actor is starring as the protagonist in the telenovela ¿Quién eres tú?, which is being recorded in Colombia and will be broadcast by UniMás, before airing on Telefutura.

Julian Gil II

“Of the characters that I have interpreted, it’s the one that most resembles me: he has two children, like me.  He’s the owner of a hotel business, and I was the owner of restaurants, and he’s very kind and human, because for him family and the fight for the love are very important,” says the the actor.

His character is Felipe Esquivel, a businessman who faces betrayal at the hands of his wife.  He’s the same character that Fernando Colunga portrayed in 1998 opposite Gabriela Spanic.  The telenovela is a remake of the highly popular Mexican telenovela La usurpadora.

“He’s a man of family, with two adolescent children, but with some very large personal conflicts.  It’s a story full of passion, but also with a lot of tension and intrigue.  It’s been many years since the Mexican version was presented and now we’re doing a version that separates itself a lot from it,” said Gil.

“I work six days a week.  I only have Sundays off, which I use to comply with the commitments that I have outside of the telenovela.  I barely have time for me, but it’s the price that I have paid to develop an international career.  Since I left Puerto Rico, I have moved to Miami, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Spain and now Colombia.  I live with the suitcases in hand, at times I feel that I can’t find the floor,” added Gil.

The soap opera tells the story of a young woman who assumes the identity of her twin sister, only to discover that living the life of someone more can be a grave error.

“To work with this great team has been marvelous.  I’ve returned to a very family project, with all the team in general we have created an incredible chemistry that can be seen on the screen,” indicated Gil.

Cisneros to Chair the National Hispanic University’s Advisory Board

Henry Cisneros is ready to do his part to increase the number of Latino college students in the United States…

The 65-year-old Mexican American politician and businessman, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and first Hispanic mayor of a major American city, will chair the National Hispanic University’s newly formed advisory board.

Henry Cisneros

Comprised of prominent leaders from across the country, the board will provide guidance on overall strategy and serve as the university’s ambassadors to the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

“The National Hispanic University has a strong educational foundation, a proven track record for student success and, most important, a noble goal that I fully embrace — to increase the number of Latino college graduates,” said Cisneros. “I am honored to serve as chairman of the board and support the university and its mission and vision.”

Cisneros served as secretary of HUD in President Bill Clinton’s administration from 1993 to 1997. Prior to his cabinet position, he served four terms as mayor of his hometown, San Antonio. As the executive chairman of CityView, Mr. Cisneros remains actively involved in urban investing and building for community revitalization projects in large cities throughout the United States.

In addition to Cisneros, the advisory board includes:

Janet Murguia, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) — As president and CEO of the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. Murguia often testifies before Congress about issues affecting the Latino community. She previously served as deputy assistant to President Clinton, providing strategic and legislative advice to the president on key issues.

Cesar Conde, president of Univision Networks — Conde is responsible for overseeing the Univision Network, TeleFutura Network and Univision Cable Networks, as well as Univision Studios, and has held a number of senior positions within the company. Prior to joining Univision, Conde was one of 12 White House Fellows (2002–2003) appointed by President George W. Bush and served as White House Fellow for then Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Ronald Blackburn-Moreno, president and CEO of the ASPIRA Association — Blackburn-Moreno has played a major role in shaping national education policy to benefit Latinos since assuming leadership in 1994 of the ASPIRA Association, the only national organization dedicated to the education and leadership development of Latino youth. A past chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, he has previously served on several advisory boards, including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ford Foundation. Blackburn-Moreno speaks nationwide on education issues.

Nely Galan, media entrepreneur/Latina advocate — Galan, a first-generation immigrant and self-made media mogul, was the first Latina president of a U.S. television network, Telemundo. She’s an award-winning producer of more than 600 episodes of television programming in Spanish and English, including the FOX reality series The Swan. She’s the founder of The Adelante Movement, which includes a national tour and a digital platform to economically empower Latinas in the U.S and connect them with financial opportunities. Galan has also recently gone back to graduate school. She has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and is currently completing her doctorate.

“This esteemed group of nationally recognized leaders will be instrumental in advancing our university’s mission of increasing access to quality higher education for Latinos and others serving multicultural communities,” said Dr. David P. Lopez, president of The National Hispanic University. “As we continue to focus our efforts on expanding access nationally through on-campus and online programs, we will greatly benefit from the talents and unique expertise of this distinguished group of advisors.”

The National Hispanic University is part of The Laureate International Universities network, which includes more than 60 accredited campus-based and online universities worldwide, including more than 30 postsecondary institutions in Latin America. The university was founded in 1981 by the late Dr. B. Roberto Cruz, who dedicated his life to making educational opportunities available to Hispanics and members of other underrepresented groups.