Easy Change

It's fascinating that Telenovela stars can easily switch programs, and roles, with such ease.

It seems that when an American TV star tries to start a new project, he or she finds that they are inescapably branded by their previous characters. (In American movies this appears most prevalent, i.e. Napoleon Dynamite.) But hopping on the Telenovela train practically guarantees future work if the audience becomes attached. Playing completely opposite roles isn't even far fetched. If a TV actor becomes the most noticeable face in America for a single role, good luck finding more work (at least immediately) outside the realm of that character. Actors do move on, but it takes time and another hit character.

American TV stars have trouble getting away with the ol' switcheroo because their stories are much stronger than the emotion-heavy dramas in the Telenovela culture. The characters are much more developed, creating a sense that you know that character, not the actor. Telenovelas seem to focus on what evokes the most emotional reaction rather than maintaining specific personas. This leaves the actor's face as the most notable feature of that character. Avoiding deep characterization, I believe, allows this phenomenon.