Joana Benedek: a Mexican-Romanian actress

Joana Benedek (born January 21, 1972 in Bucharest, Romania) is a Mexican-Romanian actress.

She left her native land in search of work. She first moved to Venezuela before moving to Mexico. In Caracas she continued to study, but later left her studies to work as a model.

In 1997 she signed a contract with a prestigious cosmetics company in New York. During her stay in the city, she decided to study acting in the Academy of Susan Grace.

She was later discovered by a Mexican producer, which began her career as an actress in Mexico.

Sirena, Amigas y Rivales, and Angela are some of the melodramas in which the actress has participated.

Patricia Manterola: a Mexican singer, actress, model, and fashion designer

Patricia Manterola (born Bertha Patricia Manterola Carrión on April 23, 1972) is a Mexican singer, actress, model, and fashion designer born in Mexico City

Patricia Manterola Carrion was born to Jorge Manterola and Maria Dolores Carrion, the second of three children. Her brother, Jorge, is 11 months older than her, and her younger sister, Michelle, who shares the same birth date as Patricia, is eight years younger.

Paty—as she is also known—attended elementary school at "Colegio Miguel Angel" and "Franco-Espanol." She studied at "Colegio Oxford" in Cuernavaca during her middle school years, where she lived with her extended family for a while. For high school she attended "Tecnologico de Monterey" de Cuernavaca and graduated in Mexico City at "Colegio Miguel Angel."

In addition to her academics, Paty studied dance, voice, and music. She was the main voice in the chorus of the "Miguel Angel Institute." Since she was a little girl she demonstrated an affinity for the entertainment world, participating in school plays, until at the age of nine, she was part of the musical comedy "Anita la Huerfanita," (Little Orphan Annie).

Later, at the age of 12, she was part of the festival "Juguemos a Cantar," together with her brother, Jorge, and two friends, she made it to the finals, which allowed her to record on a compilation album edited for the festival.

Manterola soon entered the world of modeling, which allowed her to meet the Mexican producer Luis de Llano, in 1989, creator of the band, Timbiriche and a successful producer of telenovelas (soap operas). De Llano eventually suggested she audition for the group, but noticing her talent, invited her to be part of a new project known as Garibaldi banda

On April 17, 1999, Paty married Javier Ortiz, a fellow ex-member of Garibaldi. Yet they divorced a little over five years later, in 2005. In a joint letter to the media, Manterola and Ortiz addressed their separation and asked for the public to respect their privacy during this difficult time. She married Forrest Kolb on December 12, 2010 in Xcaret on the Mayan Rivera, Mexico. They were married in a small private wedding with 200 guests and she was dressed by her close friend, Nicolas Felizola.

Manterola made her acting debut with "¿Dónde Quedó La Bolita?" (1993), a comedy featuring Garibaldi. In 1994, after a Garibaldi live performance in Acapulco, Manterola launched her solo career with the release of "Hambre de Amor." Paty's newfound notoriety allowed her to make the smooth transition into acting. Soon thereafter, Paty earned roles in various telenovelas (soap opera) such as "Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma" (1995) and "Gente Bien" (1997). She received the newcomer of the year award from the Latin American soap opera magazine, TV y Novelas for her portrayal of Lorena on "Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma."

Within a few years, Manterola was a sought after star, acting in several telenovelas such as: "Los Angeles de Charlie" (Charlie's Angels), "Apuesta por un Amor" (Gamble for Love), and "Destilando Amor." She has also done cameo appearances in "Ugly Betty," Muchas Muchachas and in La Fea Mas Bella.

While Manterola has received greater acclaim in her native Mexico, she has also had a transnational impact by appearing in American television and films. For instance, she has appeared in HBO's Arli$$, Souvenir (1997), The Hazard City (2000), The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000), and Carman: The Champion (2001).

In her role as Gabriela in the Dukes of Hazzard movie, Manterola demonstrated her bilingual ability as her character was pitted as Bo Duke's (John Schneider) love interest. A few years prior to the movie's release, she had enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to study English.

In addition, Manterola has roles in the upcoming movies, The Singer (2008) and The Perfect Game (2009).

Manterola has also been a noted defender of animal rights. On her personal website, Manterola declares: "Hasta los animales mas exoticos merecen vivir en libertad." ("Even the most exotic animals deserve to live in freedom.")

As such, in 2001 she posed nude on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In 2004, she protested Kentucky Fried Chicken's cruel treatment of chickens and urged the multimillion dollar corporation to adhere to a kindler, gentler methodology. More recently, Paty has advocated on behalf of the Monarch butterflies that migrate from Alaska to the Mexican state of Michoacán. She donated personal jewelry which was sold at auction to further the cause.^[7]

Manterola's altruism is not solely restricted to animal rights and the environment. In January 2006, she personally donated 1,500 toys for the children of the Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo in Chapultepec. "No hay con qué pagar la sonrisa de un niño," Manterola said. ("A child's smile is priceless.") In 2007, Patricia joined the Baja Una Estrella Foundation to help in the development of education, health, and social development for poor communities in Mexico

Since 2004, Manterola planned to open a business in the Mexican city of Puebla, launching her own line of jeans, "B-good," suitable for everybody (fat, slim, pregnant, children, etc.).

Natalia Ramírez: a Colombian television actress

Natalia Ramírez is a Colombian television actress.

She is perhaps best known for her appearance as Marcela Valencia in Yo Soy Betty, la Fea (English language: I Am Betty, the Ugly), a comedy-drama telenovela first aired (1999–2001) on RCN TV in Colombia.

In addition to her appearance on Yo Soy Betty, la Fea, Ramírez has since 1988 appeared in at last fifteen other television productions.

Kika Edgar: a Mexican actress and singer

Kika Edgar (born Sandra Ericka Edgar Garza on January 9, 1985 in Tampico, Tamaulipas), is a Mexican actress and singer.

Starting her career primarily in theater and musicals, she has become well-known in Mexico, starring in telenovelas such as Amor Real and Contra Viento y Marea. It wasn't until 2006 when she started her singing career with help of the fame she gained for her singing in the Mexican reality show Cantando por un Sueño. Since then, Kika has released two solo albums, and being referred to as La Nueva Gran Intérprete de México ("The New Great Interpret of Mexico")

Edgar began her career by studying acting and singing in the Centro de Educación Artística de Televisa (CEA). She specialized in ballet dancing, since she aspired to become a professional artist.

Sandra Echeverría: a Mexican actress and singer

Sandra Echeverría Gamboa (commonly referred to as Sandra Echeverría) is a Mexican actress and singer. She was born on December 11, 1984 in Mexico.

Sandra Echeverria was born in Mexico. Sandra Echeverría is best known for her starring role in the Telemundo series Marina.

When Sandra was 14 years old, she became a member of the group "Perfiles" which later changed its name to "Crush". With this group, Sandra was able to record 2 albums and perform in more than 200 concerts. Among Crush's songs are: "Puede ser", "Eres tú", "Si tú te vas".

In 2002, she starred in TV Azteca's Súbete A Mi Moto where she worked with Bárbara Mori, Michel Brown, among others.

In 2004, she led the second season of TV Azteca's "Soñarás".

In 2006, she starred in the Telemundo production, Marina, opposite Mauricio Ochmann. Her co-protagonist, however, was eventually replaced by Manolo Cardona.

In 2008, she played the girlfriend of High School Musical Star Corbin Bleu in Free Style (film).

She is also to take part in "El Diez" with Alfonso Herrera. The movie, whose story revolves around football, is set to premiere next year, to coincide with the World Cup in South Africa.

She is reunited with Mauricio Ochmann in El Clon, a joint venture of Rede Globo and Telemundo.

In 2010, she leads the first science fiction movie in Mexico, 2033.

In 2011, she starred in Televisa's La fuerza del destino although she is still under Telemund

Vanessa Claudio: a Mexican an actress, model and TV personality

Vanessa Claudio is a Puerto Rican beauty pageant contestant, who is currently working as an actress, model and TV personality in Mexico.

Vanessa competed at the Miss Intercontinental 2006 pageant held on October 15, 2006 in Nassau, Bahamas representing her country Puerto Rico. On the final night of the pageant, Vanessa placed in the semifinals in which she then became one of the final five finalists, later resulting as the 1st Runner-up and winning the award for Miss Congeniality.

Since her arrival in Mexico, Vanessa has achieved success in the fields of acting, modeling and television. Her most recognizable work has been appearing in episodes of the TV series El Pantera, working as a TV reporter for the talk shows such as Véngache pa'cá and Venga la Alegría, as well as being featured in numerous magazines including gracing the cover of MAX and H para hombres which is the leading Men's magazine in Mexico.

Paulina Goto: a Mexican actress, singer, and television hostess

Paulina Gomez Torres, known professionally as Paulina Goto, (born July 29, 1991) is a Mexican actress, singer, and television hostess best known for her debut role as 'Andrea Paz' in the Mexican youth telenovela telenovela Niña de mi Corazón.

Paulina Gomez Torres was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. As a child, Paulina actively particiapated in dance classes including ballet and rhythmic gymnastics. She completed for her state, nationally, and internationally in rhythmic gymnastics competitions. Torres spent her childhood and adolescence in Tampico, Tamaulipas before making the permanent move to Mexico City with her family when she was cast as the protagonist in the telenovela, Niña de mi Corazón in January 2010. Paulina's stage name "Goto" is derived from the first two letters of her surnames. Torres is fluent in Spanish and English.

Paulina's earliest television role was a hosting job on the youth TV news show, "Roomies", which was produced for Televisa del Golfo. Goto spent a year on the show before leaving in 2009. At age 17, she began attending acting classes at Televias's famed acting school, Centro de Educación Artístic in Mexico City. A year after being accepted into the school, Paulina was spotted by director Pedro Damian (best known for his work with the Mexican group, RBD) and casted as the lead in an updated version of his 1997 telenovela, Mi Pequeña Traviesa. For her role as Andrea Paz, Goto was also required to cut her hair in order to play Paz's imaginary twin brother, Andres Paz. Filming for Niña de Mi Corazon began in January 2010 in Mexico City and ended in July 2010. The telenovela premiered on March 8, 2010 in Mexico and ended on July 9, 2010. It premiered on Univision in the U.S. on February 23, 2011. In the spring of 2011, Goto announced via Twitter that she had been casted in the play El Knack alongside Mexican actors, José Ángel Bichir and Odiseo Bichir. In July 2011, Paulina was confirmed as the protagonist for Televisa's newest youth telenovela, Miss XV. Miss XV is a remake of the famous 1987 telenovela, Quinceañera", starring Thalía and Adela Noriega. Goto auditioned for the show in June 2011. Mexican actress, Danna Paola was originally considered for the lead role, but dropped out before casting was finalized. Filming for the telenovela is expected to commence in October 2011 in Mexico City.

Following the success of Niña de mi Corazón, Paulina signed a contract with Sony Music Mexico in the spring of 2010 to record and release her own album as a solo artist. Before the album's release, two songs Mio and A Peasar del Tiempo were used on her show to promote the upcoming release of the CD. On June 7, 2010, her first single, 'Mio' was released digitally and phyiscally to both iTunes and MixUp stores throughout Mexico. The music video was filmed in May 2010 and released in conjunction with the final episodes of Niña de Mi Corazon. Paulina released her self-titled debut album on June 22, 2010. During its first week of release, the album charted at number 7 on Mexico's Top Album charts for iTunes. To promote her CD, Goto performed at various radio shows and festivals in Mexico and Central America throughout the remainder of the year. At the end of 2010, Paulina lent her vocals to the song La Vida es un cuento de hadas real for the movie, Barbie, Barbie Moda Mágica en Paris.The album's second's single, Vete al Diablo will be released sometime in 2011. As part of promotion for her debut album, Paulina was invited to Brazil to perform as an opening act for Dulce Maria's ExtranjeraOnTour in late May 2011; she was the opening act for all five Brazilian dates.