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Eduardo Verástegui at a crossroads

By Maryl Celiz - Newspaper "HOY"

10th November, 2005

Los Ángeles - Just like the phoenix rising from the ashes, Eduardo Verástegui has made his comeback to the showbiz. The handsome, blue-eyed heartthrob of soaps such as "Soñadoras", "Una luz en el camino" y "Alma rebelde" had virtually vanished for his followers. But two weeks ago, his new project "Meet Me in Miami" was released in the Festival of Latin American Cinema, where he explained the reasons for his disappearance.

"After spending twelve years working in soaps and in the music business, I felt there was a vacuum in my life" explains the Mexican actor who had decided to grab the chance to enter the cinema industry with the motion film "Chasing Papi", which he shot not knowing how to speak English.

In the movie, Verástegui features a man who is coveted by three women, a seductive role which he had no difficulty to depict because of his good looks. Yet, this was not what he really wanted for his career. "I noticed that Latinos were stereotyped and I can still see this happening. We are the pickpockets, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, the Latin lovers and this was how I was promoting my own career to certain extent" he says.

But the time comes for the human being when he questions himself where he is heading for and what he really wants to do with the time he is granted on this planet, and Eduardo experienced that feeling two years ago, when we last heard from him.

"Two years ago, certain experiences crossed my mind. I realized that if my goal is to get married and have a family while I still suggest that the Latino has a thousand lovers, even if it is just fiction, this can affect the way people think, especially the younger generations"

"I understood that doing that is to poison society though the mass media. That's why, after shooting 'Meet Me in Miami', I decided not to participate in future projects unless they portray Latinos as heroes, no matter the social or cultural level. He goes on to explain "I want to see the honest Latino, with a family, the one who is willing to make sacrifices, I want to see all those values. At the same time, I want to become a better person through the artistic media"

A heavy price for a decision.

While all this was positive for Eduardo´s spiritual growth, his decision would affect his profession. "I drove everybody out of their minds. I was left alone looking forward to an opportunity that never materialized." He explains. "Things start getting harder when you´ve run out of money and you do get good scripts, but you have already made up your mind and you cannot commit yourself. Yet, once you´ve opened your eyes, you see that in the future your children will learn from your example. And you can no longer go back to your former lifestyle. If you did, it would be to commit intellectual prostitution", he says.

Verástegui was out of work for almost a year and a half, rejecting lucrative roles that were certainly incompatible with his vision and values. He even thought he would never again work in the media he adored.

"I wondered: What's the worst thing that can happen to me: waitressing again? Well, that is more honorable than living in a house with a lot of cars, and knowing that you have sold your soul", he says and adds, "It was difficult but not impossible. It was a deed of faith"

Soon after that, Verástegui decided to take the reins and opened a production company which he could use as a vehicle to make his dreams come true: to shoot positive movies which do not jeopardize the actor's integrity and that could be watched by anybody, even his grandma"

The production company is called Metanoia Films, a joint effort by Verástegui, his manager Leo Severino, the writer and director Alejandro Monteverde and two investors, Sean and Justus Wolfington. "Bella" is the name of their first venture, a feature film which will finally show - Verástegui says - who he really is as an artist.

"It is completely different from anything I have done before. It's a love story that talks about tragedy, love and two souls who bring each other back to life. It's the best thing I´ve done so far. It's in my heart and it shows who I am now. And that is to me what success is all about: waking up in the morning with the certainty that you do your job with integrity"