City of Miami officials, along with a large crowd of fans, gathered Wednesday outside the Tower Theater on historic Calle Ocho in Little Havana to honor multi-award winning Mexican-American actress Kate Del Castillo. She was given a key to the city, a testament to her contribution to both the Latino community and entertainment industry. PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Pifer.
By Kelly James Pifer
LITTLE HAVANA–City of Miami officials, along with a large crowd of fans, gathered Wednesday outside the Tower Theater on historic Calle Ocho in Little Havana to honor multi-award winning Mexican-American actress Kate Del Castillo.
She was given a key to the city, a testament to her contribution to both the Latino community and entertainment industry.
“We are all very proud to be with you today and give you the key to Miami,” said Commissioner Joe Carollo, who said such events can help draw more attention to Miami as a place to film movies and TV shows.
She was also presented with an award never given before: the Calle Ocho Little Havana Distinguished Visitor Award.
“I don’t have the words,” Castillo told the crowd. “I will make good use of it, I promise.” She then thanked all her fans and the city of Miami for the honor and recognition.
Among Del Castillo’s fans was Reinaldo Gonzalez, who said the actress s beloved because she “embodies the people.”
“We love her,” he said.
Born on October 23, 1972, in Mexico City, Mexico, Del Castillo is the daughter of Kate Trillo Graham and the renowned soap opera legend Eric Del Castillo.
Following her father’s footsteps, she began working in television at a young age. Castillo’s breakout role as Leticia in the telenovela series Muchachitas, threw her into the spotlight of Mexican cinema. However after years shooting telenovelas, she sought a change.
“I was getting bored, and I wanted to do other things. But in my country, I didn’t get those opportunities, unfortunately,”she told Harper’s Bazaar magazine in recalling her decision to take her talent to Hollywood.
She moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and faced the struggles of starting from the bottom again.
Her big break came when she was cast as Rosario, an undocumented immigrant, in “Under the Same Moon”. The 2007 film held the biggest opening of a Spanish-language movie in the United States, making Castillo’s “cross-over” into the U.S. market a huge success. In 2011, she won critical acclaim for her lead role in the 2011 Netflix drama, “La Reina del Sur”.
She is one of several Mexican actresses who have achieved some success with cross-over careers in the United States. She appeared in the 2002 PBS series “American Family,” about a Latino family in Los Angeles and on The CW network’s breakout 2014 comedy, “Jane the Virgin”.
She currently stars in Fox’s dramatic series, “The Cleaning Lady,” which started its fourth season Tuesday.
Last year, she was invited to join the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which nominates and selects the coveted Oscars.
Off screen, Del Castillo has used her notoriety to fight for social justice and is viewed as an icon for women and the Latino community. She was elected the ambassador for the Mexican Commission on Human Rights and fights against human trafficking.
From immigrating to a new country to starting her career from scratch, Del Castillo said she wants to continue to break barriers and empower others.
The Little Havana event recognized her for her dedication to the Latin community, her talent as an actress, her advocacy for human rights, and her inspiring legacy.
“Take care of yourself, be nice to each other,” she said. “And learn, learn, learn.”
