William Levy (actor)
Encyclopedia
William Levy is a Cuban-American actor and former model.
, Cuba. He is of Jewish ancestry on his paternal grandfather's side. Levy migrated to Miami, Florida, when he was 14. He attended high school, after which he studied business administration on a baseball scholarship. He subsequently went to Los Angeles to study acting and continued his acting studies in Miami and Mexico City (CEA, Televisa).
: Isla de la Tentación and Protagonistas de Novela 2. In 2005 he performed at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan Puerto Rico, starring in the play La Nena Tiene Tumbao.
His first debut on the Spanish language channel Univision
was in the Venevision International
production of Olvidarte Jamas
. He later appeared in Mi Vida Eres Tu
and Acorralada
.
In 2008, he appeared in his first film Retazos de Vida directed by Viviana Cordero.
He was invited by television producer Carla Estrada
to star in Pasión
, his breakthrough in Mexican soap operas. His performance was so well received that Televisa
later cast him as the lead in Cuidado con el Angel
with actress and ex-RBD
singer Maite Perroni
. The show was first broadcast in Mexico in June 2008 and began airing in the United States in September 2008 on Univision
. It averaged 45.7 million viewers per evening.
Levy finished filming Sortilegio
with actress Jacqueline Bracamontes
on October 9, 2009. Sortilegio aired on Univision, and the finale drew 6.6 million viewers, beating ABC and CBS.
In November 2009, the actor lent his voice to the animated movie Planet 51
in its Spanish version. The movie opened on November 27 in Mexico and won an award for best animated Spanish-language film of 2009 (Premios Goya). From November 2009 to February 2010, Levy toured several Mexican cities with the play Un Amante a la Medida, which later toured in the United States in June 2010.
Levy is currently shooting the Mexican telenovela Triunfo del Amor, a remake of the Venezuelan classic Cristal, in which he once again shares credits with Maite Perroni
. The telenovela aired on October, 25, 2010 in El Canal de las Estrellas. Pedro Torres
, executive producer of Mujeres Asesinas, confirmed Levy's role in the third season of the popular Mexican series.
Levy stars as Jennifer Lopez
's love interest in her music video I'm Into You
, from her album Love?
. It aired on the NBC Today Show on May 2, 2011.
Levy and Maite Perroni
will co-host the 25th Hispanic Heritage Awards gala on September 15, 2011, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
in Washington, D.C.
Levy appeared on the cover of People en Español
, which selected him for its special issue on the sexiest men of the year.
. The two met during their participation on Protagonistas de Novela 2. In 2006, they had a son, Christopher Alexander. On March 6, 2010, Gutierrez gave birth to a daughter, Kailey Alexandra. In press releases issued in May 2011, Levy and Gutierrez announced they had ended their 8-year relationship.
On July 11, 2009, Levy converted to Catholicism.
On August 17, 2010, a female minor filed a lawsuit against Levy in Los Angeles alleging that Levy had sexually abused her. Levy has denied the allegations and countersued for $10 million alleging extortion and defamation.
Early life and education
Levy was born in CojimarCojimar
Cojimar is a small fishing village east of Havana. It was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. It was also the location where during the 1940s an enormous Great white shark was caught, which is one of the contenders for the largest specimen of all time...
, Cuba. He is of Jewish ancestry on his paternal grandfather's side. Levy migrated to Miami, Florida, when he was 14. He attended high school, after which he studied business administration on a baseball scholarship. He subsequently went to Los Angeles to study acting and continued his acting studies in Miami and Mexico City (CEA, Televisa).
Career
Levy worked as a model for the agency Next Models and was featured later in two reality shows broadcast by TelemundoTelemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
: Isla de la Tentación and Protagonistas de Novela 2. In 2005 he performed at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan Puerto Rico, starring in the play La Nena Tiene Tumbao.
His first debut on the Spanish language channel Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
was in the Venevision International
Venevisión International
Venevisíon International is a global television network which broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe....
production of Olvidarte Jamas
Olvidarte Jamas
Olvidarte Jamas is a 2005 telenovela made by Venevision International in Miami that lasted 118 episodes. The telenovela starred Venezuelan-American actress Sonya Smith and Mexican actor Gabriel Porras. The telenovela was written by Veronica Suarez and Omaira Rivero. It was executive produced by...
. He later appeared in Mi Vida Eres Tu
Mi Vida Eres Tu
Mi Vida Eres Tu was made in Miami, Florida by Venevisión International and Univision Network in 2006. The telenovela lasted 116 episodes and was written by Veronica Suarez. It starred Peruvian actor Jorge Aravena and Venezuelan actress Scarlet Ortiz...
and Acorralada
Acorralada
Acorralada was an American telenovela shot between 2006 and 2007; as of October 2008, it has been sold to more than 50 countries and it has been hugely successful around the world, making it the most successful Miami produced telenovela since Gata Salvaje.It debuted on January 2007 and ended...
.
In 2008, he appeared in his first film Retazos de Vida directed by Viviana Cordero.
He was invited by television producer Carla Estrada
Carla Estrada
Carla Estrada is one of the foremost telenovela producers of Latin America.On 2005 the Mexican government decided to place a statue of the producer in one of Mexico City's most important parks and on January, 2007 she appeared on People En Españols list of The 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the...
to star in Pasión
Pasion
Pasion was an ancient Greek slave from the 4th century BC. He was owned by the bankers Antisthenes and Archestratus, located at Piraeus, the harbor five miles out of Athens. During his slavery, he quickly rose to chief clerk in charge of a money-changing table at the port , and proved so valuable...
, his breakthrough in Mexican soap operas. His performance was so well received that Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
later cast him as the lead in Cuidado con el Angel
Cuidado con el ángel
Cuidado Con El Ángel is a Telenovela distributed by Televisa. It stars Maite Perroni and William Levy. The telenovela, a production of Nathalie Lartilleux, premiered on June 9, 2008 and finished its broadcast March 6, 2009 and was greatly admired around the globe with millions of views worldwide...
with actress and ex-RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
singer Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni Beorlegui is a Mexican actress and singer/songwriter, who is best known for starring in Rebelde, Cuidado con el Ángel, Mi Pecado and Triunfo del Amor. She gained international fame as a member of the Latin Grammy nominated pop group RBD...
. The show was first broadcast in Mexico in June 2008 and began airing in the United States in September 2008 on Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
. It averaged 45.7 million viewers per evening.
Levy finished filming Sortilegio
Sortilegio
Sortilegio is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carla Estrada for Televisa and It stars Jacqueline Bracamontes, William Levy. It is a remake of Tú o nadie. Univision aired Sortilegio from October 6, 2009 to February 17, 2010 at 9pm/8pm central...
with actress Jacqueline Bracamontes
Jacqueline Bracamontes
Jacqueline Bracamontes van Hoorde is a Mexican actress, model and former winner of Nuestra Belleza México.-Biography:...
on October 9, 2009. Sortilegio aired on Univision, and the finale drew 6.6 million viewers, beating ABC and CBS.
In November 2009, the actor lent his voice to the animated movie Planet 51
Planet 51
Planet 51 is a 2009 Spanish/British/American animated science fiction/family film directed by Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, and John Cleese. Produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios and...
in its Spanish version. The movie opened on November 27 in Mexico and won an award for best animated Spanish-language film of 2009 (Premios Goya). From November 2009 to February 2010, Levy toured several Mexican cities with the play Un Amante a la Medida, which later toured in the United States in June 2010.
Levy is currently shooting the Mexican telenovela Triunfo del Amor, a remake of the Venezuelan classic Cristal, in which he once again shares credits with Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni Beorlegui is a Mexican actress and singer/songwriter, who is best known for starring in Rebelde, Cuidado con el Ángel, Mi Pecado and Triunfo del Amor. She gained international fame as a member of the Latin Grammy nominated pop group RBD...
. The telenovela aired on October, 25, 2010 in El Canal de las Estrellas. Pedro Torres
Pedro Torres
Pedro Torres Cruces is a Spanish former road bicycle racer. He won the Polka dot jersey in the 1973 Tour de France.- Palmarès :1973...
, executive producer of Mujeres Asesinas, confirmed Levy's role in the third season of the popular Mexican series.
Levy stars as Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
's love interest in her music video I'm Into You
I'm Into You
"I'm Into You" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, taken from her seventh studio album, Love? . The mid-tempo pop song was written by Taio Cruz, Lil Wayne and Norwegian duo StarGate, who also produced the song. Lil Wayne also has featured vocals on the song, after...
, from her album Love?
Love? (album)
Love? is the seventh studio album by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez. The album was released on April 28, 2011. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? is Lopez's most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own...
. It aired on the NBC Today Show on May 2, 2011.
Levy and Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni
Maite Perroni Beorlegui is a Mexican actress and singer/songwriter, who is best known for starring in Rebelde, Cuidado con el Ángel, Mi Pecado and Triunfo del Amor. She gained international fame as a member of the Latin Grammy nominated pop group RBD...
will co-host the 25th Hispanic Heritage Awards gala on September 15, 2011, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
in Washington, D.C.
Levy appeared on the cover of People en Español
People en Español
People en Español is a Spanish-language American magazine published by Time Inc. that debuted in 1996, originally as the Spanish-language edition of its publication People...
, which selected him for its special issue on the sexiest men of the year.
Personal life
In 2003, he began a relationship with Mexican-American actress Elizabeth GutiérrezElizabeth Gutierrez
Elizabeth Gutiérrez is a Mexican-American actress and model. She is best known for playing the leading roles in the telenovelas El Rostro de Analía and El Fantasma de Elena.-Background:...
. The two met during their participation on Protagonistas de Novela 2. In 2006, they had a son, Christopher Alexander. On March 6, 2010, Gutierrez gave birth to a daughter, Kailey Alexandra. In press releases issued in May 2011, Levy and Gutierrez announced they had ended their 8-year relationship.
On July 11, 2009, Levy converted to Catholicism.
On August 17, 2010, a female minor filed a lawsuit against Levy in Los Angeles alleging that Levy had sexually abused her. Levy has denied the allegations and countersued for $10 million alleging extortion and defamation.
Credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Mi Vida Eres Tu Mi Vida Eres Tu Mi Vida Eres Tu was made in Miami, Florida by Venevisión International and Univision Network in 2006. The telenovela lasted 116 episodes and was written by Veronica Suarez. It starred Peruvian actor Jorge Aravena and Venezuelan actress Scarlet Ortiz... |
Federico | supporting role |
| 2006 | Olvidarte Jamas Olvidarte Jamas Olvidarte Jamas is a 2005 telenovela made by Venevision International in Miami that lasted 118 episodes. The telenovela starred Venezuelan-American actress Sonya Smith and Mexican actor Gabriel Porras. The telenovela was written by Veronica Suarez and Omaira Rivero. It was executive produced by... |
German | supporting role |
| 2007 | Acorralada Acorralada Acorralada was an American telenovela shot between 2006 and 2007; as of October 2008, it has been sold to more than 50 countries and it has been hugely successful around the world, making it the most successful Miami produced telenovela since Gata Salvaje.It debuted on January 2007 and ended... |
Larry | supporting role |
| 2007–2008 | Pasión Pasion Pasion was an ancient Greek slave from the 4th century BC. He was owned by the bankers Antisthenes and Archestratus, located at Piraeus, the harbor five miles out of Athens. During his slavery, he quickly rose to chief clerk in charge of a money-changing table at the port , and proved so valuable... |
Vasco | supporting role |
| 2008 | Retazos de Vida | Thiago | |
| 2008–2009 | Cuidado con el Angel Cuidado con el ángel Cuidado Con El Ángel is a Telenovela distributed by Televisa. It stars Maite Perroni and William Levy. The telenovela, a production of Nathalie Lartilleux, premiered on June 9, 2008 and finished its broadcast March 6, 2009 and was greatly admired around the globe with millions of views worldwide... |
Juan Miguel San Roman | lead role |
| 2009 | Sortilegio Sortilegio Sortilegio is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carla Estrada for Televisa and It stars Jacqueline Bracamontes, William Levy. It is a remake of Tú o nadie. Univision aired Sortilegio from October 6, 2009 to February 17, 2010 at 9pm/8pm central... |
Alejandro Lombardo | lead role |
| 2009–2010 | Un Amante a la Medida/Un Amante Perfecto | Mexico, United States and Puerto Rico. | |
| 2010 | Mujeres Asesinas Mujeres Asesinas Mujeres Asesinas is a Mexican drama and psychological thriller type television series produced by Pedro Torres. The series is an adaptation of the Argentine series with the same name, produced by Pol-ka from 2005–2008.-Plot:... |
Conde Fonsi | victim |
| 2010 | Por Derecho de Sangre Por Derecho de Sangre Por Derecho de Sangre is a canceled Mexican soap opera/Series produced by Televisa. It was a remake of Cuna de Lobos which was a famous serial, about the struggle for power within a wealthy Mexican dynasty, which was enormously popular in its native Mexico... |
lead role | |
| 2010-2011 | Triunfo del Amor | Max Sandoval | lead role |
| 2011 | I'm Into You I'm Into You "I'm Into You" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, taken from her seventh studio album, Love? . The mid-tempo pop song was written by Taio Cruz, Lil Wayne and Norwegian duo StarGate, who also produced the song. Lil Wayne also has featured vocals on the song, after... |
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller... music video |
Awards
- 2011: Premios JuventudPremios JuventudPremios Juventud is an awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in the areas of film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture, presented by the television network Univision...
"Esta buenisimo" - 2010: BravoAlma AwardThe American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
Mejor actor 2010 (Best actor for Sortilegio) - 2010: Premios JuventudPremios JuventudPremios Juventud is an awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in the areas of film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture, presented by the television network Univision...
"Esta buenisimo" - 2009: Premios JuventudPremios JuventudPremios Juventud is an awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in the areas of film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture, presented by the television network Univision...
"Esta buenisimo" - 2008: BravoAlma AwardThe American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
Actor revelación 2008 (Best new actor for Pasion).
Other
- 2011: People en EspañolPeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
's list of the 50 handsomest men - 2009: People en EspañolPeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
named him as one of "Los 25 hombres más guapos". - 2009: People en EspañolPeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
named him as one of "Los 50 más bellos". - 2008: Quién, Mexican magazine, named him as one of "Los 12 hombres más sexys".
- 2008: People en EspañolPeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
named him as one of "Los 50 más bellos". - 2006: People en EspañolPeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
named him as one of "Los 20 solteros más sexys".