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By Michael Lopez

These days, it seems like novelas have become a major stepping stone to full-blown Hollywood stardom. We've all seen the positive impact Spanish soap acting has had on Kate del Castillo and William Levy's careers, and now Los Herederos del Monte star Mario Cimarro is ready to follow suit.

Cimarro has just been signed to the new USA Network series Necessary Roughness. Based around the world of professional football, Roughness stars Callie Thorne as sports psychologist Dr. Dani Santino. Though Mario's role has not been fully fleshed out, we wouldn't be surprised if he becomes Dr. Dani's new love interest.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Cimarro has crossed over into English-speaking territory. Back in 1996, he had a role in the Leonardo DiCaprio flick, Romeo + Juliet.

Roughness is actually not a bad show to be a part of. The debut episode scored over 4.7 million viewers and it will most likely get renewed for a second season. Plus, it puts Mario on the same network as one of our other Tr3s faves, Sarah Shahi!

Have you watched Necessary Roughness yet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Callie Thorne, Mario Cimarro, Necessary Roughness, Television, USA Network

By Michael Lopez

Gustavo Galindo is epitome of what you'd call a "rising star." Since emerging on the music scene back in 2008, the Mexican-American singer-songwriter has opened for Juanes, put out a high-profile album, and (perhaps most importantly) secured a slot on next season's Quiero Mis Quinces. Speaking exclusively with Tr3s, he dished on all of the exciting projects he's currently got in the works.

"So far, so good," Galindo jokingly said when referring to his career.

Gustavo's new album, Entre La Ciudad y El Mar, was released last March and has already had a major impact on the iTunes and Billboard charts. When describing the experience of recording it, Galindo went into detail about the lengthy, but rewarding process.

"The process of recording it started about two-and-a-half years ago," Gustavo said. "I had sent a five song demo out to different people in the industry. One of those people happened to be Gustavo Santaolalla and he responded. It was a lot of fun to make and a lot of love and thought went into it."

In case you're wondering, Santaolalla is one of the most respected producers in Latin music. Not only has he won Grammys for his work with Juanes, he also has two Academy Awards, for composing the scores to Brokeback Mountain and Babel. Not surprisingly, Galindo happens to be a big fan of Santaolalla's most famous collaborator.

"Last year I got to open for Juanes," Gustavo explained. "It was fantastic!"

But don't think that Galindo’s musical influences only come from the Spanish realm. He was quick to list off quite a few American acts that he's used for inspiration.

"Being bicultural and bilingual, I like to listen to both sides," he said. "I'm a big fan of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty."

Gustavo also went into detail about his "biculturalism." Born in Mexico City, he spent a good portion of his youth in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and parts of northern California. Interestingly, he said the experience of growing up in different places helped him branch out as an artist.

"Growing up the way I did made me who I am as a person," he said. "But it also made an outsider of both worlds. Sometimes it feels like I'm never quite comfortable in either place. To Americans, I'm perceived as a Mexican artist, but to Mexicans I'm perceived as American."

Though Gustavo's debut album was strictly a Spanish affair, he hinted that there could very well be some English tracks in his future.

"Right now I've written about 30 or 40 songs in both English and Spanish," he said. "I never stop writing."

And next month, Galindo may have something entirely new to write about; quinceañeras! Yup, he's booked to be a guest on the next season of Quiero Mis Quinces and he expressed quite a bit of excitement about the gig.

"I'm really happy to be doing it, because the girl who's getting the quinceañera happens to be a very big fan," Gustavo said. "It's really fun to be a part of something like that. It should be a lot of fun!"

Be sure to keep up with all of Gustavo's happenings by checking out his website and Twitter page.

Are you a fan of Gustavo Galindo? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Entre La Ciudad y El Mar, Exclusive Entrevistas, Gustavo Galindo, Gustavo Santaolalla, Juanes, Música, Tr3s Exclusives

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

Today, recording artists Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin were named the faces of the 2012 MAC Cosmetics "Viva Glam" campaign. In fact, Nicki and Ricki are at their very first shoot as brand ambassadors for the socially-conscious collection right now, where iconic photographer David LaChappelle is hard at work capturing (glam) images of the duo. Check out this photo, from the set:

MAC, in collaboration with artists such as Minaj and Martin as well as 2011 spokespersons Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper, and past 'faces' Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Ru Paul, Eve, Linda Evangelista, Pamela Anderson, Boy George, Chloe Sevigny, and Shirley Manson, has supported this initiative. It is centered around an iconic line of lipsticks and lip glosses, with new shades added to the collection in '97, '00, '02 and '10, despite a change in ownership from the founders, Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan, who were bought out by the Esteé Lauder cosmetics conglomerate after Angelo's death.

Launched in 1994 to support people affected by the H.I.V. epidemic, 100% of the profits from the Viva Glam products are dedicated either to direct intervention on behalf of infected individuals, or as donations to related charities. To date, the initiative has donated over $224mm to the cause, so we were especially super pleased to hear that Ricky Martin is involved. Just a few years ago he was living his life in the 'closet' of secrecy, and now he's out and proud, a community advocate, and even a father to two adopted boys. Way to go, Ricky! Live your life to the fullest!

So what do you think? Are you a fan of the Viva Glam line? Do fund-raising efforts like this really help? Give us your take on the campaign in the comments!

Tags blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Boy George, Chloe Sevigny, Cyndi Lauper, Elton John, Estee Lauder, Eve, Lady Gaga, Linda Evangelista, MAC cosmetics, mary j blige, Nicki Minaj, Pamela Anderson, Ricky Martin, Ru Paul, Shirley Manson, Viva Glam

By Michael Lopez

One of the biggest questions that arose after Luis Fonsi announced his girlfriend's pregnancy was not the gender or the due date, but rather how Adamari Lopez would react! And now, it appears as though his famous ex-wife has piped up via Twitter, albeit with a very vague post.

"Callar es de sabios… Amar es de humanos… llorar es de valientes… y perdonar es de humildes," she wrote.

As you may recall, Fonsi and Lopez were a beloved celebrity couple for over seven years. They had a star-studded wedding, became the subject of Luis' love songs, and endured Adamari's very public cancer battle together. So with last November's divorce, and now the added baby news, it must be a pretty difficult time for Lopez.

Previously, Adamari had said that she will always hold a place in her heart for Fonsi. But we get the feeling that she may not have the same lovey dovey feelings for his baby mama Agueda Lopez. Seeing how Luis and Agueda only went public in April, this "announcement" has certainly put them on the infant fast track.

Adamari reportedly has a new boyfriend that's been keeping her very busy too. Who knows? Perhaps in the next few months, she may have some breaking baby news of her own.

Do you think Luis rushed into fatherhood? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Adamari Lopez, Agueda López, Baby Chisme, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Celebrity Divorce, Chisme, Luis Fonsi

By Michael Lopez

Sure they're going after the same audience, but that doesn't mean that Prince Royce and Aventura's Romeo Santos have to be enemies, right? Though some in the media would like you to think that the bacheteros are caught up in a bitter feud, Royce assured his fans that wasn't the case.

"There's no competition between me and Romeo," Prince told Latina. "We see it as a Latin movement, as a Dominican movement, as a bachata movement…If it goes well for him, it goes well for me. If it goes well for me, it goes well for him."

At the moment, things seem to be going very well for both of them. Royce is about to set off on a tour with Enrique Iglesias and Romeo's been topping the Billboard charts with his solo single, "You."

Royce and Romeo actually both appeared at last week's Premio Juventud awards, much to the delight of their millions of fans. Prince walked away with four statues and, for the record, he did beat Aventura in the Mi Artista Tropical category.

But it's clear that there are no hard feelings between the two. In fact, we're hoping we can someday see them unite for a bachata all-star duet. Perhaps on that highly-anticipated new Prince album?

Do you think most of the music feuds are just hype? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Aventura, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Chisme, Música, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos

By Michael Lopez

Feeling a little fútbol withdrawal today? After an intense three weeks, the 2011 Copa América battle has come to an end, with Uruguay clinching the top prize. Sunday's victory marked the 15th cup for the South American strikers and they fought hard to earn it.

Facing Paraguay in Buenos Aires' Estadio Monumental, they played a very aggressive match and defeated their rivals 3-0. But don't think it was just the star forwards who got all of the glory for the win. Uruguay's goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, put up an impenetrable force field between the posts.

Luis Suarez also deserves a lot of credit for nabbing the Copa. Not just for his performance in the finals match, but for the entire series. He scored his first Sunday goal, 12 minutes into the match. Diego Forlán also drew huge cheers for kicking in two more points later in the game.

When it was all said and done, flashing cameras exploded, confetti dropped from the sky, and tons of jersey wearing fans erupted in cheers. Diego, in particular, seemed to get very emotional about the win.

"This title means a lot to me because my grandfather won, my father won and now I won," Forlán enthusiastically said. "Three generations who led this tournament, Forlán will be the last name in the history."

And scoring this Copa América victory has literally turned the La Celeste guys (as they're commonly called) into fútbol royalty. As you may recall, they earned a very respectable fourth place title in last year's World Cup standings and are now primed to compete for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Some writers have even gone so far to say that Uruguay is now the best team in South America, labeling the footwork of Forlán and Suarez as a "killer combination." As you may recall, Argentina's Lionel Messi has been getting a fair share of hype recently, but his fame may soon be eclipsed by La Celeste's dynamic duo.

All we're saying is, don't be surprised if you see Diego and Luis sporting big smiles on your Wheaties cereal box in the near future. Congrats to Uruguay on an incredible win!

Were you rooting for Uruguay in the finals? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Copa América, Diego Forlán, futbol, Hot Stuff, Luis Suarez, Sports, Uruguay

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

We lost a special talent this weekend in Amy Winehouse. Her unique sound, cobbled together from sixties girl groups, hip-hop, funk, with the help of producer Mark Ronson, and her amazing backup band, Brooklyn's Dap Kings, was the sort of sonic phenomenon that establishes itself immediately a a constant presence in your mind and your music collection.

It was new and retro, fresh and vintage, all at once. Since she was discovered, dead in her London home, on Saturday at the age of 27, local fans have flocked to the location, constructing a shrine outside her house, where her father, Mitch Winehouse thanked them for showing their love and grief for his daughter.

"You people in the street, I can't tell you what this means to us - it really is making this a lot easier for us. Amy was about one thing and that was love, her whole life was devoted to her family and her friends and to you guys as well. We're devastated and I'm speechless but thanks for coming."

Far away, others taken to the web to share their mourning for Amy Winehouse's brilliant talent, and her unrealized potential. Here is a sampling of the poignant, wry, earnest, and surprisingly frank commentary from some famous faces who knew and loved Amy and her work:

"She was my musical soulmate and like a sister to me. This is one of the saddest days of my life." - Mark Ronson

"i just found out. I feel pain. I feel anger. Rest beautiful girl rest. You are free! #RIPAMY" - Ricky Martin

"Devastated. I spent extraordinary times with Amy. She sang for me once for hours, it was the most beautiful & touching thing. A huge loss." - Dita Von Teese

"I am genuinely heartbroken about this... DearAmy U made a MAJAH impression on this industry and through out the world, in such a short space of time...too short! ICONS never DIE." - Rihanna

"Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and now Amy Winehouse. All died aged 27. RIP to you all." - Big Boi

"Amy Winehouse died?! I was dancing to Valerie last week,you serious? See how drugs kill people? R.I.P" - Selena Gomez

"i cant even breath right my now i'm crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!"- Kelly Osborne

"Please tell me Amy Winehouse didn't die. Is this some sick joke?" - Nicki Minaj

"I know the pain her family is experiencing I feel their pain. i've lived their pain. i'm sooo terribly sorry. Once again R prayers R with you." -La Toya Jackson

People all over the world continue to mourn this amazing artist, taken too young. On Amy Winehouse's web page, a simple tribute in the form of a picture is all that remains: a heartbreakingly earnest Winehouse, looking back into the camera as if peering out at us here on this side of an unpassable divide.

Rest in peace, Amy. You will be missed.

Tags Amy Winehouse, Big Boi, blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, dita von teese, Kelly Osborne, La Toya Jackson, Mark Ronson, Mitch Winehouse, Nicki Minaj, Outkast, Ricky Martin, Rihanna, Selena Gomez

By Michael Lopez

Were you one of the thousands of Darth Vadars, Homer Simpsons, or Spider-Girls wandering the floors of Comic-Con this past weekend? If not, don't worry. We happened to get the scoop on the convention's most "geeked-out" moments.

One of the major highlights from the pop culture fest was Friday's appearance of legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Despite directing some of the most geek-friendly movies in history, he had never done Comic-Con until this year. So what was the project that finally brought him to San Diego's Convention Center? The Adventures of Tintin!

Based on a beloved Belgian comic series from the 1930's, Tintin has a huge fanboy following. And Spielberg's movie version promises to stay true to its legacy. Set to be released in December, the film will use performance-capture 3D effects and be co-produced by Lord of the Rings maestro Peter Jackson (who made a surprise appearance on the Tintin panel).

Another big Friday highlight was the panel discussing The Amazing Spider-Man. 2012's reboot of the web-slinging film series has been building a ton of buzz and eager fans got a chance to mingle with star Andrew Garfield. Appearing in the audience in a Spidey costume, he drew huge roars and built quite a bit of "web" activity.

Saturday's highlight was the panel discussing Snow White and the Hunstman. We had mentioned this movie a few months back and, though we're a little bummed they didn't go with any of our casting suggestions, it still seems like an incredible project. The seven dwarves newest leading lady, Kristen Stewart, made an appearance, as did "evil queen" Charlize Theron.

On the TV side, the Game of Thrones panel got a huge response from the die-hard medieval community. The HBO drama recently snagged a few Emmy noms and all of the major actors (along with Thrones author George R. R. Martin) seemed thrilled with its success.

Glee also got its own panel and raised some interesting questions about the show's "graduating" students. Though reports are saying that series stars Lea Michele and Chris Colfer will be making their exit after next season, executive producer Brad Falchuk hinted that wasn't the case.

"Just because they're graduating, doesn't mean they are leaving the show," he said. "It is not our intention to let them go...they are not done with the show."

And what fun with Comic-Con be without some Latino elements? Several Tr3s faves made some memorable appearances too, including Jorge Garcia and Ramon Rodriguez. Jorge participated in Alcatraz panel and dropped teasers about the show's mysterious plot.

Rodriguez stood alongside his new Charlie’s Angels; Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor, and Annie Ilonzeh. By the sounds of things, this revamp of the 1970’s detective show promises a lot of sex appeal and tons of action.

"We're a lot more badass [than the original]," Ramon stated. "Everyone kicks ass on the show. We take pride in the training we’ve been doing."

Obviously you can expect a lot more details on all of these geekalicious projects within the next several months.

What was your favorite moment from Comic-Con 2011? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alcatraz, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Charlie's Angels, comic-con, Comic-Con 2011, Comics, glee, Hot Stuff, Movies & CineMás, Television, The Adventures Of Tintin, The Amazing Spider-Man

By Michael Lopez

Forget the Red Skull, Captain America just bested an even greater foe; Harry Potter! According to the latest statistics, Cap took in over $60 million at the box office this weekend, knocking the boy sorcerer down to second place. It also is about to turn up-and-coming star Chris Evans into an overnight sensation. The actor spoke to us at a press conference recently about his thoughts on the film.

"I loved this character," Evans enthusiastically said. "And I loved the people behind it. There was nothing I didn’t like about the making of this film."

Interestingly, Captain America is not the first Marvel character that Chris has portrayed. Back in 2005, he starred alongside Jessica Alba in the Fantastic Four film, playing The Human Torch. And though he admittedly wasn't the biggest comic book fan growing up, Evans has learned to appreciate the magic of Marvel.

"The guys at Marvel, these guys are so clever and so smart," he said. "They make great films. I think [director] Joe Johnston and [producer] Kevin Feige really knew how to make Captain America and his era come to life."

Of course from Chris' perspective, making Cap come to life was no easy task. He had to spend an exorbitant amount of hours in the gym training to get that superhero physique.

"I never had a trainer before," he confessed. "We were doing two hours in the gym everyday."

For Captain America, and his alter ego Steve Rogers, the muscles came much more easily. This particular Marvel hero got his powers from a special serum developed by World War II scientists. And Evans thought that gave the character an interesting layer of depth.

"I find Steve Rogers so complex, so interesting," he said. "Part of the reason he was chosen for this experiment is because I don't think he'll let this new physical form change who he is and that's what makes him worthy of this gift. We tried to keep him the same man throughout."

One big question on everyone's minds now is, what's next for Captain America? Chris is currently filming Cap scenes for next summer's top secret Avengers movie, but was pretty tight-lipped when it came to details. Although, he did share his thoughts on working with Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr.

"I can't say enough about Robert. He’s so talented and he has so much charisma. When he comes into a room, he owns the oxygen!"

You can see Robert, Chris and the rest of Marvel's Avengers united on screen next May.

What did you think about the Captain America movie? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Comics, Exclusive Entrevistas, Marvel, Movies & CineMás, The Avengers, Tr3s Exclusives

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

Okay everyone, say it together - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!

A newly single Jennifer Lopez stepped out this weekend to celebrate her forty-second birthday in Miami, Florida, looking totally gorgeous in her signature style of bronzed skin, flowing caramel locks, and a figure-hugging designer cocktail dress - or two!

Lopez gathered with her family at Scarpetta restaurant in the historic Fontainebleau Hotel to dine, nibble on birthday cake and even sing! Her sixteen guests including her beloved confidante, mom Lupe, as well as close friends and other collaborators, in an evening that was as much about celebrating the beginning of a new year as the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

Following the announcement of her impending divorce from her husband of seven years on July 15, Jenny has been keeping close to home, but there's no better way to show the world a little of her trademark 'glow' than a glamorous evening out, dressed to the nines, at a landmark Miami locale, right?

But that's just the cherry on top of the weekend of gatherings for Jennifer's 42nd birthday. In fact, Jenny partied all weekend long, with other events including a pool party for close family, including her twins with ex Marc Anthony, Emme and Max, as well as a private wine-cellar dinner at The Forge on Miami Beach (this place looks amazing - I might have to fly down to Miami to check out that seafood platter!)

Rumor has it that the acclaimed pastry chef even surprised the birthday girl with a special chocolate souffle created just for her, and accompanied by a Happy Birthday serenade and champagne poured for the table. Another celebratory weekend activity was high-end boutique shopping at the Bal Harbour Shops, located near trendy South Beach, where Lopez was spotted snapping up designer toddler duds for her little ones. Fancy!

Is it too soon, though? I mean, the ink on the divorce announcement is hardly dry - Should Jenny be out on the party crawl already, or is she just showing her face for the cameras? Are more breakup revelations forthcoming? Or is this the beginning of a brand new life for La Diva Lopez?

Let us know in the comments!

Tags blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Celebrations, Celebrity Divorce, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Miami