Mexican Stars Land Big Deals On American TV

By Michael Lopez

Get ready America, you're going to see a lot more Spanish accents on your primetime shows. Proving they've got an eye for diversity, networks like Fox and ABC are now locking in Mexican stars for upcoming pilots and guest spots.

On the Fox side of things, Martha Higareda and Adan Canto have landed holding deals for future TV projects. Both actors were scouted at the behest of the network's new Latin-inspired casting department. Fox's Vice President of Casting, Tess Sanchez, happens to be Hispanic, as is department director Yolanda Guillen. Reportedly, they felt the need to add more Español flavor to the primetime schedule.

And seeing how ABC and CBS is working it, it's easy to see why. Way back when Modern Family started, Colombian-born Sofia Vergara was an unknown to American audiences (but not any more!). On the CBS front, ¡Rob! is scoring dynamite ratings and creating a ton of buzz for Latin American transplant, Eugenio Derbez.

So what's so special about Martha and Adan? For one thing, Higareda is considered to be "the Mexican Sandra Bullock" and has been charming novela fans for years. She's already made a mark in the U.S. too, with roles in Smokin’ Aces 2 and Street Kings.

Canto is a little newer to the scene, though he's already made plenty of Latinas swoon with his hunky characters in Spanish soaps. Adan is also an accomplished musician, which means he could be a solid candidate for a Fox Glee appearance.

So far there is no confirmation about exactly which shows Martha and Adan would be attached to. But Deadline is reporting that they are being "strongly considered" for that new drama series created by Ugly Betty’s Silvio Horta.

And though she's technically a "local girl," Gina Rodriguez has caught the eye of TV execs too. The Chicago native has been getting rave reviews for her performance in Sundance indie smash Filly Brown. So much so, that she nabbed herself a holding deal at rival network ABC.

Hopefully these trailblazers will open the door for many more crossovers to come!

Which Latin stars would you like to see cross over? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Adan Canto, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Fox, Gina Rodriguez, Hot Stuff, Martha Higareda, Television, Tess Sanchez, Yolanda Guillen