Ana Cobo is a writer for The Hollywood Insider, who keeps up to date with the entertainment world and looks for truth and compassion in her pieces. She enjoys finding depth and understanding behind the creative work on TV shows and films. Sharing the new knowledge found has always been important to her. Ana loves sparking interest and highlighting the talent found in the Latinx community. Like everyone at The Hollywood Insider, Ana believes in uplifting the community, through compassion and understanding.
Oct 23, 2021
Table of Contents
Photo: ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’
Legends are often acknowledged after they have long left this earth, but few times comes the opportunity when a person becomes an icon while still roaming the planet. Luis Miguel is one of those few individuals who have revolutionized what was known as a Latin artist and has redefined the meaning of Legend.
Luis Miguel is known to be one of the best-selling artists of all time, selling millions of records in short spans. Having won his first Grammy at the age of fourteen for his duet “Me Gustas Tal y Como Eres” (I Like You Just The Way You Are) with Sheena Easton made Luis Miguel the youngest yet to win a Grammy. His Grammy repertoire accumulates a number of six trophies, while he remains known for making the bolero genre go into the mainstream. Luis Miguel is known for his ability to sing any genre, from pop to mariachi, always trying new styles, and being the sole conductor for bringing forgotten styles back to the mainstream.
It was in 1982 when a child of medium-length hair and the voice of an angel would become a household name in Mexico. Luis Miguel’s voice was like no other. His vocal range spans three octaves; for better reference, his range can be compared to Freddie Mercury’s. After releasing his first album at the age of twelve, Luis Miguel skyrocketed to success and never ceased to continue going upward. As a result of having grown up in the public eye, Luis Miguel was adamant about being private. The singer always had his personal affairs behind the closed doors of his many mansions. It was an incredible surprise when the news came about of an authorized biography coming to Netflix called ‘Luis Miguel: La Serie.’ It was even more shocking to find out that Luis Miguel had authorized the series and become one of its executive producers.
The Life of A Legend
‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ became this unclassified story about the life of a Legend, a story that has never been told before. In a way, it was like Luis Miguel’s first time coming clean about his life. Known as “El sol de Mexico” (Mexico’s sun), many were interested and could not wait to see what the story was all about. ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ Season one is about exposing a vulnerable side of the artist, the honest side, the one that the audience has missed out on. Thanks to the series, his fans get to see Luis Miguel’s human side and the harsh reality that entangles for a person to reach the top. The narrative was not just another dull autobiography; the difference with this series was that the production accomplished to recreate Luis Miguel’s life with his help. Finding out the truth behind a legend is quite exciting territory.
The Hype Of Season One
When ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ aired in 2018, its producers had no idea that the series would cause tremendous cultural impact in Latin America and gain extreme hype and popularity worldwide. The show aired with one episode a week in April 2018, and many unofficial Instagram accounts were created containing memes and behind-the-scenes content for its followers. News about the Mexican singer had the world upside down, as fans had been deprived of his personal life for years.
In season one, the series follows the life of the Grammy winner’s humble beginnings and his career path from a very young age. Mexican actor Diego Boneta plays “El sol de Mexico.” The show focuses on the incredible influence his father, Luis Gallego Sanchez, better known to the public as “Luisito Rey,” had on Luis Miguel’s career, as he was Luis Miguel’s first manager. The show opened the conversation and portrayed the ugly side of having your family be part of your career while being in the spotlight. Luisito Rey’s goal was to turn his son into a money-making machine and sell him to the media. It also focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Luis Miguel’s mother, Marcella Basteri, leaving fans waiting impatiently for its next season.
Diego Boneta And The Creation Of Luis Miguel
On November 16, 2017, Diego Boneta had arranged his hair in a late 80s style and had learned the superstar’s mannerisms; he was ready to be Luis Miguel. The amount of work that the production did behind the scenes is incredible, and its results help prove how talented the people behind it are. Diego Boneta’s role in this series was to humanize a legend, and he did it perfectly. Prosthetics were used on his face for his character to resemble Luis Miguel, as the production had the chance to hire Oscar-winner makeup artist Bill Corso to create the character’s feature and then have the help of a Mexican makeup team to help it apply the daily prosthetics. The grind did not stop there, as Boneta’s work was as arduous as always. He spent a year learning, with the help of his vocal coach, Ron Anderson, Luis Miguel’s register and vocal tones.
Diego Boneta has had years of experience with singing. He started his career at a young age participating in a Mexican reality show called ‘Codigo F.A.M.A’ where the competition was arduous and the tasks to be graded on included performances in acting and signing. He then continued to be the lead in many kids’ telenovelas. It wasn’t until 2010 that Diego Boneta crossed over to the United States, participating in teenage shows such as ‘Pretty little Liars’ and hit musical productions like ‘Rock of Ages‘ starring Julianne Hough and co-starring alongside movie stars like Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Alec Baldwin. Boneta has had a successful career since moving to the United States, but ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ really put him on the map as the multifaceted actor he is.
When approaching the character of Luis Miguel, Diego Boneta had it tough. As the singer is still alive and healthy and the fear of portraying a legend the wrong way is there. He asked himself, “how can I approach someone who has been so secretive about his private life his entire career?” Thankfully, Boneta had the opportunity to spend time with the singer and have long and meaningful conversations that helped him put on the face of Luis Miguel in the most honest and human ways. The challenge was not only in Luis Miguel’s voice, as his range is unique and hard to accomplish. But also in knowing the series was going to portray different periods during Luis Miguel’s life. Mainly in season two, where the singer’s life is split between 1994 and 2005. Boneta had to keep in mind an eleven-year gap between each persona, and quickly realized that it was like playing two different characters.
The Cast
The series has a fairly known cast. Juan Pablo Zurita, a YouTube star turned actor, plays Luis Miguel’s brother Alejandro Basteri. Camila Sodi, a known singer and actress in Mexico, is his main girlfriend. Camila is also part of a famous entertainment family and niece of Mexican superstar Thalía. Luis Miguel’s manager, Hugo Lopez, is played by the incredible César Bordón, who had me bawling in the middle of season two.
Luis Miguel’s Involvement
The authorized biography made the media talk extensively, as many rumors about the singer’s love life had been off the press for years. Stories came out to light, and for Luis Miguel, it was the singer’s opportunity of telling the story his way. As one of the show’s executive producers, Luis Miguel took the time to chat with the writers and recount his perspective on his life events. The singer told the Mexican press, “It has taken me a long time to want to tell my story, and I have been looking for the right team to tell it the way it should be told.”
The first season was such a success that it was announced for a season two right after its release. Producers wanted to make sure that for its second season, ‘Luis Miguel: the Series’ quality in storytelling was kept untouched. Season one had been based on a book, while season two was loosely based on interviews and conversations with the singer, which created a bit of anxiety in the production. Luis Miguel’s life can be described as insane, as having his father be the main antagonist throughout his life is a sad reality but a great tool for storytelling.
Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown
Although the series is based on actual events, there are still untold parts, such as the birth of his two children. Luis Miguel’s relationship with his oldest daughter is a central plot point in the series. But the birth and life of his other two kids have been completely left out, the mother did not want them to be part of the show. The production has fictionalized certain events to suit the narrative, leaving space for creativity and audience interpretations towards the singer’s life. ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ is more than just an authorized biographical series; it is a show about the inconceivable challenges that fame and money bring to a person’s personal life. It’s a story about consequences and how everything has a price. In the show creator’s words, Carla Gonzales Vargas, ‘Luis Miguel: The Series’ is a story that proves that “heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
Season three has been announced by Netflix, and the trailer made its appearance this week. The show’s third and final season will air on Netflix on October 28th.
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Ana Cobo is a writer for The Hollywood Insider, who keeps up to date with the entertainment world and looks for truth and compassion in her pieces. She enjoys finding depth and understanding behind the creative work on TV shows and films. Sharing the new knowledge found has always been important to her. Ana loves sparking interest and highlighting the talent found in the Latinx community. Like everyone at The Hollywood Insider, Ana believes in uplifting the community, through compassion and understanding.
Ana Cobo is a writer for The Hollywood Insider, who keeps up to date with the entertainment world and looks for truth and compassion in her pieces. She enjoys finding depth and understanding behind the creative work on TV shows and films. Sharing the new knowledge found has always been important to her. Ana loves sparking interest and highlighting the talent found in the Latinx community. Like everyone at The Hollywood Insider, Ana believes in uplifting the community, through compassion and understanding.
