La usurpadora (1998 TV series)
| La usurpadora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Telenovela Romance |
| Created by | Inés Rodena |
| Written by | Inés Rodena Carlos Romero Dolores Ortega |
| Directed by | Beatriz Sheridan Nathalie Lartilleux |
| Starring | Gabriela Spanic Fernando Colunga Libertad Lamarque |
| Opening theme | La Usurpadora By Pandora |
| Ending theme | La Usurpadora By Pandora |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of episodes | 102 + Màs alla de la Usurpadora |
| Production | |
| Producer | Salvador Mejía |
| Production location | Mexico |
| Cinematography | Jesus Najera Jesus Acuna Lee Alejandro Frutos Ernesto Arreola Manuel Barajas |
| Running time | 46 minutes |
| Production company | Televisa |
| Original release | |
| Network | Canal de las Estrellas |
| Release | February 9 – July 24, 1998 |
La Usurpadora (Deceptions) is a Mexican romantic drama telenovela produced by Salvador Mejia Alejandre and originally broadcast on Canal de las Estrellas from February 9, 1998 to July 24, 1998. It was based on La Intrusa, a novela originally broadcast in Venezuela which was its self a remake of Radio Caracas Television's 1971 telenovela La Usurpadora which starred Marina Baura and Raul Amundaray. It starred Gabriela Spanic and Fernando Colunga. This was one of the last telenovelas to feature Libertad Lamarque, who here portrayed the character of Abuela Piedad Bracho. The show's premise revolves around a pair of twin sisters who were separated when they were young, and as adults the younger sister is forced to act as a "replacement" for her wealthy twin who wants to temporarily leave her husband and his family to enjoy a life of luxury with multiple lovers. The telenovela had huge success in Mexico and has been exported and ported to various languages across the world.
Synopsis
Paola and Paulina (Gabriela Spanic) are twin sisters who were separated at birth. Paulina is a good young woman who lives in poverty. Paola is the evil sister of the two who is married to a wealthy man named Carlos Daniel Bracho (Fernando Colunga). When the twins cross paths by chance, Paola blackmails Paulina to take Paola's place in the Bracho home while she takes a year-long vacation with her lover. Abandoned by her fiancé Osvaldo and following the death of her sick mother, Paulina submits to Paola's plan. During the year living in the Bracho household, Paulina brings stability to the chaos that had been wrought by Paola but is conflicted because she falls in love with Carlos Daniel. Paola eventually returns to take her rightful place, but not without the truth being discovered by the family. Returning to her old ways, Paola inflicts more damage on the family and on Paulina upon her return, but is ultimately killed in a car accident. This liberates Paulina and allows her to marry Carlos Daniel. The two live happily ever after and the Bracho family is finally in peace.
Cast
- Gabriela Spanic as Paulina Martinez / Paola Bracho † - Main heroine (finally married with Carlos Daniel) / Main villain lover of Willy, Luciano, Donato, Alessandro and Douglas(Ends up comatose in the hospital after the accident finally dies)
- Fernando Colunga as Carlos Daniel Bracho - Main hero, husband of Paola, finally married with Paulina
- Libertad Lamarque as Abuela Piedad Bracho - grandmother of Carlos Daniel and Rodrigo
- Chantal Andere as Estefania Bracho - Stepsister of Carlos Daniel and Rodrigo, wife of Willy, villain
- Dominika Paleta as Gema Durán Bracho - In love with Carlos Daniel, friend of Luciano villain
- Mario Cimarro as Luciano Alcantara - Lover of Paola, friend of Gema's, villain, later become good
- Marcelo Buquet as Rodrigo Bracho - Brother of Carlos Daniel
- Juan Pablo Gamboa as Willy Montero - Husband of Estefania, villain (ends up in jail)
- Paty Díaz as Lalita - Maid at Bracho's house
- Alejandro Ruiz as Leandro Gomez - Worker at Bracho factory, finally married to Viviana
- Giován D'Angelo as Donato D'Angeli - Lover of Paola
- Anastasia as Viviana Carillo - lover of Willy, finally married to Leandro
- Jessica Jurado as Patricia Bracho - Wife of Rodrigo
- Antonio De Carlo as Osvaldo Resendiz boyfriend of Paulina, ends up with Veronica
- Magda Guzmán as Fidelina - Abuela Piedad's personal assistant, Estefania's biological mother
- María Solares as Lisette Bracho-Daughter of Carlos Daniel
- Segio Miguel as Carlitos Bracho-Son of Carlos Daniel
- Nuria Bages as Paula Martinez † - Mother of Paola and Paulina
- Ninón Sevilla as Cachita cook at Bracho's house
- María Luisa Alcalá as Filomena friend of Paulina
- Tito Guízar as Panchito - Gardener at Bracho's house
- Enrique Lizalde as Alessandro Farina Paola's lover
- Mario Carballido as Amador policeman
- Adriana Fonseca as Veronica Soriano - Secretary of Carlos Daniel, ends up with Osvaldo
- Raquel Morell as Carolina Carrillo
- Jaime Garza as Merino- police officer
- Meche Barba as Abigail Rosales-godmother of Viviana
- Renata Flores as Estela - Secretary of Estefania
- Javier Herranz as Dr. Varela
- Arturo Peniche as Lic. Edmundo Serrano - Paulina's lawyer, in love with Paulina
- Miguel de León as Douglas Maldonado lover of Paola
- Silvia Derbez as Doña Chabela poor woman who helped Carlitos, sister of Cenobia
- Silvia Caos as Cenobia Rojas sister of Chabela, villain
- Irán Eory as Lourdes Osvaldo's wife, Paulina's boss
- René Muñoz as El Mojarras neighboor of Chabela and Cenobia
- Azela Robinson as Elvira- Nurse,Paola's accomplice (dies on the scene of the accident)
- Rafael Amador as Dr. Galicia
- Miguel Córcega as Braulio batler of Douglas Maldonado
- Rebeca Manríquez as La Tamales cellmate with Paolina in prison
- Maricruz Nájera as Emiliana guard in the prison
- Angelina Peláez as Ricarda
- Humberto Elizondo as Silvano Pina
- Andrea García as Celia Alonzo Paolina's friend
- Eduardo Luna as Mauricio Artiana
- Sara Montes as Eloina nurse
- Adriana Nieto as Beatrice
- Jessica Salazar as Isabel
- Laura Zapata as Abogado Zoraida Zapata- prosecutor
- Renata Flores as Estela
- Consuelo Duval as Macrina neighboor of Chabella and Cenobia
- Gloria Morell as Zenaida
- María Morena
- Melba Luna as Doña Francisca
- Julio Monterde as Dr. Peraza
- Héctor Alvarez
- Claudia Castillo
- Nayeli Dainzú
- Jesús Lara
- Emiliano Lizárraga as Pedro-Bracho's driver
- Gabriela Tavela
- Irma Torres as Eulalia nurse in the prison's hospital
- Fernando Torres Lapham as Dr. Mendive the prison's doctor
- Gabriela Carvajal as Adela
- Ricardo Hernandez
- Javier Herranz as Dr. Varela
- Oscar Morelli as Juez Castro
- Adalberto Parra
- Hector Parra as Lic. Juan Manuel Montesinos
- Ester Rinaldi
- Fernando Saenz as Lic. Mayo
- Claudia Vega
- Amara Villafuerte
- Ernesto Arreola
- Manuel Barajas
- Jesus Najera Saro
- Karina Duprez
- Yadhira Carrillo as Raquel/villain, Special Guest at Mas Alla de la Usurpadora nanny of Carlitos, Lisette and Paulita, in love with Carlos Daniel
Production
Gabriela Spanic has a twin sister in real life, Daniela Spanic, who is a model. Daniela was approached by the producers of the show to appear in one scene where Paola and Paulina physically fight, as the sequence would have been too difficult to achieve by camera trickery. La Usurpadora was nicknamed in Spanish, "The queen of the ratings" while broadcasted for Univision in 2000. Although the Mexican telenovela garnered massive ratings, it received no awards from the yearly award shows. La Usurpadora wasn't the first Spanic's soap playing twins, she had already played two identical women in Como Tu, Ninguna but they were non-relative as in La Usurpadora. She played the roles just in the last stage of the story. Gabriela later starred in Televisa's 2001 La Intrusa where she once again took on roles similar to La Usurpadora, except both sisters were good characters.
Sequel
La Usurpadora was followed by a two hour special, Más Alla De La Usurpadora which is set a year after the events of the original telenovela. Again produced by Salvador Mejia Alejandre and directed by Beatriz Sheridan, it starred many familiar cast members, including Gabriela Spanic and Fernando Colunga, and introduced a new character, Raquel, played by Yadhira Carrillo.
Synopsis
Paulina and Carlos Daniel are blissfully happy with their new baby girl, Paulita. Problems arise when Paulina falls ill and consults a doctor who tells her that she has cancer and will die in a few months. Paulina keeps her illness a secret from her family, but asks Raquel, Paulita's caregiver, to marry Carlos Daniel after she dies. Raquel, who has been secretly in love with Carlos Daniel, is delighted. When Paulina lets Abuela Piedad in on her secret, Abuela Piedad insists that her family deserves to know. Paulina has a panic attack, and sees a vision of Paola in a mirror, telling that she will see her in hell for robbing her of her family. When Carlos Daniel learns of her illness, he comforts Paulina and decide to make the best of the time they have remaining together. Raquel cannot wait to take over Paulina's role, so she puts poison in Paulina's wine. Paulina drinks and immediately faints, but Raquel faints as well. Both women are taken to the hospital, where they learn that Paulina is not sick, but is in fact pregnant. However, Raquel has accidentally swallowed the poison; she seeks forgiveness and eventually makes a full recovery. Back at the Bracho home, Carlos Daniel and Paulina reveal the happy news to everyone. Overjoyed, the family takes a picture and it says "And they lived happily for the rest of their lives". The credits roll, and the audience cheers.
International release
| Country | Network(s) | Series premiere | Series finale | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mexico
|
Canal de las Estrellas | February 9, 1998 | July 24, 1998 | La Usurpadora |
| Mexico
|
TLNovelas | August 16, 2010 | 2011 | La Usurpadora |
 Argentina
|
Canal 9 (Argentina) | 2004 | 2004 | La Usurpadora |
| Argentina
|
Magazine | September 19, 2011 | February 10, 2012 | La Usurpadora |