Rossana Fernández Maldonado and “Utopia”, success of Netflix in Peru: “When I saw the script I said I can’t, I’m not capable”

When he finally decided to make a living from art, Rossana Fernandez-Maldonado, granddaughter of former Prime Minister Jorge Fernández-Maldonado Solari and one of the most beautiful faces on Peruvian TV, abandoned her initial education studies and traveled to New York to study acting. She was 23 years old. When she returned, she believed that when she knocked on work doors, they would open immediately, but none responded to her call. “I was left without a job and without money,” she recalls.

That was not the first television disappointment that the actress faced. Almost a decade before, when she was fourteen years old, she was chosen to play Candy (a character created by Keiko Nagita) in a Peruvian series. She recorded the pilot with well-known actors, but it did not prosper. She could hardly recover emotionally from that discouraging episode.

“The producers talked to my parents about my participation, including money. Y . In the end, the project did not come out.. I always call the directors to ask if they have any projects. I knock on doors”, he highlights.

Before acting, you did TV commercials. Why did you stop making them? Is it true that they stopped calling you for being blonde and blue-eyed?

The weather changed and, of course, . She was about twelve years old. However, I feel very grateful and proud because I am very close to people in general. Programs like “Dream Factory” brought me closer to people. It was a beautiful time.

“Surprise yourself”, the program that you will lead with Gian Piero Díaz, will it have the “Dream Factory” scheme?

It is of social help and healthy entertainment, it will have a lot of that program. It is a format that I love. We are in pre-production, it will be weekly, it will come out on Willax TV. When Piero called me to tell me about the project, my heart burst out with joy. We always have fun with him and people love us as a duo.

2021 you had quite a musical year. You closed it with the theme “How lucky that we are different”. Are you going to continue making music this year?

It’s true, it’s been a year focused on music, but I must confess that I’ve been missing acting and conducting. I also closed hosting a program on Romantic radio. It was a nice experience.

Do you have proposals to act?

I move in many fields, but acting is definitely my greatest passion. They are also flirting with me for a couple of projects for June and September, which are not yet completely closed. I feel like this year things are looking a little better for the actors.

“Utopia”

What do you think of the success of “Utopia on Netflix?

The director (Gino Tassara) is also surprised with the results. The success it has had is wonderful for everyone because this story is being told that I think should be heard and known by many people, because after this terrible incident things are beginning to change in terms of civil defense, protocols and permits.

Did your character really exist and receive threats?

Elizabeth is the support of the main character, but I don’t know if the director actually met a girl with that name and was inspired by her.

Is it true that you had reservations about accepting the proposal to make “Utopia”?

. She survived, they got her out really bad, she breathed in smoke. But close friends of my sister did die. C It gave me a little fear, however I think the story is well told and in the process of building the character we had the opportunity to meet the parents. When that happened I felt that I should be a part of that story, it seemed important to me to give a voice to those parents who had been fighting for justice for several years.

How are you doing emotionally? are you still single?

I’ve been single for five years now and I want to have a partner, but I’m not desperate, looking for someone, because I don’t feel that my life is incomplete. I enjoy my free time with my daughters, who are growing up. I hope to make trips with them, through the interior of the country so that they know more about Peru. I am in a good moment.