Carla Estrada (born Carla Patricia Estrada Guitrón; March 11, 1956, in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) is a Mexican television producer, one of the foremost telenovela producers of Latin America.[1]

Carla Estrada
Born
Carla Patricia Estrada Guitrón

(1956-03-11) March 11, 1956 (age 68)
Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
OccupationExecutive producer
Years active1986–present
ChildrenCarlos López Estrada

Biography

edit

In 2005, the Mexican government decided to place a statue[2] of the producer in one of Mexico City's most important parks and in January 2007 she appeared on People En Español's list of The 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the world. When aired in the United States, Estrada's telenovela Amor Real shocked the world by having higher ratings than all of the other television shows in America; placing Univision on top of American networks such as NBC and ABC.[3]

Estrada went to the UAM in Xochimilco to study psychology. She decided not to follow that career soon after, however, and she asked to have her major changed. Given a choice of new classes she could take, she chose communications, in part because her father was a journalist and her mother an actress.

Before graduating from the UAM in 1978, Estrada had already been hired by Televisa. She made history at Televisa by becoming the first woman producer in Mexican television history, but her beginnings were humble: at first, no celebrity wanted to work with her. Over the years this has changed, however, and she has produced some of Mexico's (and Latin America's) most famous soap operas, while working with such famous actors as Adamari López, Adela Noriega, Lucero, Fernando Colunga, Gabriela Roel and many more. Estrada was asked to produce soap operas for Televisa by Victor Hugo O'Farril. Her first soap opera was Pobre Juventud. Before that, she had been the producer of the teen-oriented show, Xe-Tu, where many superstars, such as Gloria Trevi, participated.

Estrada has spoken about the abuse she had to go through during the production of Pobre Juventud, both on the mental and physical aspect. According to her, she was subjected to mistreatment by her own employees, who went as far as hitting her on her legs with a cable once, because they were not used to having a woman boss.

She has often spoken about the importance of transmitting positive messages through her shows and her fascination towards love stories.

Carla Estrada is considered by many, including personal friend Cristina Saralegui, to be the greatest soap opera producer in Mexico, and her soap operas generally have wide international acceptance. One of her projects, Amor Real, was once watched by 59 percent of the Mexican audience.

Filmography

edit
Executive producer, Comedy Series, Music Show, Contest, TV Show
Year Title Notes
1982-87 XE-TU Executive producer
1986-87 Pobre juventud Executive producer
1987 Pobre señorita Limantour Executive producer
1987-88 Quinceañera Executive producer
1988 Amor en silencio Executive producer
1989-1990 Cuando llega el amor Executive producer
1990-91 Amor de nadie Executive producer
1992 De frente al sol Executive producer
1993 Los Parientes Pobres Executive producer
1993-94 Más allá del puente Executive producer
1995 Alondra Executive producer
1995-96 Lazos de Amor Executive producer
1996-97 Te sigo amando Executive producer
1997-98 María Isabel Executive producer
1997-00 Picardía mexicana Contest
1998-99 El Privilegio de Amar Executive producer
2000 Mi Destino Eres Tú Executive producer
2000-07 La hora pico Comedy Series
2001-02 El Manantial Executive producer
2002-07 La parodia Comedy Series
2003 Amor real Executive producer
2005-06 Alborada[4] Executive producer
El Privilegio de Mandar Comedy Series
2007-08 Pasión Executive producer
2009 Sortilegio Executive producer
2011 La vida es mejor cantando Music Show
2012-13 Los doctores TV show
2013-2016 Hoy TV show
2016 Por siempre Joan Sebastian Executive producer
2019 This Is Silvia Pinal Executive producer

Awards and nominations

edit
As Executive Producer
Year Category Telenovela Result
1988 Best Telenovela of the Year Quinceañera Won
1989 Amor en Silencio
1990 Cuando llega el amor Nominated
1993 De frente al sol Won
1994 Los Parientes Pobres Nominated
1996 Lazos de Amor Won
1998 María Isabel Nominated
1999 El Privilegio de Amar Won
2002 El Manantial
2004 Amor Real
2006 Alborada
2008 Pasión Nominated
2010 Sortilegio
As Producer of TV Programs
Year Category Telenovela Result
2003 Best Comedy Program La Parodia Won
2004 La hora pico Nominated
Best Variety Program La Parodia Won
2006 Best Program Variety or Musical
Best Comedy Program or Series La hora pico Nominated
El Privilegio de Mandar Won
2007 Best Comedy Program Nominated
La hora pico
Best Variety Program La Parodia Won
2012 Best Musical Talent Program La vida es mejor cantando Nominated
2013 Best Variety Program Los Doctores
2014 Hoy Won

References

edit
  1. ^ Described as "one of the foremost telenovela producers in the world" by BBC News (UK), April 1, 2006 in How telenovelas conquered the world
  2. ^ Carla Estrada ya tiene su estatua, Univision.com, Jan 27, 2006
  3. ^ "Telenovelas Draw U.S. Viewers". ABC News. 2006-01-15. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  4. ^ Carla Estrada presenta Alborada, esmas.com, Oct 18, 2005 Archived February 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
edit