Kate del Castillo is a Mexican and American actress who has captivated audiences across the globe, first rising to fame as a telenovela star in her native Mexico before achieving international acclaim for her leading role in the hit series La Reina del Sur. Born Kate del Castillo Negrete Trillo on October 23, 1972, she began her career at a remarkably young age, landing her first major role at just 19 in the 1991 Televisa telenovela Muchachitas. This breakout performance established her as a household name in Latin America, and she quickly followed it with a string of successful telenovelas, including Alguna vez tendremos alas in 1997, La Mentira in 1998, Ramona in 2000, and Bajo la misma piel from 2003 to 2004, solidifying her status as one of the region’s most popular leading ladies.

Del Castillo’s career reached new heights in 2011 when she took on the title role of Teresa Mendoza in the Telemundo series La Reina del Sur. The show, based on the novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, became a global phenomenon and earned del Castillo widespread recognition for her powerful portrayal of a woman who rises from poverty to become a powerful drug cartel leader. The role not only made her an international star but also showcased her ability to carry a complex, gritty drama, with the series running for multiple seasons and cementing her legacy in television. In 2017, she further expanded her reach by starring in the Netflix political drama Ingobernable, playing the First Lady of Mexico, Emilia Urquiza, a role that highlighted her range in a high-stakes, suspenseful narrative.

Beyond television, del Castillo has built a notable film career, making her Hollywood debut in the 2007 drama Under the Same Moon, where she played the female lead. She later appeared in a variety of supporting roles in films such as K-11 in 2011, the thriller No Good Deed in 2014 alongside Idris Elba, and the disaster drama The 33 in 2015, which told the story of the trapped Chilean miners. Her filmography also includes the 2019 crime film El Chicano and a role in the blockbuster Bad Boys for Life in 2020, where she starred opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. In the 2020s, she returned to television with the Peacock comedy-drama series 'Til Jail Do Us Part in 2022 and joined the cast of the Fox crime drama The Cleaning Lady in 2024, demonstrating her enduring versatility as an actress.