After 'La Tempestad' Failure, William Levy and Televisa Go Their Separate Ways

William Levy will no longer work with Televisa once the tapings for the telenovela "La Tempestad" are finished, effectively putting an end to a multimillion dollar contract he signed years ago. Televisa decided not to renew the contract after the poor ratings "La Tempestad" has had.

During the six years he spent with Televisa, Levy failed to position himself as the household hearthrob of the genre. Levy has positioned himself well enough abroad and he is currently preparaing several projects for television and film in the United States. According to sources within Televisa, executives were not happy with Levy's performances and the high salary he was receiving. They were also disgruntled at the fact that Levy seemed to be indisciplined and would ask for preferential treatment during the tapings of "La Tempestad."

Levy began his carreer as a soap opera actor for the Latino-American network Venevision in telenovelas that were later broadcast by Univision Network, which brought him to a wider audience. Mexican producer Carla Estrada was the one who brought him to Mexico to take part in the telenovela "Pasion," where he was cast alongside Fernando Colunga and Susana Gonzalez.

After his first starring role in 2008 in "Cuidado con el Angel," the Cuban actor signed a multimillion dollar contract to perform in three more telenovelas. The first two were "Sortilegio" and "Triunfo de Amor," which enjoyed moderate success. However, Levy didn't become an international celebrity until he participated in "Dancing With The Stars."

Before "La Tempestad," Levy did not want to return to Mexico but instead wanted to focus on his career in the United States. However, producers insisted, claiming that the telenovela would be a huge hit and would mean a great success for him as well. "La Tempestad" failed to draw audiences and is considered to be the last straw in the relationship between the actor and Televisa.

Levy will resettle in Miami and will continue to pursue a career in the United States, where he is becoming a household name. Televisa has reportedly signed Spanish hearthrob Ivan Sanchez to star in a number of future telenovelas and will seek to obtain the success they lacked with Levy by placing him as the star of their future ventures.