'Dama y Obrero' is one of the most prominent telenovelas on primetime at the moment and headlining the series is rising Telemundo star Ana Layevska. The actress spoke with Latinos Post this month to talk about her work on the TV show and other upcoming projects.
Surprisingly, the actress revealed she never dreamt of being an actress and only caught the "acting bug" during her time at the Centro de Education Artistica (CEA) of Televisa in Mexico. "When I started acting classes I was inspired. The truth is I never dreamt of being an actress as a child. But it just happened. When I started studying and getting on stage, it just came to me. I never said 'I want to be an actress.' It just happened. I started discovering myself and realized I loved it," Layevska said.
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, the 31-year-old actress has built an extraordinary resume with 15 telenovelas under her belt and nine appearances in film.
Her versatility has led her to different types of roles including supporting roles, villainous characters and now the lead of Ignacia in "Dama y Obrero." The novela by Telemundo tells the story of Ignacia and Pedro who fail in love despite belonging to different social classes. Starring alongside Layevska is her frequent collaborator Jose Luis Resendez. The two actors have previously worked on two other telenovelas together, including "La Madrastra" for Televisa, and Layevska says that this working relationship has made the production run smoother.
"It's the third time I work with Jose Luis, and we know each other very well," she asserted before complimenting her colleague. "I think Jose Luis has grown as an actor. He is disciplined and he tries to be better himself every day. We try and have fun together on every scene and we take care of each other. I have nothing but good things to say."
Layevska also applauded her other cast members and noted that the chemistry is the result of the acting school they all share. "The cast is made up of a lot of Mexicans and it's very easy because we come from the same school. We have a lot of fun on set everyday," she added.
"Dama y Obrero" is based on the Chilean telenovela of the same name and was originally written by Jose Ignacio Valenzuela. While preparing for the role of Ignacia, Layevska admitted she was not interested in seeing the original story.
"No I don't like to get hooked. I like to be surprised. You have to go day by day because it gives you adrenline to continue working," she said.
She also admitted that she has not worked much with the writers because the new script written by Sandra Velasco is very similar to the original series.
"To tell you the truth, this telenovela was already made in Chile. The script we are working with is very faithful to the script by Chasca. The story is already written and there is no way to change many things. I also prefer not to know what will happen," she added before revealing that she wants to share the experience of the viewer and remain in the dark about the characters' eventual fates.
Regarding the role of Ignacia, Layevska admitted that her current character is very different from her personality.
"There are similarities between the two of us. But I like to distance the character from myself," she noted. "She is a hard worker and I can identify with those things. She is also a professional woman who cares about her career.
"However she is insecure. She is insecure about her feelings and she is not secure about falling love with Pedro. I understand her but I cannot identify with her."
While Ignacia has been a challenge for the actress, she revealed a few things that have made life easier for her on set.
"The wardrobe helps me a lot," she said. She also noted that she does not overthink the role too much and lives in the moment when in front of the cameras. "Sometimes it's as simple as listening to your colleagues. You're basically responding to stimuli. That's really what acting is all about. I try to be as natural as possible and I try never to overstretch the boundaries. It's playing and using your surroundings but never using your personality."
Layevska also made it clear that she never brings her character home with her and limits herself to playing Ignacia in the studio.
"I prefer to start by separating myself from the character. It can be tricky sometimes because we shoot everyday and all day. It's inevitable that some of the character traits will get stuck to you and vice versa. That's why I always like to put a fine line and say, this is Ignacia and once I get home, I am Ana."
Aside from the difficulties of creating her character, the thespian noted that production has featured some challenges for her physically. Since Ignacia works as the Omega Construction Engineer, there have been scenes shot on construction sites.
In a recent episode that aired a few weeks ago, Ignacia and Pedro get stuck inside an elevator. For the shoot, the actors had to film the scene in a very small crammed space.
"It was the most difficult scene so far," she admitted. "It was so difficult because we were in a small location. We were literally in an elevator and there just came a point where I couldn't be locked up in it."
However, there have been some fun scenes for Layevska. Production flew into Los Angeles for the first episode to shoot the scenes where Pedro and Ignacia first meet.
"When we went to Los Angeles, it was so spectacular," she marveled. "It was the scene where Pedro and Ignacia first meet at the beach. I am so greatful for that trip because while the shoot was tiring we had an incredible time. The scene where Ignacia falls, it was so much fun."
While Ignacia is Layevska's first lead role for Telemundo, it is certainly not her first novela for the network. Audiences can recognize her from "Relaciones Peligrosas" or for her villainous turns in "Mi Corazon Insiste" or "El Fantasma de Elena." Layevka does not mind the supporting roles or the villains. For her it is about finding something fresh and never repeating herself.
"I try to do different things. My main goal is to choose roles where I won't repeat myself or where I will not be doing the same role over and over. I try to do a villain, the best friend to the lead and then a lead. I try to vary it up because if I don't I will get bored," she stated before expressing a particulary affinity for playing villainous roles."Villains are exquisite and I have a lot of fun with them because they have the nerve to do things a normal person would never do. However, they are very tiring because they kill, scream and throw things. When I play a villain, I usually get home and sleep straight through the night. It's physically and emotionally draining."
How is it different from a playing a protagonist?
"A protagonist role is very different because they are inspirational. They leave you and the audience with illusions," she said. "They are such honest people who do things for love and most importantly they have principals. To do a lead role is so rewarding. But in general I love doing everything as long as I don't get bored or stuck."
While Layevska continues to work on the small screen, she plans on spreading her talents to the silver screen. She already had the opportunity to work alongside Salma Hayek and Edward James Olmos in "In Time for Butterflies" and even voiced the Spanish version to 2010's "Arriety." She revealed that she just finished a movie in Mexico.
"I just finished working on a movie about Cantinflas," she revealed. "My idea is to continue working in film."
While working on "Dama y Obrero," the actress revealed that she received four offers for movies but had to turn them down.
"While I was working on the novela, I got four film offers but I couldn't do them. Two of them were lead roles," she noted before optimistically adding, "But I am confident that more will come my way."
And perhaps the role will come soon. As aforementioned Layevska is Ukrianian and speaks four different languages. She admitted that she wants to work in her native tongue in either Ukraine or Russia and that there is a project currently in pre-production.
"I haven't worked in the Ukraine yet but a little while ago I was called about a film in the Ukraine. I hope it happens," she enthused.
Theater is also an option for the actress but she has her reservations. "I would love to do theater. But I am very picky when choosing theater. I just won't do anything," she noted.
One thing that Layevska was sure that she would not revisit one medium: reality TV. The thespian participated in the dance show "Bailando por un Sueno" in 2005 and admitted that she had a good time but would be unlikely to repeat the experience. "I think reality TV is an important part of the entertainment industry. I like to entertain but that is why I act," she revealed.
While Layveska is very busy with shooting schedule, the actress also makes sure that she relaxes on her time off.
"I travel a lot. I love to take lots of different classes such as cooking or photography. I also spend times with my friend and I go to the movies with my boyfriend. I love to go different places," she said.
"Dama y Obrero" is still in production and will mostly take a few more months. While Layevska was unable to reveal her next project she gave a sneak peak for the upcoming episodes of the series.
"Ignacia is a woman who is still discovering herself because she just found her first love. She decides to challenge everything and starts a relationship with Pedro," she revealed. "She is confronting her idea that love always wins and that there are no differences in social classes. However, she is going to eventually doubt herself and I don't know how long this romance will last. That's all I can really reveal."
"Dama y Obrero" airs at 8 PM weeknights on Telemundo.
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