Ask Mexican-born actor, producer, activist, and entrepreneur Kate del Castillo about her recent acting projects, and the list is hopping: Last year she appeared in the Spanish film Instintos (Instincts) directed by Sebastián Borensztein, filmed Trap House alongside Dave Bautista, and wrapped a run on FOX’s The Cleaning Lady. She's currently filming the highly anticipated season 4 of La Reina del Sur for Telemundo.
And that’s onscreen. Off camera she’s launched her own brand of tequila (Honor Del Castillo), created a line of hair growth gummies (K1 Hair Growth Gummies), was appointed ambassador for the Mexican Commission on Human Rights to help combat human trafficking, and is a spokesperson for PETA, and the list continues.
“I’ve had a couple of great years,” Del Castillo says.
While true, it’s also understated. One could argue this Latina legend has had some great decades.
An American Reinvention
When del Castillo came to the United States in 2003, she was already a household name in Mexico thanks to years of telenovela celebrity. But immigrating meant beginning again.
“When I got here, I started from zero,” she says. “It was hard, but it was also great to go and do an audition where no one is expecting anything from you. Failure wasn’t a word in my vocabulary, it was just more experience. It’s like another stripe on the tiger.”
Her breakout film, American Visa, marked a turning point and proved her mettle as an actress to stateside audiences. Soon after came Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna), a story about immigration that still has deep relevance today. And then in 2011, a career-defining role: Teresa Mendoza in La Reina del Sur.
Still, del Castillo longed to stretch higher—and grow deeper. After years of being offered stereotypical parts, she cofounded Cholawood Productions, a female-led production company focused on telling broader, more layered stories that feature strong women, especially Latina women.
“I wasn’t getting the roles that I wanted, and the ones that I got were always stereotyped,” she says. Tired of seeing Latino characters as drug traffickers or maids, del Castillo and her team wanted to provide a stage for characters with more complexity. Her aim isn’t to tell only Latino stories, but universal ones with diverse faces at the center.
“We want to make a difference in mainstream stories that everybody can relate to,” she says.
Life at the Half-Century Mark
For some actresses, turning 50 can feel like a crisis. Will the roles dry up? Are my best days behind me? Del Castillo admits these fears crept in at 40, but quickly faded. Now she says she’s getting the most interesting roles of her life. It’s not a surprise, given her personal beliefs about aging: older is better.
“I always wanted to be older,” says Del Castillo. “I always wanted to have the confidence and security about myself and my career that I feel I have now. I was timid before.”
She grew up in Mexico City surrounded by women who aged naturally and gracefully. Del Castillo says she idolized the generations before her, but also thought 50 seemed more than a lifetime away.
“When I was younger, 50-year-old women were amazing, but they were old, you know? But everything is changing now. I feel super young.”
More than that, she feels empowered and free.
“I don’t care what people think about me, like I used to,” she says. “It’s freedom. Total freedom.”
Healthy Habits That Energize
Years of doing her own stunts—feats like falling from motorcycles and horses—have taught her to listen to her body. She supports the stamina required of her on set with a fitness routine she’s followed for decades: A 15-minute workout, Monday through Friday, wherever she is filming.
“It’s only 15 minutes because I don’t stop,” she says. “I don’t look at my cell phone, I don’t rest, I don’t sit. I just keep going for 15 minutes and that’s it.”
Her workouts blend cardio, kickboxing, rowing, resistance bands, and light weights, and the goal isn’t just to get in shape, it’s to create a body that will last.
“When I am in my 70s and 80s, I want to be super healthy,” she says.
That desire also helps guide her in her preventative care. Del Castillo stays consistent with screenings—annual mammograms, Pap smears—and also focuses on daily habits that support long-term wellness. A self-proclaimed foodie, del Castillo says she avoids fried foods, heavy carbs, and most cheese during the week. She cooks at home and prefers clean, simple meals.
But she also believes in balance. Weekdays are for dialing it in, and on the weekends, she indulges.
“On Sunday, if I see it, I eat it,” she says.
After all, she’s a woman with an appetite—for life.
“I have so much energy and so many things that I still need to do and want to do,” she says. “I embrace every single decade in my life, and I really do think that it’s going to get better.”
