''María Isabel'' () is a Mexican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

produced by

Carla Estrada Carla Estrada (born Carla Patricia Estrada Guitrón on March 11, 1956 in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) is a Mexican television producer, one of the foremost telenovela producers of Latin America. Biography In 2005, the Mexican government decided t ...

for

Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...

. It aired on Canal de las Estrellas from August 4, 1997 to February 6, 1998. ''María Isabel'', is one of the few telenovelas that focuses on the life of an

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

female protagonist and her community. The story was written by

Yolanda Vargas Dulché Yolanda Vargas Dulché de la Parra (; July 18, 1926 Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico– August 8, 1999 in Mexico City) was a Mexican writer principally known for the creation of the comic book character of Memín Pinguín and various telenovelas for ...

and adapted by

René Muñoz René Muñoz (February 19, 1938 – May 11, 2000) was a Cuban actor and screenwriter of telenovelas and the cinema of Mexico. He is most remembered for his role in the Spanish film ''Fray Escoba''. Biography He was born in Havana, Cuba but ...

. The series stars

Adela Noriega Adela Amalia Noriega Méndez (; born October 24, 1969), professionally known as Adela Noriega, is a Mexican retired actress. She came to prominence after starring in many teen-oriented coming-of-age telenovelas produced by Televisa, including '' ...

Fernando Carrillo Fernando Enrique Carrillo Roselli (born January 6, 1970, in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan actor, model and singer. Biography Fernando Enrique Carrillo Roselli was born on January 6, 1970, in Caracas, Venezuela. He was most ...

Lorena Herrera Celia Lorena Herrera de la Vega (born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico), known professionally as Lorena Herrera, is a Mexican singer and actress. Biography Lorena moved with her family to Mexico City, where she began a career as a fashion model ...

and Rafael Rojas.

Plot

María Isabel is a beautiful, kind-hearted young woman of

descent, faced with the responsibility of raising Rosa Isela, the orphaned daughter of her only true friend who has died. She finds employment at the home of Ricardo Mendiola, a wealthy widower, and his young daughter, Gloria. Ricardo's kindness and decency cause Maria Isabel to fall in love with him, though she keeps it a secret for many years. Gloria, however, influences Rosa Isela to feel ashamed of her "Indian" mother; the ungrateful child abandons Maria Isabel to live with her wealthy grandfather, without even a word of thanks. At last Ricardo, realizing that he is in love with her, asks Maria Isabel to be his wife. But their bliss is short-lived, and the couple will have many challenges ahead before they can find the happiness they have struggled all their lives to achieve.

Cast

as María Isabel Sanchez *

as Ricardo Mendiola Zúñiga *

as Lucrecia Fontaner Hernández * Rafael Rojas as Rigoberto *Jorge Vargas as Don Félix Pereyra *

Patricia Reyes Spíndola Patricia Verónica Núñez Reyes Spíndola (born 11 July 1953) is a Mexican actress, director, and producer. She has received four Ariel Awards, two for Best Actress ('' Los Motivos de Luz'' in 1985 and ''The Queen of the Night'' in 1994), and ...

as Manuela Rojas López *

Lilia Aragón Lilia Aragón (born Lilia Isabel Aragón del Rivero, 22 September 1938 – 2 August 2021) was a Mexican film, television, and stage actress and politician. She was the Secretary of the National Association of Actors. She also served as Deputy ...

as Rosaura Méndez Larrea *

Mónica Miguel Mónica Miguel (born Gloria Chávez Miguel; 13 March 1936 – 12 August 2020) was a Mexican actress, director, and singer. Career Passionate about the arts and especially the theater, she would attend the occasional stage plays that came to Te ...

as Chona *

José Carlos Ruiz José Carlos Ruiz (born 17 November 1936) is a Mexican film and television actor. He starred in telenovelas such as ''María Isabel'', '' Soñadoras'', '' Mariana de la noche'', '' Sortilegio'', '' Soy Tu Dueña'', '' Un Refugio para el Amor'', ...

as Pedro *Alejandro Aragón as Leobardo Rangel *

Raúl Araiza Raúl Araiza (; born Raúl Araiza Herrera on 14 November 1964) is a Mexican actor and television presenter. He studied drama in the Centro de Educación Artística of Televisa. Filmography Awards and nominations References External ...

as Andrés *

Emoé de la Parra Emoé de la Parra (born Emoé de la Parra Vargas on June 16, 1951 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican actress and academic, daughter of Mexican writer Yolanda Vargas Dulché. Most of her acting work has been in the theater but she is better kn ...

as Déborah Serrano *Juan Felipe Preciado as Rómulo Altamirano *Rodrigo Vidal as Gilberto *

Roberto Ballesteros Roberto Ballesteros (born March 22, 1954) is a Peruvian actor. Although he was born in Lima, Peru, Ballesteros is widely known for his work in Mexican telenovela and films, leading many of his fans to believe that he is actually Mexican. In the U ...

as Armando Noguera *

Jorge Salinas Jorge Salinas (born July 27, 1968) is a Mexican television and film actor, best known for his leading roles in telenovelas. Career Salinas then enrolled at Centro de Educación Artística (CEA) in 1990 and after finishing his studies, he recei ...

as Rubén *Polo Ortín as Ministerio Vilchis *Guillermo Aguilar as Dr. Rivas *Isabel Martínez "La Tarabilla" as Chole *Javier Herranz as José Luis *Angelina Peláez as Micaela * Ilse as Graciela Pereyra *Charlie as Nicolás *

Susana González Susana González (; born Susana Alejandra González del Río on October 2, 1973 in Calera de Víctor Rosales, Zacatecas, Mexico) is a Mexican actress and model. Biography González was born October 2, 1973 in Calera de Víctor Rosales, Zacat ...

as Elisa de Mendiola *

Valentino Lanús Valentino Lanús (born May 3, 1975, in Mexico City) is a Mexican actor. Biography Valentino's parents are Margarita and Luis Alberto. Valentino is the second of four siblings, and is also the only male. He began his career as a model, and la ...

as Antonio Altamirano *

Sabine Moussier Sabine Moussier (; born Diana Sabine Moussier August 23, 1966 in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany) is a German-Mexican actress who is best known for her villainous roles in Televisa's telenovelas, such as '' El privilegio de amar'' ...

as Mireya Serrano *Omar Alexander as Anselmo *Ángeles Balvanera as Panchita *Eduardo Benfato as Filiberto *Paty Bolaños as Abundia de Altamirano *

Marcelo Buquet Héctor Marcelo Buquet Corleto (born October 4, 1963 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a Uruguayan actor and former model. Biography At the age of 18 Buquet joined a theater company in his native Uruguay called '' El Galpón del Uruguay'' where he parti ...

as Cristóbal *Julio Monterde as Dr. Carmona *Fátima Torre as Maria Isabel (child) *Naydelin Navarrete as Graciela Pereyra (child)/Rosa Isela (10 years old) *Ximena Sariñana as Rosa Isela (13 years old) *Paola Otero as Gloria Mendiola *

Violeta Isfel Violeta Isfel (born Violeta Isfel Garma García on June 11, 1985 in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico), is a Mexican actress, singer and model. She played Antonella in the telenovela '' Atrévete a soñar'', and has performed in further telenovelas such ...

as Gloria Mendiola (10 years old) *Andrea Lagunes as Gloria Mediola (6 years old) *Natalia Juárez as Rosa Isela (baby) *

Ana Luisa Peluffo Ana Luisa Peluffo (born 9 October 1929) is a Mexican actress. She has appeared in more than 200 films and television shows since 1949. She starred in the 1977 film '' Paper Flowers'', which was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film F ...

as Iris *Enrique Rojo as Andrés *Bertha Moss as Eugenia *

Yadhira Carrillo Yadhira Carrillo Villalobos (born May 12, 1973) is a Mexican actress, model and beauty queen. Early career Yadhira Carrillo was chosen Nuestra Belleza Aguascalientes Mexicana Universal Aguascalientes (until 2016 called Nuestra Belleza Aguasca ...

as Josefina *

Sergio Basañez Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass * ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film * ''Se ...

as Gabriel *

Abraham Ramos Abraham Ramos (born 13 February 1974 in Mexico City) is a Mexican actor who has appeared in many telenovelas and television series. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico. Career Abraham is the youngest of the four siblings. His first role was ...

as Ramón *Aurora Clavel as Amargura * Guillermo Rivas as Father Salvador *Patricia Martínez as Matilde *Tania Vázquez as Sonia *Carlos López Estrada as Pedrito *

Magda Guzmán María Magdalena Guzmán Garza (16 May 1931 – 12 March 2015), better known as Magda Guzmán, was a Mexican film and television actress. She died of a myocardial infarction. Filmography Films Television Archive footage Awards ...

as Director *Andrea Torre as Gloria's friend *

Ernesto Laguardia Ernesto Laguardia (; born October 5, 1959) is a Mexican actor known for his performances in Mexican telenovelas. Biography Laguardia was born in Mexico City and started as a model while he was in elementary school. His enthusiasm eventually led ...

as Luis Torres

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
''María Isabel''
at

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

*
María Isabel
' at univision.com (in Spanish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Isabel (1997 telenovela) 1997 telenovelas Female characters in comics Mexican comics adapted into films Mexican comics titles 1997 Mexican television series debuts 1998 Mexican television series endings Spanish-language telenovelas Television shows set in Mexico City Televisa telenovelas Television shows based on comics