Silvio Horta (August 14, 1974 – January 7, 2020) was an American screenwriter and television producer widely noted for adapting the hit Colombian

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'' ...

Yo soy Betty, la fea ''Yo soy Betty, la fea'' (English: I am Betty, the Ugly one), often referred to simply as ''Betty, la fea'', is a Colombian telenovela written by Fernando Gaitán which was broadcast from 25 October 1999 to 8 May 2001 by RCN. More than a dozen ...

'' into the ABC series ''

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...

''. Horta served as head writer and executive producer on the series.

Background and death

Horta, a first-generation

Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or ...

, was born and raised in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. He was a popular performer and playwright in high school, attending both International Baccalaureate Theater, and Experimental Theater programs at Coral Gables Senior in Miami. After graduating in 1992, he attended the

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, majoring in film. Horta was openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, coming out to his family at 19. He was found dead in a Miami hotel room on January 7, 2020. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 45 years old.

Career

Horta penned many as yet unproduced screenplays including "Even Exchange" and "The Furies" (with ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

'' creator Ryan Murphy). Prior to ''

'', Horta wrote the screenplay for the 1998 teen satirical hit slasher film ''

Urban Legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

'' and he can be heard on the DVD commentary. Before ''Legend'', he was working as a perfume spritzer. Horta was also creator of two short lived sci-fi television shows '' Jake 2.0'', which starred Christopher Gorham, who would later join the cast of ''Ugly Betty'', and '' The Chronicle''. In 2007, he accepted the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series ''Ugly Betty'', stating, "Like most of us up here, Betty is an immigrant and The American Dream is alive and well and in reach of anybody who wants it". Horta started the production company "Silent H Productions", named as a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of the common mispronunciation of the silent H in Horta's last name. In 2011, his production company signed a deal with Sony.

Filmography

Crew

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Horta, Silvio 1974 births 2020 deaths 2020 suicides American television producers American television writers American writers of Cuban descent American gay writers LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people LGBT people from Florida LGBT producers LGBT screenwriters American male television writers Screenwriters from Florida Showrunners Suicides by firearm in Florida Tisch School of the Arts alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners Writers from Miami