Allende's 'Spirits' Soars in Spanish Adaptation

Alfonso Herrera discusses the profound impact of speaking his native Spanish in the new Amazon Prime Video adaptation of Isabel Allende's "The House of the Spirits." He notes that his therapist encouraged him to express deep emotions in Spanish, highlighting the powerful link between language and identity. This sentiment is central to the series, which is the first Spanish-language screen adaptation of the seminal 1982 novel. The series aims to offer a more authentic cultural and emotional connection than previous adaptations.

Filmed entirely in Chile, the series features Ibero American talent, a detail Herrera believes gives it a distinct DNA. The story is a multigenerational tale steeped in magical realism, set in an unnamed Latin American country resembling Chile throughout the 20th century. Herrera portrays Esteban, a determined landowner embodying patriarchal ideals and authoritarianism, which he relates to Latin American political systems rife with injustice and social polarization.

Herrera also detailed the demanding physical transformation for his role, which involved six-and-a-half-hour makeup sessions daily for prosthetics to age his character from 30 to death. He sees his career trajectory, from Latin American stardom with RBD to Hollywood roles in "Ozark" and "Sense8," as driven by a desire to work on compelling projects across Latin America and the U.S., not necessarily by chasing stardom.

The actor highlights the global reach of streaming services, enabling acclaimed books like "The House of the Spirits" to be adapted with lavish production values in their original language. He believes the novel's enduring relevance, evident in its consistent bestseller status worldwide, will ensure the Spanish-language series successfully crosses over into international markets.