William Levy (actor)
William Gutiérrez-Levy (born August 29, 1980)[1] is a Cuban-American actor and former model.
William Levy | |
|---|---|
Levy in 2015 | |
| Born | August 29, 1980 |
| Citizenship |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Partner | Elizabeth Gutiérrez (2003–2022) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education edit
Levy was born in Cojimar, Cuba.[1] His maternal grandfather was Jewish (the origin of his surname, Levy),[2][3][4][5] although he grew up in a non-religious household.[6] He was raised by his single mother, Barbara[7] Levy. His family, including his brother Jonathan Gutierrez Levy and sister Barbara Gutierrez Levy, emigrated to Miami, Florida when he was 14. He attended Barbara Goleman Senior high school, located in the suburb of Miami Lakes. After attending high school, he studied business administration on a baseball scholarship at St. Thomas University for two years. He later went to Los Angeles to study acting, and continued his acting studies in Miami and Mexico City.[8][9]
Career edit
Levy worked as a model for the Next Models agency, and was featured in two reality shows broadcast by Telemundo: Isla de la Tentación and Protagonistas de Novela 2.[10] In 2005 he performed at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan, Puerto Rico, starring in the play La Nena Tiene Tumbao.
His debut on the Spanish-language channel Univision was in the Venevision International production of Olvidarte Jamás. He later appeared in Mi Vida Eres Tu and Acorralada. In 2008, he appeared in his first film, Retazos de Vida, directed by Viviana Cordero. He was invited by television producer Carla Estrada to star in Pasión, his breakthrough in Mexican telenovelas. Televisa cast him as the lead in Cuidado con el Angel with actress and ex-RBD singer Maite Perroni.[11] The show was first broadcast in Mexico in June 2008, and began airing in the United States in September 2008 on Univision. It averaged 5 million viewers per evening.[12]
Levy starred alongside Jacqueline Bracamontes on Sortilegio in 2009[13] Sortilegio aired on Univision, and the finale drew 6.6 million viewers, beating ABC and CBS for viewers in that time slot.[14] In November 2009, the actor lent his voice to the Spanish version of the animated movie Planet 51.[15] The movie opened on November 27 in Mexico and won an award for best animated Spanish-language film of 2009 (Premios Goya).[16] From November 2009 to February 2010, Levy toured several Mexican cities with the play Un Amante a la Medida,[17] which toured in the United States in June 2010.
Levy participated in the Mexican telenovela Triunfo del Amor, a remake of the Venezuelan classic Cristal, again with Maite Perroni. The telenovela aired on October 25, 2010, in El Canal de las Estrellas. Pedro Torres, executive producer of Mujeres Asesinas, confirmed Levy's role in the third season of the popular Mexican series. Levy starred as Jennifer Lopez's love interest in the music video "I'm Into You", from her album Love?. It aired on NBC's Today on May 2, 2011.[18][19] Levy appeared on the cover of People en Español for its special issue on the sexiest men of the year for 2011.[20]
In January 2012, it was announced that Levy would appear in two episodes of the VH1 television series Single Ladies, with Denise Vasi.[21] He was a participant in the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars, with two-time mirror ball champion Cheryl Burke as his dance-pro partner; they finished in third place.[22][23] In December 2012 Levy was cast as Captain Damian Fabre for the remake of La Tormenta titled La Tempestad which aired in 2013. Levy starred in Addicted an erotic drama based on the novel of the same name by Zane.[24] Variety named Levy one of the Top 10 Latino Actors and Actresses in Hollywood.[25]
Levy co-starred in Tyler Perry's film The Single Moms Club (2014).[26] Levy was cast in the lead role as Warrior in the Brent Ryan Green film The Veil (2017).[27] In 2018, he began his role as Mateo Ferrera in the Fox musical drama series Star.[28]
Personal life edit
Levy is a naturalized United States citizen.[29] He has been in an on-off relationship with Mexican-American actress Elizabeth Gutiérrez since 2003, and they have two children together, a son, Christopher Alexander, in 2006, and a daughter, Kailey Alexandra, on March 6, 2010.[30][31] On July 11, 2009, Levy converted to Catholicism.[6][32][33]
Name change edit
He was born as William Gutiérrez Levy. He got the idea for his name change from a friend of his parents who tried helping the family get out of Cuba while William's mother was still pregnant, as he told Entertainment Tonight. Levy is his mother's Jewish last name.[34]
Nude photos edit
In May 2012, while competing on Dancing with the Stars, nude photos of Levy leaked. Levy responded by saying "I'm used to that already. [The photos] have been out already all over the world. I was a model when I did these things, so as a model there's nothing wrong [with] doing those kind[s] of things. You gotta work. You gotta make money".[35]
Activism edit
Levy is a philanthropist and donates his time to fix houses for low-income families in Mexico as part of the "Alianzas que Construyen" Televisa Foundation.[citation needed]
Dancing with the Stars performances edit
Levy was announced to be a contestant on ABC's Dancing With The Stars partnering with two-time champion Cheryl Burke for season 14.
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "International Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep/ "Nice Work If You Can Get It" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Salsa/ "La Vida es un Carnaval" | 9 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive/ "We're Not Gonna Take It" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Argentine Tango/ "Buttons" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Rumba/ "Being with You" Motown Marathon | 9 Awarded | 9 9 | 9 Points | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz/ "Ave Maria" Team Paso Doble/ "O Fortuna" | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Foxtrot/ "Stray Cat Strut" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge)/ "Diablo Rojo" | 10 9 | 10 9 | 10 9 | Safe |
| 9 Semi-finals | Tango/ "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Samba/ "Magalenha" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Raise Your Glass" Freestyle/ "Objection (Tango)" Salsa (24-hour Challenge)/ Juventud de Presente | 10 10 10 | 10 9 10 | 10 10 10 | Third Place |
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Retazos de Vida | Thiago | All eyes on me |
| 2009 | Planet 51 | Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker | Voice role |
| 2014 | The Single Moms Club | Manny | |
| 2014 | Addicted | Quinton Canosa | |
| 2016 | Term Life | Alejandro | |
| 2016 | Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | Christian | |
| 2017 | A Change of Heart | Carlos | |
| 2017 | The Veil | Warrior | |
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Himself | Cameo |
| 2017 | Cinderelo | Brando | |
| 2018 | El fantasma de mi novia[36] | Chepa | |
| 2019 | En Brazos de un Asesino (Killing Sarai) | Victor Faust | Main role |
| 2021 | South Beach Love | Tony Sanchez |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Mi vida eres tú | Federico | |
| 2006 | Olvidarte jamás | Germán Torre | |
| 2007 | Acorralada | Larry Irázabal | 187 episodes |
| 2007 | Pasión | Vasco Darién | |
| 2008 | Plaza Sésamo | Himself | Episode: "El problemón" |
| 2008–2009 | Cuidado con el ángel | Juan Miguel San Román Bustos / Pablo Cisneros | 194 episodes |
| 2009 | Sortilegio | Alejandro Lombardo | 90 episodes |
| 2010 | Mujeres asesinas | Fonsi / Conde Alfonso de Jesús Ruiz Machado y Ortigoza | Episode: "Annette y Ana, Nobles" |
| 2010-2011 | Triunfo del amor | Maximiliano Sandoval | 172 episodes |
| 2012 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself | Contestant |
| 2012 | Single Ladies | Antonio | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | La Tempestad | Damián Fabré | 122 episodes |
| 2014 | Miss Universe 2014 | Judge | TV special |
| 2018-2019 | Star | Matteo Ferrera | Main role |
| 2021 | Café con aroma de mujer | Sebastián Vallejo | Main role |
| 2023 | Montecristo[37] | Alejandro Montecristo | Main role Also producer |
| 2023 | Vuelve a mí[38] | Santiago Zepeda | Main role |
| Year | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Jennifer Lopez | "I'm Into You"[39] |
Theater edit
- Un amante a la medida (2009–10)
Awards and nominations edit
Premios Bravo edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Newcomer[40] | Pasión | Won |
| 2010 | Best Actor[41] | Sortilegio | Won |
Premios Juventud edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | It's great![42] | Cuidado con el ángel | Won |
| 2010 | It's great![43] | Sortilegio | Won |
| 2011 | It's great![44] | Triunfo del amor | Won |
| 2014 | It's great![45] | La Tempestad | Won |
Premios TVyNovelas edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Best Actor[46] | Sortilegio | Nominated |
Califa de oro edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Best Actor[47] | Triunfo del amor | Won |
Premios Casandra edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Revelation Image[48] | Triunfo del amor | Won |
People en Español edit
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Best Couple (with Maite Perroni)[49] | Cuidado con el ángel | Nominated |
| Mejor actor[49] | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Best Actor[50] | Sortilegio | Nominated |
| Best Couple (with Jacqueline Bracamontes)[50] | Nominated | ||
| The best dress of the year[50] | William Levy | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Best Couple (with Maite Perroni)[51] | Triunfo del amor | Won |
| Best Actor[51] | Nominated | ||
| The best dress of the year[51] | William Levy | Nominated | |
| 2012 | King ofTwitter[52] | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Best Actor[53] | La Tempestad | Nominated |
| Best Couple (with Ximena Navarrete)[53] | Nominated | ||
| The sexiest Twitter[53] | William Levy | Nominated | |
| William Levy, piloto de avión[53] | Nominated |
Lists edit
- 2011: He appeared in People en Español's list of the 50 handsomest men.[20]
- 2009: People en Español named him as one of "Los 25 hombres más guapos".[54]
- 2009: People en Español named him as one of "Los 50 más bellos".[55]
- 2008: Quién named him as one of "Los 12 hombres más sexys".[56]
- 2008: People en Español named him as one of "Los 50 más bellos".[57]
- 2006: People en Español named him as one of "Los 20 solteros más sexys".[58]
- 2006: People en Español named him as one of "Los 20 solteros más sexys".[59]
References edit
- ^ a b "William Levy biography" (in Spanish). Esmas.
- ^ Starr, Michael (March 28, 2012). "Nobody doesn't like William Levy". New York Post. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (March 20, 2012). "Interfaith Celebrities: Dancing and More Witch Ancestry". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ "William Levy". www.oem.com.mx (in Spanish). Organizacion Editorial Mexicana.
- ^ Shira, Dahvi (February 28, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars Cast: William Levy - 5 Things". People.com. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ a b "Religious Backgrounds of Latino & Latina Hollywood Celebrities". www.latina.com. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ "William Levy Talks Fleeing Cuba, Finding Instant Fame & 'Dancing With The Stars'". Starpulse.com. April 15, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ^ . www.so.com.mx (in Spanish). Revista SO. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009.
- ^ "William Levy". www.reinarojas.com (in Spanish). Reina Rojas.
- ^ Protagonistas de novela 2 March 2009.
- ^ "esmas.com". .esmas.com. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "EW on the set of CCEA". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "esmas.com". .esmas.com. March 12, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "bythenumbers". Tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ El Universal "William Levy incursiona en el doblaje en la cinta Planet 51" - October 2009
- ^ "El Mundo, España". Elmundo.es. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ People en español "William Levy en Un amante a la medida" - October 2009
- ^ "Jennifer López, muy sensual junto al nuevo galán de su videoclip, el modelo cubano William Levy". ¡Hola!. April 19, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
- ^ "Jennifer Lopez Premieres 'I'm Into You'". Gossip Cop. May 2, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "William Levy tops People en Español list of sexiest men". Fox News. August 25, 2011.
- ^ Rivera, Adriana (January 4, 2012). "William Levy to Guest Star on 'Single Ladies'". Latina. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ "Meet the Season 15 cast of Dancing with the Stars | ABC TV Show News, Cast, Photos & More – ABC.com". Abc.go.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ^ "'Dancing with the Stars' crowns Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd new champs". Reality TV World. May 23, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ^ Kit, Borys (November 2, 2012). "Erotic Drama 'Addicted' Rounds Out Cast". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Top 10 Latino Actors and Actresses". Variety. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ "Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club Trailer, News, Videos, and Reviews". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The Veil to star William Levy". Screen International. December 5, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "'Star': William Levy Joins Fox Drama As New Series Regular In season 3". Deadline. August 17, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "Thalía y otras celebs latinas con nacionalidad estadounidense". hola.com (in Spanish). January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Elizabeth Gutierrez sorprende a William Levy en su cumpleaños" (in Spanish). TVyNovelas. August 29, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "William Levy y Elizabeth Gutiérrez por primera vez en familia". People en Español. March 2, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
- ^ "William Levy convertes to Catholicism". People en Español (in Spanish). July 14, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
William Levy se convirtió a la religión católica
- ^ Notimex, Domingo (July 12, 2009). "William Levy was baptized and confirmed" (in Spanish). Quién.com. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
William Levy fue bautizado y confirmado
- ^ VOXXI (June 13, 2013). "7 Things You Didn't Know About William Levy". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ^ Pace, Robert (March 26, 2012). "William Levy Responds to Nude Photos Resurfacing". ET Online. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ Mabry, Alexander. "William Levy y Carmen Villalobos: detrás de cámaras de El fantasma de mi novia". peopleenespanol.com (in Spanish). People en Español. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (January 24, 2023). "William Levy Plays Montecristo in First Look at ViX+'s Modern Retelling of Alexandre Dumas Classic (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Martínez, Pilar (May 25, 2023). "Las primeras imágenes de la nueva serie de William Levy". Diez Minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Chestang, Raphael (July 19, 2011). "Jennifer Lopez's Rumored Lover William Levy Accused in Underage Sex Scandal". ET Online. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ El Porvenir "William Levy gana el premio Bravo como actor revelación por su papel en telenovela Pasión"
- ^ OEM "Gran fiesta de los premios Bravo -William Levy premiado"
- ^ Univision Ganadores de Premio Juventud 2009
- ^ TVyEspectáculos "William Levy ganador Premio Juventud al más galán
- ^ Ganadores Premios Juventud 2011
- ^ "Lista completa de nominados Premios Juventud 2014" (in Spanish). May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ^ TVyEspectáculos "William Levy nominado al premio TV&Novelas como Mejor actor"
- ^ El Universal "William Levy recibirá el Califa de Oro"
- ^ DelaZonaOriental.net "El actor William Levy será galardonado con un Casandra Internacional." June 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b People en Español "William Levy nominado al People en Español como Mejor actor"
- ^ a b c People en Español. "Estrellas del Año 2010".
- ^ a b c La revista People en Español galardona a la "Mejor pareja del año" junto a su compañera Maite Perroni por Triunfo del amor
- ^ "Lista de ganadores a los premios People en español 2012". Starmedia. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
- ^ a b c d People en Español. "Estrellas del Año 2013".
- ^ Revista People en español "William Levy uno de los 25 hombres más guapos" - August 2009
- ^ People en Español May 2009.
- ^ Quién November 2008.
- ^ People en Español January 2009.
- ^ People en Español January 2009.
- ^ People en Español January 2009.