'Grand Hotel' star Shalim Ortiz calls his character Mateo 'mysterious', feels 'humbled' to be part of Eva Longoria's show
Eva Longoria's much-awaited television show 'Grand Hotel' promises unsolved mysteries, dramatic twists in the plot and sexy secrets of a Latino family who are shown to have picture-perfect lives. The show is an adaptation of the telenovela series 'Gran Hotel' created by Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira.
Shalim Ortiz, one of the main leads, is absolutely delighted to be a part of Longoria's 'Grand Hotel'. Ortiz plays Mateo in the series and in an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), the 'CSI: Miami' star shed more light on the show, his character and working alongside Longoria.
"It ('Grand Hotel) is a re-imagining of the original," Ortiz said. "This is a version based in the present time unlike the Spanish one and it has the Florida-Miami flair to it, so it's a nice combination of the DNA between the actual and the adapted version." Ortiz also added that the storyline was similar to the original tale and said it was a huge opportunity for him to be part of the series.
Talking about his character, "Mateo is the manager of the hotel," he explained. "You could say he's a mysterious person, an impeccably dressed guy, and is a man of few words. But he gets the job done and comes in when things get tense. Throughout the show, we will see that he is a very mature personality and is an important character in the storyline."
The 'Cold Case' actor also added it was an honor to be a part of the show. "It was a huge opportunity. I've known Eva for many years and had the chance to work with her. Very humbled to be a part of this," he remarked.
"I know the 'Grand Hotel' is a big deal to her...she calls it one of her babies and she's been there from the get-go. She's taken care of every single detail that had to do with the show." Longoria also directs the third episode and plays the hotel’s former owner, Beatriz Mendoza.
'Grand Hotel' also stars Demián Bichir, the Mexican actor as Santiago Mendoza, the owner of the Riviera Grand Hotel. Roselyn Sánchez, the Puerto Rican actress, plays Gigi, Santiago's second wife. As the couple and their children enjoy a blissful life, outrageous scandals, escalating debt and explosive secrets shake up their perfect lives.
The show also stars Denyse Tontz, Bryan Craig, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Lincoln Younes, Anne Winters, Chris Warren, Feliz Ramirez, and Justina Adorno.
'Grand Hotel' premieres June 17 on ABC.