La Fea Más Bella ran from 2006 to 2007 and remains an incredibly popular Mexican telenovela thanks to its colorful cast of characters like Lety (Angélica Vale), Fernando (Jaime Camil), and Alicia (Patricia Navidad). Titled “The Most Beautiful Ugly Girl” in English, La Fea Más Bella continues to have a strong following, and had the most-watched soap opera finale in the history of Mexican TV. The show was loosely based on Columbian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, la fea - the same show that inspired Ugly Betty, and the two have a similar premise.

The cast of La Fea Más Bella have all gone on to star in other shows, and it can be considered a career highlight for many of them - and many were already established stars prior to appearing on the show too. The likes of Vale, Camil, Navidad, and many other stars of La Fea Más Bella like Elizabeth Álvarez, the late José José, and Sergio Mayer can all count the telenovela as one of their most noteworthy appearances. This has, of course, led many to wonder where else they can see the cast of La Fea Más Bella.

Angélica Vale

Played Lety In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: La Fea Más Bella star Angélica Vale already had a budding career as an actor and singer prior to taking on the lead role of Lety. Her first role came in 1979’s La Guerra Do Los Pasteles, though this movie appearance was uncredited. She also voiced Ellie in the Spanish dubs of the Ice Age movies, and Mama Imelda in the Spanish language version of Coco. She has plenty of experience in telenovelas too, including playing Valantina in 2017’s La Fan.

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Character: Leticia Padilla Soli de Mondiola, or Lety as she’s known to most of the other characters and fans of La Fea Más Bella is the titular “ugly girl” of the show (though, much like the Ugly Betty, this label doesn’t feel exactly accurate). She finds herself in a love triangle with Fernando and Aldo, and has several makeovers, one of which has her adopting the persona of socialite Aurora Mayer De Salinas. By the end of the show, she comes to value her self-worth, leading to both romantic and professional success at Conceptos, the company she starts working for at the start of the show.

Jaime Camil

Played Fernando In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: Being professionally active since 1993, Jaime Camil has an extensive career beyond playing Fernando in La Fea Más Bella. He began his career in entertainment as a radio host, with his first acting role being in the 1997-1998 telenovela Mirada de Mujer, in which he played Antonio. In recent years he’s appeared in several English language shows, including playing Doc Lopez in Schmigadoon and voicing Jorge Chavez in BoJack Horseman.

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Character: Jamie Camil’s Fernando Mendiola Saénz is presented as something of a playboy when La Fea Más Bella begins, despite being engaged to Marcia. He eventually develops feelings for Lety, though goes about expressing them in incredibly jealous ways (though this doesn’t prevent her from winning her heart). Crucially, he’s incredibly important for Lety’s professional success as Conceptos.

Elizabeth Álvarez

Played Marcia In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: La Fea Más Bella are more than familiar territory for cast member Elizabeth Álvarez, as she has appeared in many throughout her career. Her first recurring role was in 2001s Amigas y rivales, and following La Fea Más Bella she went on to appear as a main cast member in the likes of Fuego En La Sangre, Amorcito Corazon, and, most recently, Nadie como tú in 2023.

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Character: Marcia Villarroel Drummond is the fiance of Fernando in La Fea Más Bella, which means that she ends up becoming a love rival of Angélica Vale’s Lety. While she spends most of the show positioned as an antagonist, Marcia eventually comes to reconcile her dislike of Lety, especially after she ends her engagement to Fernando and meets a new partner online.

Patricia Navidad

Played Alicia In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: Patricia Navidad, like many of the La Fea Más Bella cast, is an accomplished singer as well as actor. Her screen debut came in the 1992 telenovela Maria Mercedes, in which she played Iris. She appeared in multiple telenovelas both before and after La Fea Más Bella, including 2005’s Sueños y caramelos and, most recently, 2018’s Por amar sin ley.

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Character: Alicia often plays something of a comic relief role in La Fea Más Bella, as she’s shallow, blunt, and overly egotistical about her physical appearance (all qualities that make her the exact opposite of Lety in many ways). However, like Marcia, Alicia ends up redeeming herself somewhat by the end of the story, especially after she marries Tomas (and returns money she’d stolen from Conceptos).

José José

Played Don Erasmo In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: The late José José ed away in 2019, and was arguably the most well-known member of the La Fea Más Bella cast when he appeared in the show. Known predominantly for his singing ability, José José was also known as El Príncipe de la Canción (The Prince of Song in English), and is still regarded by many as one of the greatest Spanish language pop artists who ever lived. He didn’t have many acting roles outside of La Fea Más Bella, but appeared in several films, including 1972’s Un sueño de amor and 2006’s Double Tap.

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Character: Don Erasmo Padilla García is Lety’s strict and overbearing father in La Fea Más Bella. He’s incredibly driven by his morals, and doesn’t like change - especially when it comes to plot developments like Lety no longer dating Tomas, or that Lety herself needs to be recognized as a young woman and not, as he sees her, his little girl.

Angélica María

Played Doña Julieta In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: Much like the late José José, Angélica María already had a long and highly celebrated career prior to ing the cast of La Fea Más Bella. Born in 1944, Angélica María is an icon of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema in the 1950s, appearing in classics like Mi esposa y la otra, Pecado, and Una mujer decente. She was also one of the first telenovela stars thanks to her roles in genre pioneers like 1960’s Cartas de amor.

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Character: The wife of Don Erasmo, Angélica María’s Doña Julieta Solis de Padilla is often the voice of reason for Lety in La Fea Más Bella. She’s incredibly ive of her daughter’s choices and only ever wants what's best for her - even when Lety herself doesn’t know what path to take. This leads to Doña Julieta being integral to Fernando’s attempts to win Lety back when Lety and Aldo are planning to marry.

Sergio Mayer

Played Luigi In La Fea Más Bella

Actor: Sergio Mayer has one of the most interesting careers of all the La Fea Más Bella cast . Outside of acting, he is incredibly involved in politics, and even served as a federal deputy from 2018-2021. When it comes to his on-screen career, he got his start in telenovelas like 1996’s Confidente de secundaria and 2001’s Como en el cine. His last acting role with as Edmundo in the 2014-2016 drama Como dice el dicho.

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Character: Luigi is, in many ways, the La Fea Más Bella equivalent of Michael Urie’s Ugly Betty. A gay fashion designer, Luigi is incredibly obsessed with image and gives Lety several makeovers throughout the show. He has an unrequited crush on Aldo, though romance isn’t central to Luigi as a character. Instead, Luigi has one of the most heartwarming narrative arcs in the show that sees him reconcile with his estranged parents.

La Fea Más Bella ing And Recurring Cast

The Ensemble Cast Of The Hit Telenovlea Has Many Memorable Minor Roles

• Juan Soler as Aldo Domenzain: Aldo is the man that Lety almost ends up with before realizing Fernando is her true love. Actor Juan Soler is one of several telenovela veterans among the La Fea Más Bella cast, starting his career in 1993’s Bajo un mismo rostro before becoming a main cast member in 1996’s Cañaveral de pasiones.
• Luis Manuel Ávila as Tomas Mora Gutierrez: Tomas is Lety’s friend at the start of the show, and has an unrequited crush on her. However, he later ends up with Alicia. He is played by singer and actor Luis Manuel Ávila, who is also most known for playing Junior P. Luche in La Familia P. Luche.
• Nora Salinas As Carolina Angeles de Carvajal: Carolina is one of Lety’s workplace friends as Conceptos, and helps her out several times when Lety finds herself in a professional crisis. Nora Salinas plays Carolina, and outside of La Fea Más Bella she is also known for her work as a model and for starring in shows and movies like 2005’s Cicatrices.
• Agustin Arana As Omar Carvajal: Omar is Fernando’s best friend, and nothing short of a chauvinist (though his attitudes change somewhat when he falls for Carolina). Actor Agustín Arana portrays him in La Fea Más Bella, one of several ing roles he’s taken up in telenovelas.
• Carlos Bracho As Don Humberto Mendiola: Fernando’s father, Don Humberto, is the founder of Conceptos - though he causes no shortage of problems for Lety. He’s played by Carlos Bracho, who has a career stretching back decades, making his TV debut in 1966’s El patio de Tlaquepaque.
• Raquel Garza as Sara Patino: One of several of “The Ugly Club” at Conceptos, Sara’s height is often mocked by her image-obsessed coworkers. She’s played by comedian Raquel Garza, whose acting career mainly consists of similar ing roles.
• Luz María Aguilar as Irma Ramirez: An older woman and member of “The Ugly Club” alongside Lety, Irma works directly for Luigi and doesn’t have time for gossip and nonsense. Actor Luz María Aguilar already had an established career prior to playing Irma, being an active screen presence since 1954.
• Gloria Izaguirre As Juana Valdez: A janitor who is also part of “The Ugly Club”, Juana is easygoing and has a mild obsession with subjects like tarot cards, psychics, and crystal balls. Prior to ing the cast of La Fea Más Bella to play Juana, actor Gloria Izaguirre had appeared in multiple telenovelas, sketch shows, and sitcoms.