This interview has been translated from Spanish and has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did Cristina “La Veneno” first key in your lives?
JAVIER CALVO:Cristina was an icon in the 90s; she was very well known in Spain.
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At one point, she completely disappeared from public life but returned to television for a few appearances.
She also started popping up on the internet, which is how the younger generations discovered her.
Cristina entered our lives during her earlier years, and we both admired her so much.
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Why did you choose to tell her story through Valeria’s eyes?
JC:We became good friends with Valeria, who wrote the book about Cristina.
When she celebrated its release, we attended and finally met Cristina.
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This event took place shortly before she died in 2016.
This is what intrigued us most, and we were excited to explore this other side of her.
We are talking about an era where that just wasnt common.
Just by her appearing on TV helped us develop into adults who felt seen, which was fundamental.
Once we were in the process of scriptwriting, the real Valeria told us her life story.
Viewers will fall in love with each of them through their mutual admiration for one another.
What message do you hope viewers take from the series?
JA:Its important that we give a voice to those who are rarely if ever given a platform.
Its important that we face these stories head on and listen intently with humanity and respect.
We hope to honor Cristina and to give her life the respect she deserves.
Which I dont believe has been done in a very long time.
People like Cristina have helped shine a light on a reality that people preferred to keep hidden.
What was Lola’s experience bringing Valeria to life?
JC:Lola is a 21-year-old actress who is trans and this is her first major role.
We worked very closely with hair and makeup and costuming to go on this journey with her.
This was a complicated journey for her because it caused her to confront her past.
She stepped into it bravely, truly, because this is such a sensitive stage for a trans woman.
And her performance in the series is such a gift.
What kind of research went into the series, outside of Valeria’s book?
She is playing herself!
Her input was invaluable.
While shooting, Paca told us it was like having her friend come back to life.
And that was thanks to her guidance along the way.
She kept us on our toes!
If the lines or the portrayal was not to her approval, she would let us know.
“No, she would not have said it like this,” she would correct us.
While Cristina was alive, Paca helped her embrace the spotlight and now she’s being celebrated too.
She’s become a huge star in Spain now, viewers really fell in love with her.
We are proud to be able to highlight what a beautiful and talented person she is.
We found so many other voices we’d like to lift up or to find justice for.
There are many more stories out there of trans women that need to be told.
They busted their asses so we could have the rights we have today.
It’s our dream to honor and celebrate them too.
I want them to find mirrors that reflect their reality.
And maybe our project can help inspire a better and more just world for them to feel safe in.
