Gala Montes

Filming as a Playground

Gala Montes first stepped onto a television set when she was only six years old. It wasn't a deliberate decision or a long-term life plan, but her mother saw something in her during the casting for the Mexican version of La Niñera in 2006. That role as Elenita marked the start of a routine of scripts and studio lights that never stopped.

Unlike other child actors who fade away as they reach their teens, she kept taking on projects nonstop. In 2007, she appeared in the feature film Day and Night, and shortly after in I Just Want to Walk. She worked with directors who wanted a childlike presence that felt natural rather than forced or overly sweet.

The public watched her grow up on screen.

In 2015, her career took a different turn when she joined Telemundo's cast of El Señor de los Cielos. Playing Luzma Casillas meant tackling storylines far darker and more adult than the youth market usually allows. That character brought her international visibility that crossed the borders of Mexico and put her on the map of major Spanish-language productions.

Breaking the Child Star Mold

Making the leap to professional maturity wasn't easy, though. In 2018, she decided to step away from the series that had made her famous over disagreements about the direction her character would take in season seven. It was a risky move, since it meant turning down a sure thing at a time when streaming platforms were expanding rapidly.

Music was never a whim.

During that time, she explored her career as a singer and in 2018 released her first single, titled Si te has perdido. She didn't just want to get airplay; she wanted creative control over what the song was about. In 2020 she wrote the main theme for the telenovela La mexicana y el güero, where she also played Katya.

For Gala Montes, acting and singing have always gone hand in hand. So when the lead role in Diseñando tu amor came along in 2021, she also took charge of the soundtrack for the project. It was a grueling year of work, with shooting days lasting more than twelve hours on the Televisa studio lots.

The Price of Total Exposure

In 2024, the actress made her move into reality TV with her appearance on La Casa de los Famosos México. It was a gamble that took her out of her comfort zone and exposed her to a level of public scrutiny that had nothing to do with fiction. During the months inside the house, she showed a vulnerable, candid side that sparked intense debate on social media about mental health and family relationships.

She took third place in the program's final.

That same year, she premiered Vivir de amor, playing the villain Rebeca Sánchez. It was a return to classic melodrama, but with a much more aggressive and technical approach. The production drew massive audiences in the afternoon slot and confirmed that her name still carried weight on broadcast television despite the shift toward digital viewing.

In 2024, filming for Vivir de amor wrapped up with a total of 125 episodes produced by Salvador Mejía for the network TelevisaUnivision.