01/07/2026 19:44 - Entretenimiento
Natalia Oreiro surprised her followers with an archival image showing exactly how she looked three decades ago. The Uruguayan actress posted a photo from 1996 on her social media with a single caption: the year. The image quickly circulated and sparked a wave of reactions among those who have followed her from the beginning and those who discovered her much later.
In the snapshot, credited to photographer Alejandra López, Oreiro appears wearing a red short-sleeved t-shirt, a red floral print miniskirt, long straight brown hair with bangs, and red lips. She looks at the camera with a three-quarter pose and a contained smile. At the time, she was 19 years old and had just taken one of her first major steps in Argentine television.
For those unfamiliar with Latin American pop culture, Natalia Oreiro is a Uruguayan actress and singer who became one of the biggest television stars in the Spanish-speaking world. Her telenovelas (Latin American soap operas) have been broadcast in over 80 countries, making her a household name from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. She is often compared to figures like Thalía or Salma Hayek in terms of crossover appeal in the Latin entertainment world.
The year this photo was taken was pivotal in her career. In 1996, Oreiro starred in 90-60-90 Modelos alongside Silvia Kutika, Raúl Taibo, and Osvaldo Laport, the telenovela that placed her on the mainstream audience's radar. She played Lucía Peralta across 277 episodes, and that role became the platform from which everything else launched.
The Uruguayan had arrived in Buenos Aires just two years earlier, at age 17, following a adolescence filled with castings, commercials, and her role as "super paquita" (a term for Xuxa's assistant) for the Brazilian children's TV icon. She sold the car she won as a prize in that contest to finance her move and her first months in the city. When this photo was taken, she was still two years away from starring in Muñeca Brava (Wild Angel), the telenovela that would turn her into an international phenomenon.
Paquitas were the female dancers and assistants who accompanied Xuxa (pronounced "shoo-shah"), a Brazilian television host and singer who became a massive children's entertainment icon throughout Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s. Each country had its own "Paquita," and being selected was a prestigious launching pad for young performers. Think of it as being selected as a Mouseketeer for Disney, but for Latin American television.
That period of her life left an indelible mark. Visiting Otro día perdido, Mario Pergolini's program on El Trece (Channel 13, one of Argentina's main broadcast networks), Natalia recounted the moment Xuxa chose her as her "Súper Paquita" in 1993 and how that personal and professional bond defined the course of her life. The actress and singer revisited anecdotes from the casting, the impact of the Brazilian host, and the significance of that opportunity at the start of her career in Buenos Aires.
During the conversation, Oreiro recalled the day she entered the "Súper Paquita" contest at just 16 years old. She remembered with humor and emotion the instant the children's TV host introduced her on camera as Uruguay's representative: "She is the person with the most 'ángel' (charisma) I have ever seen in my life," she said, emphasizing the warmth and friendliness Xuxa conveyed both on and off camera.
The actress revealed that the bond formed from their first meeting. "I still talk to Xuxa," she admitted, surprising Pergolini and Rada, who shared the interview. "You fall in love," she added when describing the energy she felt when close to her. Xuxa's charisma and ability to generate genuine connection left a mark on Oreiro, who still values it decades later.
For international readers unfamiliar with Argentine telenovelas, these dramatic series are cultural exports comparable to Korean dramas (K-dramas) in their global reach. Muñeca Brava (Wild Angel), which Oreiro starred in beginning in 1998, became particularly popular in countries like Russia, Poland, Romania, and Israel, where she is still recognized today. The genre combines romance, drama, and often social commentary, with episodes running five to seven days a week during their broadcast run.
Today, Natalia Oreiro continues to act in both television and film, having successfully transitioned from teen idol to respected actress. She has also released several music albums and remains a significant figure in Latin American popular culture.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
