Gianella Neyra

Neyra began her acting at the age of seven, in 1985. As a youngster, she went to study at New York City's prestigious acting school, the Lee Strasberg studio.

Back in Peru, she became a famous model, appearing in ads for various important firms. Later on, she would become famous across her home-country as a telenovela actress, starring in many prime-time hits.

It was in 2002, however, that she became an international superstar, when she was hired by Venezuela's Iguana Productions to star, alongside Segundo Cernadas, in the major international hit, "Bésame Tonto" ("Kiss me, Fool"), as the daughter of a mafia boss who falls in love with a guy whose pshysical appearance makes many of the characters in the soap opera think of him as a nerd.

"Bésame Tonto" became such a wide international hit, that Neyra became a major celebrity in countries such as Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Switzerland, Russia and even in Cernares' native Argentina.

"Bésame Tonto" began to be shown in the United States by Univision in 2004, giving Neyra her first exposure in front of an American audience.