With a career that began at the age of eight, Emilio Osorio has practically grown up under the spotlight. At 23, the Mexican actor and singer-songwriter finds himself at a pivotal moment in his life, solidifying his voice in both acting and his compositions on piano and guitar.

The successful release of El Otro Padre (The Other Father), his latest and most challenging project on Netflix, gave us the perfect reason to pause and catch up with him. Behind the artist who now reaches millions of screens, we discovered an honest, unfiltered young man, entirely free from any pretense of perfection.

Emilio is the first to own up to his flaws and admit that fun—and a bit of rebellion—are vital parts of life. Yet he remains deeply grounded, guided always by love, health, freedom, and above all, family. In this interview, he opens the door to his most human side, just as the public begins to discover a more mature and complex side to his craft.

If you were talking to someone who has no idea what El Otro Padre is about, how would you explain the show and convince them to watch it?

The first thing I’d tell them is: "I’ve already watched it, and it’s really good," because that’s the truth. That’s just reality. Even though I’m in these projects, I try to keep my judgment as objective as possible, and honestly, I loved it. Look, I’ve had the chance to talk to people and tell them the show is about a very sweet couple—a married couple with three kids—and suddenly the daughter develops a kidney problem. She needs a transplant, and when they run the DNA tests, it turns out she’s not the father’s biological daughter, right? So right then and there, a huge tension builds up.

Tell us about Bernardo. What was the first thing that hooked you about him when you read the scripts for these 10 episodes?

I think the first thing that hooked me was his impulsiveness and the physical challenge that came with the role. Also the fact that it touches on... well, no spoilers, right?, but it touches on pretty sensitive topics that are very real today with social media, and I think that’s super important. On top of that, several scenes carry this sort of dark, impulsive, but sometimes funny humor. I really like that too. He’s very caveman-like, and I actually find that endearing about Bernardo.

If you could break the fourth wall, step into the story, and grab Bernardo by the shoulders right in the middle of his worst crisis across the 10 episodes, what harsh advice or reality check would you yell in his face?

I think he needs to listen to his family more. That’s the problem: he doesn’t listen to advice—not from his mom, not from his dad. It’s like he gets blinded thinking he can fix everything on his own. I relate to that—sometimes I think we all need to listen more. So I’d tell him: "You have to listen to your family. Listening to your family is a good thing."

What was the most demanding challenge when adapting to the format and pace of this new production?

I think the hardest part was making sure we were all in the same... in acting, we call it "tone." That is, how we say things and how we react; making sure everyone is on that same tone, hitting that level of melodrama while balancing fiction and reality. That’s the trickiest part, and it’s the work you do alongside the director and the entire production crew. Plus, the format takes a lot longer because it’s much more meticulous... there’s more time dedicated to a single scene than in other formats, you know?

Infidelity and buried secrets always spark a lot of debate. What kind of conversations do you hope the audience will have after finishing the series?

What the show highlights is that we have two couples: Emilio and Yolanda, and Ricardo and Maca. Ricardo and Maca represent a pure love that, through honesty and truth, has endured over the years—and that’s why they can withstand the weight of a lie. On the other hand, Yolanda and Emilio are a couple built on lies stacked upon lies... and this was simply the last straw, right?

You share the screen with figures like Silvia Navarro, Manolo Cardona, and Erik Hayser. What was the collaborative process and the dynamic like on set with them?

Honestly, filming with Silvia is always a treat and a joy for me, not just because of the great person she is, but because of the incredible actress she is. But meeting Hayser, Manolo, Paola... well, man, I got nervous, you know? It can definitely intimidate you. But once you’re in it, brother, you just have to give it your all. You have to step into the ring. I believe life is about stepping into the ring, and if you learn something along the way, awesome; if not, you’ll learn from the falls and move on. I have so much respect and love for them, and I’m grateful to life for getting to shoot with them.

Is there a specific scene or moment during filming that left a deep mark on you professionally?

Look, in this project I did things I had never done before... like dehydrations. I went through specific physical dehydrations so my muscles would look a certain way in specific scenes. That was really interesting, and it was all thanks to a nutrition and workout plan led by César Muro, my personal trainer. Aside from that, emotionally, there’s a scene where I return from a specific place and my parents, Maca and Ricardo, hold me close. That moment was pretty critical for me; I was feeling quite sensitive at that instant too, so a lot of things came together at once.