{"id":180366,"date":"2026-02-26T00:08:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T00:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/180366\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T00:08:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T00:08:07","slug":"el-paso-actor-earns-breakout-spotlight-on-hbo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/180366\/","title":{"rendered":"El Paso Actor Earns Breakout Spotlight on HBO"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you took a literature class with a passionate teacher, or just love a dramatic love story with food involved, chances are you\u2019ve heard of Like Water for Chocolate. And you probably remember Pedro being so traumatizing.<\/p>\n

Well, now, that same iconic, emotionally complicated Pedro is back, and he\u2019s being played by someone from our very own backyard.<\/p>\n

El Paso\u2019s Andr\u00e9s Baida Steps Into Pedro\u2019s Shoes<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9s Baida- born in El Paso <\/a>to a Mexican family originally from Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez- is the latest actor to portray Pedro in HBO\u2019s limited series Like Water for Chocolate.<\/p>\n

Baida studied finance in the U.S. before pivoting to acting and training for three years at Televisa\u2019s Artistic Education Center. Since then, he\u2019s built an impressive r\u00e9sum\u00e9 with roles in Netflix hits like Control Z, \u00bfQui\u00e9n Mat\u00f3 a Sara?, and Bandidos, along with multiple Televisa productions.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Bad Bunny Delivered the Most Relatable El Paso Moment<\/a><\/p>\n

But now, he\u2019s stepping into one of the most emotionally charged roles in Latin American literature.<\/p>\n

Like Water for Chocolate on HBO Max<\/p>\n

For anyone who needs a refresher, Like Water for Chocolate, based on the beloved novel by Laura Esquivel, tells the story of Tita De la Garza and Pedro M\u00fazquiz, two lovers torn apart by rigid family tradition.<\/p>\n

Because Tita is the youngest daughter, she\u2019s forbidden from marrying and must care for her mother. Pedro, deeply in love with her, makes\u2026 questionable choices in an attempt to stay close. Choices that ignite forbidden passion, jealousy, heartbreak, and a whole lot of emotional chaos.<\/p>\n

Season two of the HBO series picks up as Tita struggles with grief and emotional drought, both literal and symbolic, while Pedro\u2019s return reignites that slow-burning, rule-breaking love story.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s romance simmering like a pot left on high. And Pedro? Pedro is complicated.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s So Good that People Kind of Hate Him<\/p>\n

Pedro has never been the internet\u2019s favorite romantic hero. He\u2019s the guy who makes you yell at the screen. And that\u2019s exactly why Andr\u00e9s Baida is getting attention. He makes you hate him so much- and I cannot wait to hate watch him every Sunday.<\/p>\n

If viewers are fired up, debating, and passionately side-eyeing Pedro\u2019s decisions? That means the performance is landing!<\/p>\n

Playing a character audiences love to critique isn\u2019t easy. And the fact that an El Paso native is bringing that intensity to one of HBO\u2019s most visually stunning Latin American dramas? That\u2019s worth celebrating.<\/p>\n

From El Paso to HBO<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something extra cool about seeing someone with Borderland roots stepping into a globally recognized story. From finance student to nationally recognized productions to starring in an HBO adaptation produced by heavy-hitters like Salma Hayek Pinault, Baida\u2019s career arc is impressive on its own.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Dr. Simi Rocks\u00a0Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez with Metallica<\/a><\/p>\n

But doing it while portraying one of literature\u2019s most debated romantic leads? That\u2019s next level. So the next time you catch yourself frustrated at Pedro\u2019s choices this season\u2026 just remember: that\u2019s an El Paso actor doing his job extremely well!<\/p>\n

From El Paso to Hollywood: Julian Kalel\u2019s American Idol Journey<\/p>\n

Julian Kalel secures a golden ticket on\u00a0American Idol\u00a0and delivers a message bigger than music.<\/p>\n

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: American Idol<\/p>\n

12 Reasons El Paso Isn’t the Ugliest City in Texas<\/p>\n

El Paso was unfairly labeled the “ugliest city in Texas” so here are 12 reasons that is just untrue. Do you agree with any of these? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you took a literature class with a passionate teacher, or just love a dramatic love story with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139,143,2186,1632],"class_list":["post-180366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news","tag-local-el-paso","tag-television","tag-texas-regional"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}