La Revista Mujer

By Elsa Tovar

Azucena Cierco steps forward on another stage in her career to portray the character Margoux Needer’s voice in Spanish (which Oscar winner Allison Janney provides the  voice in the English version) in the movie The Addams Family (“Los Locos Addams”) (2019) by Universal Films, recently released in Latin America.

Azucena Cierco is a successful Mexican born host and journalist with a large television career, she is a very noted presence in the Spanish news networks and programs such as Televisa, Univisión (El Gordo y La Flaca) and Telemundo (Al Rojo Vivo) both in Mexico and  the United States.

AN AMERICAN DREAM – UNPLANNED

It would be easy to say that Azucena Cierco always wanted to attain the American dream, but the truth is that «it never crossed my mind, to have as a  plan coming to work in the United States, I was very comfortable in Mexico,» says Azucena. In fact, at the time she didn’t speak any English. But one day a friend invited her to study English in San Francisco, after finishing her degree at the Universidad De Las Américas in Puebla, Mexico. And so her curiosity was aroused.

“But not everything was easy, when I came to Miami wanting to go on television it was very difficult. Even with my experience in television in Mexico, I started knocking on doors like everyone else. I waited for weeks and weeks and nothing happened.”

“Finally one day I met a girl who worked in the Univisión network with the news program on the show El Gordo y La Flaca and before I knew it, I was working with them,” says Azucena. Her successful career continued years  later when she started working for the Telemundo network in the “Al Rojo Vivo” section where, in addition to interviews, she appeared in the fashion segment. She also interviewed great figures from the entertainment world, in Mexico, the United States and Spain.

Azucena Cierco expresses herself about this new stage in her career, her advice as a single mother, and as a professional news anchor in an exclusive interview. With a spontaneous and charming voice Azucena answered my following questions:

Azucena, how do you go from being a host and journalist for television to being a voice actress?

I think this was a gift from God. Also a result of having the strong conviction and intention and putting it yourself in your head that you can do it.  About two years ago I began wondering and thinking about: «What would voice dubbing be like? What would it be like to work only with your voice, and not with your image?»

Later on, Universal Pictures of Mexico heard me on the Al Rojo Vivo program and called to see if I would be interested in taking a test or an audition. Then they sent me to Mexico City to do a test and return the same day! They finally liked the test and chose me as the Spanish voice for the character Margoux Needer from the  Los Locos Addams film.

A PERFECT VILLAIN IN «LOS LOCOS ADDAMS «

What do you feel you have in common with the character of Margoux Needer, whom you give life to with your voice?

I am totally different! She is also a blonde and has a huge hairstyle with a giant tuft. (laughs) Margaux is a very self-centered mother, she has an ego as big as her tuft!

She is the villain in the story and feels perfect because she says she has everything looking good, perfect, and everyone else is a misery, worthless! In fact, in the movie Margoux shouts in a loud speaker “!they are all monsters!”, literally (laughs)

Why do you like about this character?

Margoux is a mom and works as a home remodeler and makes all homes perfect. She wants to to be able to see everything as perfect and to do that, therefore we should all be perfectly the same!

This character is very special because through her, the film poses a very strong social message. Much will be reflected in her, both the negative and the positive. She represents those people who will point to those whom look a  little different or whom are a little different from her as bad strange or ugly because of that difference.

In contrast, the Locos Addams family clashes with her way of thinking, they are eccentric but you see, the Addams are a very close family and they have accepted themselves as imperfect as they are. In the movie they highlight that message, to become aware of it, that’s why I highly recommend that they go to see the movie.

ADVISE 

Being a single working mother and with a job that sometimes does not respect a domestic schedule, how do you keep that balance with your family?

I will tell you that as a single mother, it is the most difficult thing in the world!  But it is very important that they know that I am the only provider in my home and that if I don’t work, there is no money for my family. At the same time I am very demanding with my work, but I have learned to say no.

For example, one of my rules is that I am not going to cancel a basketball game where my son is waiting for me, for a pending job. I also think that children with much attention from a parent can face life better when they are adults.

What do you recommend to other people who want to follow your career?

Education is very important for my profession. Maybe some people think we don’t study because what we are doing on the screen looks very easy. But there is a whole education and preparation behind all this. 

When you study you learn to handle the news as it should be, there are professional ethics in the communication sciences. When there are many improvised communicators, sometimes invented,  inaccurate and exaggerated news are found, they lack the ethics and also do not investigate the data well to verify their words.

I would advise to all the young people who are studying this career not to get discouraged and to know that what you want for yourself can be fulfilled. You just have to believe in it one hundred percent!

What is your greatest satisfaction at the end of the work day?

For me it is very satisfying that the people of my country feel proud of my achievements. May my work finally serve as an example for others. I have started from the very low but was eager to work hard and with great perseverance. Proof of those efforts is this new stage in my career.

Azucena’s favorites

Azucena confesses that she is passionate about Mexican fashion and regional music. Her favorite dish is Puebla’s Mole Poblano, although without offending the mole from Oaxa, the city she grew up. Her favorite Mexican author is Elmer Mendoza and his detective novels, and her unconditional love is her son Santiago, who hasn’t decided what Halloween character he will portray this Halloween!

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We are very pleased and proud to see that a beautiful and talented Mexican woman has succeeded in the film industry in the United States with her voice in Spanish.

Follow Azucena’s voice in all social media under her name:

@azucenacierco (Facebook)

#asucenacierco (Instagram)

@AZUCENACIERCO  (Twitter)