Venenoturned a forgotten trans trailblazer into a global icon.
Creators Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo just might be next.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
But creators Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, endearingly known as Los Javis, never approachedVenenoas a niche endeavor.
To that end, the runaway success ofVenenocannot be overstated.
In the decade since, theyve grown alongside their ever-more-ambitious projects.
Netflix picked up the campy comedy and ordered three more seasons, including a fourth pending release.
What do we want to do now that were in this position where we can do whatever we want?
Calvo remembers asking himself.
And we knew that meant telling Venenos story.
Valeria Vegas, whod written Cristinas memoir,Digo!
Ni puta ni santa.
Las memorias de La Veneno(Listen!
Neither whore nor saint.
The memories of La Veneno),served as the perfect character through which to structure the series.
For Los Javis, authenticity neednt be synonymous with veracity.
Cristinas flights of fancy, her campy attitude, and her penchant for exaggeration remain central to her iconicity.
We knew we could create anything, Ambrossi adds.
This was going to be the first series in Spanish history starring trans actresses, Ambrossi recalls.
We needed to do it justice.
There was no way around it.
And it was a lot.
You know: write it well, direct it well.
But then, also, we made sure that every department employed trans people.
We knew this show had to look beautiful on the outside, but be real on the inside.
Itd be about those pioneers from our community, who we know so little about still.
Itd be about continuing to write a love letter to the [Spanish] LGBT community, Ambrossi clarifies.
Itd be a continuation ofVenenos philosophy more than its story.
Its been hard, in a way, Calvo notes.
Especially moving past our own prejudices.
But slowly we came to see that approach as a really outdated one.
So they channeled one of their own creations: Paquita Salas.
Its not enough to be a triple threat or handily shuttle between comedy and drama.
Paquitas cheeky advice is the reason Los Javis worry less about boxing themselves in.
So why wouldnt we just tap into all of that?
Weve always been interested in exploring what it means to be true to yourself.
And I wouldnt be comfortable writing about that without also staying true to that in my life.
You cant just write it.
You have to live by it.
Thats also why were so open and public about our relationship.
Its not for the few, its for them all.
This interview was conducted in Spanish and translated into English by the author.
