Omar Ayuso in a scene from Mariliendre
Best known for his fan-favorite role as Omar Sanaa in Netflix’s hit telenovela Elite, openly gay actor Omar Ayuso is now showcasing a different side of his talent in the new LGBTQ+ musical series Mariliendre, Queerty reports.
In the Spanish-language show, Ayuso plays Luis, a cool and confident model. To land the part, Ayuso not only had to prove his acting abilities but also his singing chops during an audition.
He recently recounted on Late Xou with Marc Giró, alongside Mariliendre co-star Martin Urrutia, how he chose Rocío Dúrcal‘s 1981 hit “La gata bajo la lluvia” for his audition, despite it being from the ’80s rather than the requested 2000s.
Despite joking about his performance, Ayuso later impressed the talk show audience by singing the song live, complete with dramatic rain effects and the host slow-dancing with his co-star.
Mariliendre, created by “Los Javis” (Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo), centers on a former queen of Madrid’s queer nightlife who rediscovers her past with the help of her gay friends, leading to comedic and musical moments. The show’s title, “mariliendre,” a Spanish term akin to “f*g hag,” is intentionally reclaimed by the creators as a term of pride and a tribute to supportive women within the LGBTQ+ community.
“A term that society has traditionally used in a derogatory way and that, like the word f*ggot, must be filled with pride,” they told Vanity Fair Espana. “That is why Mariliendre aims to be a tribute to all those women who gave their nights and days for all of us. Thank you for being there, friends.”
WATCH THE TRAILER:
