Latina actress and singer Carolina Gaitán has spent the past several months revisiting one of the characters that made her a household name on Spanish-language television. But Catalina Marín from Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso isn't the only familiar voice calling her back to work.
Pepa Madrigal, the emotional, weather-controlling aunt from Disney's Oscar-winning Encanto, is also getting ready for a new adventure, and Gaitán has revealed that she's back in the recording studio.
In an interview with this reporter, the Colombian actress confirmed that she has already recorded new material as Pepa for Disney's upcoming Encanto theme park experience and that additional sessions are still on her schedule.
"Yes! I actually have to go back to the studio again because I've already been there on other occasions, and there are more voices to record," Gaitán said enthusiastically. "And of course Pepa Madrigal's voice is there, which is my voice, so it's incredibly exciting."
The project is Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto, an attraction under development at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Orlando. It will be part of Tropical Americas, an 11-acre expansion inspired by the landscapes and cultures of Latin America.
Disney has announced that the attraction will take visitors inside the magical Madrigal family home, known as Casita, the day after young Antonio receives his extraordinary gift of communicating with animals. His bedroom has transformed into a rainforest, setting the stage for an adventure involving the family's magical abilities.
For Gaitán, the project brings her back to a role that changed the international trajectory of her career.
Released in 2021, Encanto introduced audiences to the Madrigals, a Colombian family whose members possess magical gifts, except for Mirabel, who must find her place within the family. Gaitán portrayed Pepa in both the English-language and Spanish-language versions. Her character's emotions control the weather, producing sunshine, clouds and storms depending on her mood.
She also participated in one of the film's biggest cultural phenomena, the ensemble song "We Don't Talk About Bruno," which became an international hit, which allowed Gaitán to sing the scenario of the Oscars. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2022, and its soundtrack also received Grammy recognition.
Gaitán is aware of the surreal experience of reaching milestones she had dreamed about since beginning her career in musical theater as a teenager.
"I think all actors say, 'I want to make it to the Oscars. I want to win an Oscar,'" she said. "And when you've actually held an Oscar in your hands, when you've held a Grammy, too, because 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' won a Grammy, you realize that what you set out to achieve became possible. It became real."
For Gaitán, those extraordinary moments have been accompanied by an equally surprising reminder of how deeply her characters have connected with audiences.
"Time keeps passing, and one day you're at the Eiffel Tower and someone shouts, 'Catalina!' And you think, 'Wow, so much time has passed. So many things have happened. I've become a mother, and people still love this character.'"
Now, Pepa is becoming part of a physical world audiences will be able to explore beyond the movie screen.
Disney's Tropical Americas expansion will also feature an Indiana Jones adventure and a handcrafted carousel inspired by animals from Disney and Pixar stories. The company continues to list 2027 as its target opening year, although it has not announced a specific opening date for the Encanto attraction.
Gaitán did not reveal which scenes or dialogue she has recorded, whether Pepa will sing in the attraction, or exactly how her character will participate in the experience.
The actress is currently balancing these sessions with the upcoming return of Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso, in which she reprises Catalina Marín after years away from the character. Gaitán has also continued developing her career beyond film and television through Vida, her musical monologue, a deeply personal stage project combining acting, music and storytelling. She began developing the show while gradually stepping away from Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso, seeking the creative freedom to explore different sides of herself as a performer.
Both projects bring her back to roles that audiences have continued to recognize, even as her personal life has changed dramatically.
Gaitán, now a mother, said she recently devoted several months to her family after completing an intense six-month television production schedule. And while her days of filming Catalina have wrapped for now, Pepa still has unfinished business. "We're almost there, almost there," Gaitán teased.
For fans waiting to walk through the doors of Casita, it is another indication that the Madrigal family's magic is taking shape, with a familiar voice helping bring it to life.
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