Johannesburg - Fantasy Island premiered in the country last week and the series promises to take viewers on wild rides with unexpected twists and turns.
The modern drama series takes place at a luxury resort where any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although the outcome rarely turns out as expected.
The beautiful Roselyn Sanchez who headlines the show, admitted to The Saturday Star to being delighted that the series was shot in her native country of Puerto Rico.
“It was incredibly important for me that production took place here. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me. Puerto Rico has taken a beating for the last seven years with hurricanes and then Covid-19,” the actress said.
Sanchez is of course no stranger to the Silver Screen, having starred in the blockbuster hit “Rush Hour 2,” for which she received an ALMA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Her other films include the romantic comedy “Boat Trip”, “Basic” and “Chasing Papi”. She also starred in the independent film “Nightstalker’, ”Underclassman“ starring opposite Nick Cannon; ”Edison“, and ”The Game Plan“.
In “Yellow”, a passion project that she wrote and produced, Sanchez played the lead, opposite Bill Duke. She also had a major role as “Elena Delgado” on the hit television series “Without a Trace” from 2005 till 2009.
This led to her first ALMA award win in 2008. In 2012, she was featured in the action thriller, “Act of Valor”, and in 2014 she starred in the extremely successful Fox International Colombian series “Familia En Venta.”
Following that, Sanchez starred in Marc Cherry’s hit series “Devious Maids,” produced by Eva Longoria. She played the lead in “Death of a Vegas Showgirl”, a cable television movie released in 2016 that she produced, and she also starred in the indie thriller “Traffik.”
In 2003, Sanchez released her debut album, entitled “Borinqueńa.” She was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Music Video for the single “Amor Amor,” which she also performed at the 2004 Latin Grammy ceremony.
But back to Fantasy Island in which Sanchez plays the role of Elena Roarke, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke and the steward of this mysterious island.
Pilot, Javier (John Gabriel Rodriquez) is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades. In the series opener, Roarke welcomes a local morning show host Christine Collins (Bellamy Young) who has a simple fantasy. She wants to eat. And eat. And eat. But when Christine gets to Fantasy Island, she realises that she’s hungry for much more than food.
Roarke’s other guests include Ruby Akuda (Kiara Barnes) who arrives on Fantasy Island with her husband; Ruby is afflicted with a terminal illness and is given a new lease on life.
The plot also features a television star who has a public meltdown on national TV. Good Morning Phoenix anchor Christine Collins heads to Fantasy Island to fulfil her every desire. Flown in by the island’s pilot Javier, Christine is met by Elena Roarke, the steward of the magical retreat that’s been in her family for years.
Watching a tape of her rant over the lifetime of dieting expected for her work, Christine says that her dream is to be able to eat as much as she wants without gaining weight. While hesitant to give in to her binge eating, Christine is sucked into a giant wedding cake that transports her to a Florida trailer park in 1984, where her mother Tanya is marrying her new husband, Landon. After enduring her judgmental stepfather’s reprimands about her appearance, she’s back on Fantasy Island struggling to find satisfaction in her unlimited diet, where she’s stunned to come face to face with Landon again. You’ll have to watch and see what happens next.
Not only is Sanchez an accomplished actress, producer and singer, she also writes children’s books. One of her books, Sebi and the land of Cha Cha Cha was dedicated to her daughter, Isabella and was written during Covid-19.
“I am a very creative person and when Covid-19 hit I needed to do something. So I started writing. And it was actually easy. I never really thought about writing before. I got in a Puerto Rican illustrator and before I knew it, the book was done, ”she smiled.
Sanchez has an animal shelter in Puerto Rico and is a firm believer in diversity. She added that she was thrilled that more than 400 locals were employed during the production of Fantasy Island.
“For me this was a passion project. I feel there are not enough Latin rhythms. I have an accent, other people have accents and inclusion for me is very important. The world is a melting pot and that has to be reflected in our work,” she said.
On the issue of fantasies, Sanchez concludes that sometimes escapism is the only way to survive.
“Everything is temporary. You can still sit down and have a laugh. I really hope the viewers enjoy the series as much as we did making it,” she said.