Jorge Enrique Caballero Returns to Spanish TV with New Season of Series That Was a Phenomenon in Spain

February 6, 2025

More than a year ago, we received excellent news from Spain regarding an excellent Cuban actor, who after appearing in a popular television series on the Island, was "signed" to be part of a musical production in that Iberian nation.

We all had fresh in our memory the character of Ignacio, stepfather of Orestes, interpreted by Jorge Enrique Caballero Elizalde in the dramatized series Calendario. The chameleonic nature of his alter ego, which started as an affable type and was revealed as an unscrupulous being, once again made clear the histrionic capacity of this man born on September 16, 1980 in Havana.

Shortly after we saw that series, Caballero crossed the Atlantic to work in a theatrical production that had been making waves on Broadway for more than a decade.

Through the Mixtage Talent representation agency, Jorge Enrique secured a role in The Book of Mormon, a musical comedy that premiered on October 6, 2023 at the Calderón Theater in Madrid.

The original version of The Book… which debuted in the United States in 2011, was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the famous animated series South Park, along with composer Robert López, double Oscar winner for Best Original Song for Let It Go (Frozen; 2014) and Remember Me (Coco; 2018). The production has won nine Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards, in addition to having more than 10 million attendees at its performances.

In the Spanish adaptation, Caballero has joined the cast and covered the role of Mafala, a character whose "lead" interpreter is Spanish Jimmy Roca. Along with him, the cast also includes fellow Cubans Yansel Monagas and Rone Reinoso.

After a very successful first season, which closed with its nomination as Best Musical of 2024 at the Talía Awards, Broadway World, and Musical Theater Awards, The Book of Mormon continues to rise... and so does Caballero's career, who will soon appear in Física o química (FoQ): The New Generation, a continuation of the popular series Física o química, which at one time became a phenomenon among Spanish youth.

Regarding the impact of that audiovisual, Espinof indicates that nothing like it had been seen in a youth series since Un paso adelante. "It has moved masses on social networks and has seen how very many people supported its film previews as if they were movie stars, and they have even had their own magazine (…) And as if that weren't enough, the series has also crossed our borders, being broadcast in dubbed version in France and Italy, and an adaptation being made on Russian television."

Física o química (FoQ): The New Generation is a show written by Carlos García Miranda, which will premiere on the streaming platform Atresplayer next February 16. This continuation of the story brings us back to the Madrid school Zurbarán, where new students and teachers will experience all kinds of dramatic situations in their daily lives.

Although it is not yet known what role Jorge Enrique Caballero will have in the series, he can be seen in the official trailer released a couple of weeks ago on various social networks. From what we can see in this announcement, the Cuban actor will play a school worker, who is in charge of opening and closing the doors of the institution once the student arrival hours have ended.

This would be a great opportunity for the talented artist born on the Island to demonstrate his abilities and perhaps secure, if not his continuity in FoQ, at least new work opportunities in the Iberian nation.

In theater, the Caribbean native has been part of Estudio Teatral Buendía, led by master Flora Lauten, and has also participated in groups such as the national ones Rita Montaner, Mefisto Teatro, Yoldance, Teatro Aire Frío, and the foreign ones Teatro Espiral (Switzerland), Team Sunshine Performance Corporations (United States), 3 pasos/2 movimientos (Burkina Faso) and BB Promotions, from Germany.

Furthermore, as part of an independent project, also on stage, in recent years Caballero has stood out for his role as general director of Ritual Cubano Teatro, an initiative that led him to create and star in the works Kid Chocolate, Le Chevalier Brindis De Salas and Voces 1912, all belonging to a trilogy aimed at telling the history of several Black men relevant to our country's history.

Between television and film, we have seen him in the telenovelas A pesar de todo and Bajo el mismo sol; in the series El que debe vivir, Lucha contra bandidos (LCB), De amores y esperanzas and Al habla con los muertos; as well as in the feature films Kangamba, 7 Días en La Habana, El viaje extraordinario de Celeste García, Sumbe, Larga distancia, Melaza, Bailando con Margot, Inocencia, Los Frikis, ¿Eres tú, papá? and the short film Tundra.

Graduated in 2005 in Theatrical Art from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), Jorge Enrique has taught at that university since 2010. Throughout more than three decades he has dedicated himself to transmitting to new aspiring actors his experiences as one of the most respected scenic artists of the Greater Antilles at the present time.