Silvio Horta, ‘Ugly Betty’ Creator, Found Dead in Apparent Suicide

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https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/sil...ty-1203459934/

Silvio Horta, creator of ABC’s popular series “Ugly Betty,” was found dead in a Miami motel room on Tuesday in an apparent suicide. He was 45.

Sources tell Variety that Horta died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A representative for Horta declined to comment.

The American version of “Ugly Betty,” which starred America Ferrera, ran for four seasons on ABC from 2006 to 2010 and was adapted from the hit Colombian telenovela “Yo soy Betty, la fea.” Horta served as showrunner and head writer on the comedy-drama. During its run, the show won two Golden Globes, one for best comedy series and one for Ferrera. The original series was created in 1999 by Fernando Gaitan and ran until 2001.

Horta had a project with Mary J. Blige in development at Fox in 2018. The prospective series, titled “Move,” was inspired by the life of famed choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson, who created routines for the likes of Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga.

His big break came in 1998 when he wrote the screenplay for horror-thriller “Urban Legend.” The script was turned into a successful feature starring Jared Leto and “Dune” star Alicia Witt.

Horta’s moved into TV in the earlly 2000s with the Sci Fi series “The Chronicle,” which ran for a single season and starred Octavia Spencer, among others. In 2003, Horta continued his science fiction run with the UPN series “Jake 2.0.” The series, which also only lasted one season, revolved around a computer expert (Christopher Graham) who, while working for the NSA, was accidentally infected by nanobots, giving him superhuman powers.

Horta was born in Miami to Cuban parents and majored in film at NYU.

[Schmoopie]

That's awful...

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Ugly Betty Star America Ferrera Is 'Heartbroken' Over the Death of Show's Creator Silvio Horta

https://people.com/tv/ugly-betty-ame...ching-tribute/

‘Ugly Betty’ Cast Mourn Death Of Creator Silvio Horta

https://deadline.com/2020/01/ugly-be...ms-1202823912/

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Silvio Horta's mother and sister say the Ugly Betty creator struggled with addiction and depression

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear brother and son, Silvio Horta,” his mother Anna and sister Hilda said in a statement. “Through his friendships, his love and his work in TV and films, Silvio touched the lives of millions. Silvio had an ongoing struggle with addiction and depression, but through it all, he always found a way to turn his struggle into laughter. He was a kind and beautiful man. He may be gone but his light will shine on.”

[MA]

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

That's awful...

It really is.

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Silvio Horta saw himself in Ugly Betty and, as result, we saw ourselves

The son of Cuban immigrants, who died this week at age 45, Horta was uniquely suited to adapt the popular Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, La Fea for American viewers. “We had one television growing up, and my mom would be watching the telenovelas every night,” Horta told The New York Times in 2006. “We had no choice. All my friends, first-generation immigrants, would make fun of them, and then become completely addicted.” As Bethonie Butler notes, "Horta wanted to be involved with Ugly Betty so much that he initially pitched a supremely over-the-top version that featured Betty as an FBI agent... But he soon found that his own experience was all he needed to draw on to make the show a success." As Horta put it, “I really just looked into my past, how I grew up with telenovelas and growing up being first generation Cuban American and … that’s the way I found in." ALSO: Horta's death officially ruled a suicide.

Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta helped young Latinas see themselves on screen

"Before Ugly Betty, there had never been a Latino family on TV simply existing — living regular, working-class lives," says Yolando Machado, in an appreciation of Horta, who died at age 45 this week. "The Suarez family wasn’t stereotypical or caricatured; their Latino-ness wasn’t exaggerated," says Machado. "And Betty herself reflected what many children of immigrants could, and can, relate to: living a life between two worlds." Machado adds: "Despite constantly being told she wasn’t enough and being consistently underestimated, Betty was confident and always stayed true to herself. In pop culture, women of color aren’t typically allowed to be confident — and if they are, they’re seen as vain or conceited or anything but just secure in themselves. In Betty’s case, her looks and weight were always a target in the ultra-white world of fashion magazines, but instead of changing herself, she shone brightly, stood out and became an essential part of what made the magazine work. She had romances and was desired. She had opinions and thoughts. She was multidimensional and loved. Such messages are still important for young Latinas to see, and not merely because Westernized standards of beauty shouldn’t be the lens through which all women are viewed."

Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta struggled with depression, drug addiction and the ups and downs of Hollywood success

Horta, who ended his life at age 45 earlier this month, was successful early in his career, writing a hit horror comedy and five scripts as TV pilots that went straight to series -- before his Ugly Betty success. But amid the rise and fall of Ugly Betty, Horta stumbled into meth addiction and his TV career spiraled, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Recently, he was living with his mom in Miami in the house he bought her with his Ugly Betty earnings and with his sister Hilda, who inspired the Ugly Betty character. He was in treatment as recently as last month. "When you're successful, there's an expectation that you're happy and on top of the world," says his former assistant Brian Tanen, who credits Horta with giving him his first break and who this year became a showrunner in his own right with ABC's Grand Hotel. "But what people don't talk a lot about," he continues, "is how incredibly difficult and stressful this business can be. I'm so deeply, deeply sad and heartbroken that Silvio felt he needed to end his life."