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 Bulgaria ? In the midst of snow falling for the first time in several years, Osvaldo Rios, the handsome TV drama actor, arrives in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. This is no ordinary visit though; the excitement of this encounter between the Puerto Rican and his fans blows away the cold. In this country of comrades, Rios’s fans continued to grow throughout his stay.
Met from his arrival with cheers of welcome, the star of the serial TV dramas Tres Destinos (Three Destinies) and La Viuda De Blanco (Blanco’s Widow) had accepted an exclusive invitation from Dimiter Andelo, the president of Bulgaria’s Eurocom TV. From the first press conference, Rios turned the stereotype of the TV melodrama star on its head as he demonstrated his tremendous appeal as an intellectual actor.
Monopolizing the Media
 As Rios traveled through Bulgaria, Rios was asked a battery of questions everyday by several hundreds of journalists. A selection of headlines clipped from newspapers and magazines gives some idea of the media frenzy. They ranged from “Osvaldo Rios has Come. Get Your Hankies Ready!” to “Kyustendil Woman Trembles with Joy at Meeting Osvaldo Rios,” “Osvaldo Rios: ‘I could Marry a Bulgarian Woman’,” “The King of Soap Opera Speaks in Bulgarian,” “Elderly Woman Coming to See Him Faints,” “Osvaldo Rios Visits Parliament,” “Mass Halted for Osvaldo Rios,” “Osvaldo Rios Donates Entire Concert Proceeds to Orphanage,” and even “Osvaldo Rios: I Want to Return Your Love with Love.”
Apart from collecting donations for a children’s orphanage, the invited actor had various reasons for his visit to Bulgaria, and he also provided many comments on a diversity of topics, including Puerto Rican performing arts, movies, culture, and politics; popular arts and the difficulty of his work making TV dramas; movies and the theater; love, dreams, and his son; the historical origins of Americans; his career as a psychologist; his job working as a secretary at a juvenile problem research institution in the 1980s; and the importance of living with a positive attitude.
 He even said, “People should try and go back to their starting point every now and again so that afterwards they can rejuvenate and begin life over with a fresh enthusiasm.”
Similarly, the Bulgarians had not neglected to make preparations for teaching Rios many things. He met many people?movie industry people, artists, religious leaders, politicians, and children?visited places of historical interest, and held various interviews. One after the other, he was introduced to a diversity of cultural manifestations, including folk music, pop music, religious and modern art, handicrafts, classical music, and modern disco music.
Speaking about Puerto Rico
In a press conference with Bulgarian movie industry people, Osvaldo Rios said, “Of all the aspects of this work, what should be valued the most is the ability to dream. That is something only a few people can do, and in addition, we make money doing it. From my father I learned to live without rushing, but also without resting. I also learned how to make a bed and put out the garbage. This is what keeps my feet on the ground. Numerous times I thought I would die, but even now I keep on walking.”
Amidst this battery of events, this was one brief moment when Rios most certainly gained empathy, no doubt because of his naivete, or perhaps it was because the artist realized that what could be won with his outward appearance was not everything. At this time, and at his own suggestion, Rios showed Bulgarians the recipe for a Puerto Rican version of Arros con Pollo (a chicken and rice dish). It was the moment that made one realize the spotlight would never leave him.
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