Exclusivlee.com

Excusivlee.com - By Lee Hernandez

In his new movie Ana Maria in Novela Land, Michael Steger plays “Armando de la Roca” — a playboy and womanizer who’s involved in a passionate love affair with Ariana Tomosa (Edy Ganem) in the telenovela Pasion sin Limites.

Although this is Steger’s first time starring in a telenovela, the Ecuadorean actor tells EXCLUSIVLee.com he grew up watching TONS of Spanish-language soaps!

“A good friend in high school forced me to watch Mi Pequeña Traviesa,” Steger tells us. “The night would start withDawson’s Creek and end with Mi Pequeña Traviesa. It was like this stupid, amazing ritual during high school,” says Steger, who adds that binge-watching telenovelas actually helped him learn Español.

“It really helped me with my Spanish. I still remember that darn theme song, ‘Te quiero tanto tanto tanto tanto’… you get the point,” adds Steger.

And just like on his favorite soap (see: Mi Pequeña Traviesa), there’s plenty of kissing in Ana Maria in Novela Landbetween Steger and Ganem’s characters and Steger says producers didn’t wait long before asking them to lock lips.

“They made us shoot our big make-out scene the first day on set,” Steger tells us. “We didn’t know each other, but we were forced to get to know each other real fast. It was like, ‘Hi, I’m Michael (insert kiss).’ recalls Steger, who says he loved working with the Devious Maids star.

“It turned out we were both just big goofballs. {Edy} is so great to work with — silly, fun and talented.”

Steger says working with fellow Latinos like Ganem (Devious Maids), Luis Guzman (How to Make It In America) and the late Elizabeth Peña (Rush Hour, La Bamba) was one of the reasons he was drawn to Ana Maria in Novela Land in the first place and adds that the film was also an opportunity to make his Latino relatives proud.

“My mother’s side of the family is from Ecuador {and} they’re always encouraging me to do something where I speak Spanish and represent my community,” explains Steger. “I finally got the opportunity do it and I’m thrilled about it.”

Steger — who also plays a neurotic doctor in the film — says the film is a light-hearted romantic comedy that’s worth checking out.

“I just don’t think there are enough of these kind of movies anymore, especially with a predominantly Latin cast,” says Steger. “I’m married and I think I’ve seen every single romantic comedy out there, TWICE!  I won’t lie — I’ve shed a tear or two on more than one occasion.”

Aside from Ana Maria in Novela Land, Steger is busy producing his own projects with his wife of six years (fellow actor Brandee Steger).

“I love working with her,” Steger tells EXCLUSIVLee.com. “We recently created a comedy called Not So Union. The series follows a diverse group of desperate and eccentric actors who are completely “green” in their first stages of starting an acting career. {It} shows the embarrassing situations that actors sometimes go through. It’s really fun,” he explains.

And although he wrapped the hit CW series 90210 two years ago (he starred on the show for five seasons!), Steger says he can’t believe it’s already been two years.

“It feels like yesterday,” he says. “We try to keep in contact — mostly on special occasions. AnnaLynne {McCord} recently made a cameo in my web series. Everyone’s busy and some of the cast isn’t even in {L.A.} right now.”

Asked where his 90210 character Navid (and his girlfriend Adrianna) would be now, Steger says:

“In that world, Adrianna is probably like Katy Perry‘s arch-nemesis and Navid is probably hosting a reality singing show like Ryan Seacrest,” he says.

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