Why Alex From Who Killed Sara? Looks So Familiar

After starring in Spanish-language television projects for a decade, Cardona transitioned to the silver screen in Rosario Tijeras — a film that also got him his first Hollywood gig. The movie is based on a book by Jorge Franco, and launched in North America at the American Film Institute Festival in 2005.

The title of the film is also the name of the main character, who lives in 1980s Medellin, Colombia. She becomes a contract killer to insulate herself from the violence in her daily life, but is ultimately shot and wounded. Cardona plays her wealthy romantic interest, Emilio, one of the two main male characters in the film. The "sexy noir romance" was a box-office smash in Colombia and soon became a cult classic, Variety reported in 2006. The film was nominated for Best Spanish-Speaking Foreign Film at the Goya Awards in 2006.

There are a few other shows called Rosario Tijeras floating around, all based on the book by Franco, including a recent Mexican telenovela that's currently viewable on Netflix.