July 13 will be a lucky day for sexy Latina Kate del Castillo (PBS’s American Family). That’s the date she joins the cast of Showtime’s Weeds, playing Pilar Guzman, who drives a wedge into Nancy’s (Mary Louise Parker) relationship with her unborn baby’s father, Esteban (Demian Bichir). The Mexican actress gave TV Guide Magazine the lowdown on the new character while hanging out at a Los Angeles dogo park with her mini pinscher, Lola.

Congratulations on Weeds. Some of us remember you from American Family. Was there ever any pot smoking on that?
Kate: Only the actors.

Awesome! How long’s your run on Weeds?
Kate: I already shot three episodes (6, 8 and 9) and I think my next one is going to be the last one of the season.

What’s the role?
Kate: I play Pilar Guzman. She’s a classy, powerful, strong woman who is going to be shaking up the relationship between Nancy and Esteban. She’s a wealthy woman who inherited a lot of money.

I’ve heard she’s a drug lord.
Kate: Yes, kind of. I think this is the first time in five seasons that Mary-Louise’s character will have to deal with a bad woman – and I don’t necessarily mean drug dealing. At first, I don’t even look at her. I don’t like the relationship she has with Esteban – for business reasons.

Is Weeds shown in your native Mexico?
Kate: Now they’re showing the fourth season and everyone loves it.

You are also starring in an online telenovela for Univision.com.
Kate: Yes. It’s called Vidas Cruzadas, which means Crossed Life. There are 15 episodes that are between five and seven minutes each – starting in August. They look like little movies. The theme is artificial insemination. My character has had it with men and wants to be a mom as soon as possible, so she goes and gets artificially inseminated and then the next day meets the love of her life.

Would you ever get artificially inseminated?
Kate: I thought about it, but I think I’d rather adopt.

Until then you have little Lola.
Kate: Oh yes.. she keeps me very busy.

Most fans agree: season four of Weeds was a letdown. It was too serious, and Nancy almost made Kate Gosselin looks like a good mother. In order to get back on track, the Showtime series needs to lighten up, while reminding viewers that Nancy really does mean well for her family.

Will the new season succeed at these tasks? Entertainment Weekly intern Jeremy Medina has seen the first three episodes and writes:

The new season starts off with the fallout from that announcement. Her family is pissed. Even Andy, who loves her. Nancy basically acknowledges she’s a terrible human being, but then proceeds to act like even more of one. She dumps Shane off to live with her volatile sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) because he isn’t safe at home.

She even purposely gets drunk to antagonize her Mexican drug lord boyfriend, simply because it’s the last card she can play in her epic power struggle. What will continue to make the season worth watching is to see if Nancy can win back a shred of dignity. She needs to have some sort of redemptive arc to make the show compelling again. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.”

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