Allende became an instant sensation among Latin American audiences, when he appeared as romantic hero, "Efraín", in María (1972), a film version of Jorge Isaacs's classic novel. The handsome young leading man became extremely popular in films and television for the rest of the decade, and then moved to Hollywood, where he also worked in both media. Allende tried to follow a singing career, but he gave it up and returned to television in the 90s. He lives in Puerto Rico with his wife and children.
