In yet another version of an increasingly familiar success story, Victor García became a superstar via La Academia not by winning, but by being voted off initially, and then being invited back, eventually winning second place in the finals. The prize included a record deal with Sony Records, and the drama generated by his experience in the reality show ensured that Victor García, released in 2003, would be a substantial hit. But, again drawing comparisons with American Idol, García leveraged savvy marketing and his own considerable singing and acting talent to create a viable career that, notwithstanding his second-place status, made him the most familiar La Academia artist in North America. ~ J. Witzgall