Dunia Zaldívar, his aunt and who already counted with some years as an actress, shared with him acting techniques, selected literature, examples and other guides that introduced him formally and with a lot of affection to this art.

He has taken courses and workshops in Mexico, Cuba, France, Germany, United States and the former USSR, where he auditioned for the Bolshoi Ballet in the capital, Moscow.

Ariel was discovered by Eugenio Cobo, CEA's Principal, allowing him to have his first sporadic but constant appearances in multiple TV shows and eventually to take his first main papers in soap operas like La Pícara Soñadora (Dir.

His jump to the fame came with the soap opera Corazón salvaje, the third adaptation to the TV screen of the novel written by Caridad Bravo Adams, directed by Alberto Cortez and produced by José Rendón.

He was previously married to Mariana Levy who died from a heart attack after a failed armed robbery attempt in Mexico City.