Santander arrived in Venezuela at an early age, and grew up in an environment where artistic manifestations were present every day as painters, poets, and illustrious musicians who visited the house of his parents.

He achieved a scholarship to study drama in the United States in Bridgeport Connecticut, where he perfected the mastery of the language of Shakespeare.

That year, he made his television debut in Y la Luna Tambien ("And the Moon Too"), which became a major international hit, reaching important numbers in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Ecuador, among others.

Niña Bonita's success raised both Santander and Rodriguez's rentability in the high-paying Hispanic soap opera world.

In 1991, he participated in Mundo de Fieras, which was another large success on the Venezuelan and United States Latino television viewer's ratings.

In a surprise move, he went to Mexico in 1995, contracted by that country's largest network, Televisa, to film Lazos de Amor, ("Love Ties") alongside Mexican superstar Lucero.