Saldaña started acting while in school. During one class, in which the kids sang or recited poetry, Saldaña knew a story about a little girl much like herself, and with a classmate, performed a sketch in which Saldaña portrayed that little girl, the forerunner to her eventual "La Gúereja" character. She then performed her act on a television station in Veracruz, and this led, in 1984, to Mexico City and a contract with Televisa.