1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Are your ears bored? 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 2: Yeah? 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 3: Are you looking for a new podcast that will make 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 3: you laugh, learn, and say get. 5 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, then tune in to Look at tho O Radio 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Season ten Today. 7 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 3: Okay, look at Our Radio is a radiophonic novella, which 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 3: is just an extra way of saying a podcast. 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: Season ten of Look At thought Our Radio is totally nostalgic. 10 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: We're diving in with a four part series about the 11 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: Latinos who shaped pop culture in the early two thousands. 12 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 3: But that's not all. 13 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: Season ten is also launching in the wake of LA 14 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: wildfires and a new Trump presidency. As always, we're leaning 15 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: into community by conducting critical interviews with people leading the 16 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: efforts to rebuild LA and fight back against oppression. 17 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 3: Tune in to Look at Our Radio Season ten. Now 18 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 3: that's what I call a podcast. Love with every listen right. 19 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: At your fingertips. 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 3: Loga O LAO La Loka Motes. Welcome to season ten 21 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,919 Speaker 3: of Loka to a Radio. I'm diosa and I'm Mala 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 3: Loka Dora Radio is a podcast dedicated to archiving our 23 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 3: present and shifting the culture forward. You're tuning in to 24 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 3: Capitulo Doscientos Nio two twenty eight. 25 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: Last time on Loca to our radio, we brought you 26 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: our coverage from the Fighting Oligarchy rally here in Los Angeles. 27 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: Go ahead, listen to that Gopitolo, leave us a review 28 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: and share with a friend. 29 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 3: Today we are bringing back our mini series Totally Nostalgic, 30 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: a series about the Latinos who shaped pop culture in 31 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 3: the early two thousands. 32 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: We started off our Totally Nostalgic series with an interview 33 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: with Maria Garcia, who talked to us about Selena Quintania's 34 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: impact on the Latin wave, the Latin boom that we 35 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: are floring here in our Totally Nostalgic series in the 36 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: early two thousands. We firmly believe that it wouldn't have 37 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: been possible that Latin boom without Selena's impact. She created 38 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: a blueprint of sorts and opened a door. And our 39 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: interview with Maria Garcia explores that. 40 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 3: We sat down with Kathleen or Less. You might remember 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 3: her voice as the iconic voice of Dora the Explorer. 42 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: The original the original voice of Dora the Explorer from 43 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: the beginning, from the very very first season, very first 44 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: episode from the pilot of Dora the Explorer. 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, and just a recap in case you forgot what 46 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 3: Dora the Explorer is. Okay. The first episode of Dora 47 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 3: aired on August fourteenth, in the year two thousand. Dora 48 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 3: the Explorer features the adventures of young Dora, her monkey, 49 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 3: her best friend, Boots, Backpack, and other animated friends. In 50 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 3: each episode, viewers joined Dora on an adventure in an 51 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 3: animated world set inside a computer. Dora the Explorer was 52 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 3: also the first Nickelodeon show to feature a Latino character 53 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: as a protagonist. 54 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: When Dora was released on Nickelodeon, this is a show 55 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: for young children, we had already aged out of the 56 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: target audience. However, Dora was and remains an iconic figure 57 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: in children's media, in media in general, in Latino media, 58 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: and in animation. The interview is beautiful. It's emotional, honestly 59 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: because of the profound nostalgia and the staying power of 60 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: this little Latina character. 61 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: Hi everyone, I'm Kathleen Harles. You may recognize my voice 62 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: when I sound like this. Hi out Dora the Explorer. 63 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 3: Obsessed, obsessed, and there's just so much to talk about, 64 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 3: and we're so grateful that you're here. You know, Dora 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 3: obviously was such an iconic show and still is. And 66 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 3: there's a revitalization, right, there's a new problem with the 67 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 3: same title, and you're also a part of that. So 68 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: let's talk about that as well. But before we dive 69 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: into present day Dora project, let's take it back to 70 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 3: the beginning and tell us about how you started voicing 71 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 3: Dora at age seven and how you got involved in 72 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 3: the show. 73 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: So, Yeah, my mom put me in modeling and pageants 74 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 2: when I was really young, probably like around four or five, 75 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: and I kind of just grew to learn how to 76 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 2: perform and kind of like, you know, listen to choreography 77 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 2: or you know, to teachers on how to like do 78 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: certain things. So I was I feel like I was 79 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 2: maybe just like taught from a really young age. Like 80 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 2: if someone tells me to do something, like to do it, 81 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 2: and I you know, listened, and like I executed pretty well. 82 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 2: So I did well in modeling and pageants and all 83 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 2: of those things. And through modeling, I found a manager 84 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 2: at a convention in New York City, which I oddly 85 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 2: enough I think still exists. It's at the Walda Frestoria. 86 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 2: But I was discovered there by my manager, and then 87 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 2: my manager found me an agent that started sending me 88 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: out to auditions, and Dora was one of the first 89 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: big auditions that I went on. At that point, I 90 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: was probably maybe was I said already probably? I think 91 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 2: I was already seven, And you know, it was for 92 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: the pilot, so we weren't sure if it was, you know, 93 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: going to be picked up or if it was going 94 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 2: to be a thing. So but we knew it was 95 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 2: for Nickelodeon, so we were like, oh, that's so cool, 96 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 2: that's so big. And later that week I found out 97 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 2: that I got the role, and my life forever changed 98 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: since then, and it's been such a crazy adventure and 99 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: I'm sure we'll get into like all of that, but 100 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 2: that's kind of how it all started. And I remember 101 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 2: the audition. It was with a bunch of people were 102 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: in the room and one of the people that I'll 103 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 2: never forget was one of the creators, Chris Gifford, And 104 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 2: after the audition, he asked to speak to my a 105 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 2: parent that was with me, and I was like, oh, yeah, 106 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: my mom is here, and he was like, yeah, I 107 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 2: want to speak with her. And I was like okay. 108 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 2: And you know, like being from a Hispanic household, if 109 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: someone's asking to speak to your parents. I'm like, oh 110 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: my goodness, I did something wrong. I'm going to get 111 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: in trouble. So I go outside and I tell my mom. 112 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: I'm like, she's like, how did go I'm like, I 113 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 2: think all while I was like, they want to talk 114 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 2: to you. She's like, why, what did you do? What happened? 115 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: And I'm like, no, I didn't do anything. I don't know. 116 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 2: So she spoke to him, and he just kind of 117 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 2: wanted to get a sense of you know, my parents 118 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 2: are kind of like, you know, my home life. I 119 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 2: guess they're just more personal information just to kind of 120 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 2: get like a vibe. And I guess it went well 121 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 2: because then we I got it. So yeah, it was pretty. 122 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: Cool, incredible. So you remember auditioning, Oh yeah, oh yeah. 123 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 2: I remember remember being in the room standing. There was 124 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: a table and everyone was behind the table. I remember 125 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 2: just I don't even know if I looked up from 126 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 2: the script because I was just like reading from the script. 127 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: There was like a few pages, and if my memory 128 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 2: is correct, there was definitely about something about like a 129 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 2: farm with different animals. And I was a pretty good 130 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 2: reader too when I was younger, so that also helped 131 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: a lot because I was able to pronounce and kind 132 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 2: of read pretty well out love. 133 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 1: Do you remember being nervous as a child and going 134 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: on this audition. 135 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: Maybe a little, only because it was Nickelodeon, and you know, 136 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 2: it's intimidating when you walk in. I even remember the 137 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: floor they had like risers, and there was a bunch 138 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 2: of kids and different families and we were all sitting, 139 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: you know, auditioning for the same role. So it's kind 140 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 2: of weird. But like I said, like I was so 141 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: used to you know, being in front of adults by 142 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 2: myself and sering questions and preparing you know, answers and 143 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 2: things like that. So I was already customed to like 144 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 2: that type of environment, so I was I don't think 145 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 2: I was like too nervous. I kind of just went 146 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: and did what I had to do and then. 147 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 3: You know, run out, don't go anywhere, lokomotives. 148 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: We'll be right back, and we're back with more of 149 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: our episode. 150 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 3: Amazing. And this is a really niche question, but you 151 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 3: know you're Peeduana and I'm also Peruvian, and yeah, and 152 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 3: so I wanted to ask you about like the Spanish, 153 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 3: like speaking Spanish, right, And Dora has this kind of 154 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 3: neutral quote unquote neutral Spanish. She doesn't sound like she's 155 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 3: from a particular place from Latin America. And obviously if 156 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 3: you're from Biddu or any Spanish speaking country, right there's 157 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 3: its own dialect or it's its own inflection. So was 158 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 3: that something that you had to work through to make 159 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 3: it sound quote unquote neutral or what was that process? 160 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: Like this is a great question because I feel like 161 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 2: I don't get this question often, and I think it's 162 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 2: something that should be discussed a little more. And in 163 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 2: my case, it's very weird and very different. So in general, 164 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: I don't really have an accent. Even growing up and 165 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 2: living in New York, I don't really have a New 166 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 2: York accent. I lived in Long Island for probably over 167 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 2: ten years now, I don't have a Long Island accent, 168 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 2: and I don't know if that's just the way I 169 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 2: was wired. But even as a kid, I had a 170 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 2: very neutral accent, which worked in a lot of different 171 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 2: ways within the industry, because a lot of times, you know, 172 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 2: they wanted neutral accents and for well, for well, I'll 173 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 2: get into Dora in a second. But so my parents 174 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 2: are both immigrants from Peru. Like you had mentioned, they 175 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 2: were probably living in the States at that time for 176 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 2: maybe like ten years or so. They were fluent in English, 177 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 2: obviously with accents. I have an older brother, four years older, 178 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: and when he was born, they only spoke to him 179 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 2: in Spanish. And when he started going to school, he 180 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 2: had a lot of issues and comprehension issues, just you know, 181 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 2: with English and kind of learning, and it kind of like, 182 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 2: you know, just hindered him a little bit at school. 183 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: So when I was born, they didn't want that to 184 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: happen to me. So my parents only started talking to 185 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: me in English, and I only spoke Spanish with my grandparents, 186 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 2: specifically my mom's mom, my grandmother, because she would watch 187 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 2: us and take care of us most of the time 188 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: here in the States. So that's kind of where my 189 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 2: Spanish learning began. It wasn't perfect. I understood it completely, 190 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 2: but I wasn't one hundred percent fluent. So with the 191 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 2: audition there were some Spanish words, but I'm sure from 192 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 2: watching the show, you guys can tell it's not, you know, 193 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 2: not teaching how to like be fluent Intosh. It's kind 194 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: of like little words to pick up on and kind 195 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: of open those doors of learning a new culture, learning 196 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 2: a new language and trying to instill that at a 197 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 2: young age so that you know, when you grow up 198 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: you want to explore that more. No pun intended there, 199 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 2: but so like it's it's it's tough because now as 200 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 2: an adult right and living in the United States, like 201 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 2: English was just my first language. I spoke English a 202 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 2: lot of the times. My grandma ended up moving to Connecticut, 203 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 2: I wasn't really around her as much anymore. I only 204 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 2: spoke to my parents in English, even if they, you know, 205 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 2: talk to me in Spanish. So my Spanish was never fluent. 206 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 2: I was never one hundred percent fluent. Even now, I 207 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 2: do desire to learn and to perfect it because I 208 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,199 Speaker 2: feel like a lot of times when I'm expressing my emotions, 209 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 2: I can't get there fast enough with Spanish, and I 210 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 2: want to get there and I want to learn and 211 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 2: I want to be better, but it's not one hundred percent, 212 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 2: and I feel like looking back and when I think about, 213 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 2: you know, my Dora days, for a little bit, I 214 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 2: think I didn't think I was like Latina enough to 215 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 2: play like this iconic character and be like, you know, 216 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 2: the face of this girl who wasn't a hundred percent 217 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 2: fluent in Spanish, and I remember even too sometimes because 218 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 2: I was getting a lot of press once the show 219 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: came out. A lot of people wanted to like talk 220 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: to me and learn more about me and the show, 221 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 2: which was rare for you know, animation and voiceover actors. 222 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 2: And I remember there were a few networks. I don't 223 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 2: remember which ones, but I remember there were a few 224 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 2: Hispanic networks that didn't want to interview me because I 225 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 2: wasn't one hundred percent fluent. And at the time, I 226 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 2: think I kind of understand, but now as an adult, 227 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 2: I'm kind of like, oh, that's kind of sad, because 228 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: I mean, I get it too, but I don't know 229 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: if the reason was just because they didn't think maybe 230 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 2: I was like worthy enough, you know, and that kind 231 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 2: of like is something that I had to work through, 232 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 2: and it's just a big topic of conversation nowadays, which 233 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:18,839 Speaker 2: absolutely I try to. 234 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, be a part of Don't go Anywhere, Look Amotives. 235 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 3: We'll be right. 236 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: Back, and we're back with more of our episode. 237 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 3: I love hearing that backstory so much because I wonder if, 238 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 3: even subconsciously, that was why Dora resonated so much. Because 239 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 3: a lot of us born Latinos lose that connection to Spanish, 240 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 3: especially if there's some type of family history where there 241 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 3: was an experience like your brothers, right, and then the 242 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,839 Speaker 3: parents decide, Okay, we're going to do English only. And 243 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,199 Speaker 3: that's something that we've covered on the show actually, and 244 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 3: we've had a lot of listeners shared very similar experience 245 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 3: and says so to hear that backstory just it makes 246 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 3: that I think so much. It gives it gives a 247 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 3: lot of depth, I think to you portraying this iconic character. 248 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 3: And did you know at the time the cultural impact 249 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 3: that the show was having or can you reflect back 250 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 3: now and like see like, wow, we really did something. 251 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure, I mean you know as you can. 252 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 2: I was a kid. I was seven years old. The 253 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: show aired when I was ten, and I think it 254 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 2: started to really ramp up maybe like when I was 255 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 2: like twelve or thirteen, maybe like a year after or so. 256 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 2: And like I said, like with voiceover and voice acting, 257 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 2: it wasn't like a big thing for it to like 258 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 2: blow up in a way where like everyone wants to 259 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: like know who's behind it, who's doing the voices, like 260 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 2: who created it, like all of these like different things, 261 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 2: even without social media back then, so like add that 262 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 2: in now and like now it's even bigger. I feel like, 263 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 2: but I don't think I really understood the impact the 264 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 2: show was having and that I was having. I remember 265 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: being told and I have been blessed to be like 266 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 2: nominated for all of these different awards and you know, 267 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: to be recognized at certain events, Latino events, But there 268 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 2: was always like a question, I feel like in the 269 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 2: back of my mind, like really like why, like you know, 270 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 2: I don't think I really fully understood. And it wasn't 271 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 2: until about two years ago I started doing conventions like 272 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 2: Comic Con and all of these different things, and I 273 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 2: started to meet people who grew up with the show, 274 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 2: who grew up with Dora, And there were so many 275 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,119 Speaker 2: people that I have talked to who have heard stories 276 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 2: of like how much Dora means to them, how much 277 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: it helped them connect and resonate with, you know, their families, 278 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 2: with their backgrounds. There's people who lived grew up in 279 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 2: Mexico or were born in Mexico, lived there for a 280 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 2: few years. We're watching Dora the dubdor in Spanish, teaching English, 281 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: and then they would move to the States and then 282 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 2: they would watch it in English. Teaching Spanish to help 283 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 2: them learn English, and I was like, this is so cool, 284 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 2: like all of these different things that I had no 285 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 2: idea was going on behind the scenes because I'm on 286 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 2: the other side and I had no way of like 287 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 2: talking to people. And it's just so beautiful to see 288 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 2: how impactful my voice is and was, and when I 289 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 2: do the voice and like people start crying. It's just 290 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 2: it's so overwhelming and it's such an amazing feeling. But 291 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 2: it does bring back so many memories from your childhood, 292 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: and you don't you don't know what someone can connect 293 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 2: that voice and the show too, and it can it 294 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 2: can I don't know, it can change people's lives. I 295 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 2: don't know. It's just amazing. 296 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: It really is amazing. And I am stuck on what 297 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: you shared earlier that you filmed you recorded at age seven, 298 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: but then the show came out when you were ten, 299 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: and so that's it takes a long time for something 300 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: to get made, and then once it's made for something 301 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: to actually get out there, it doesn't always happen. And 302 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: what was going on between seven and ten? Did you 303 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: you know you did the pilot? Did you forget about it? 304 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: Was it a surprise years later when it finally came out, Like, 305 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: what was that process between seven years old making the 306 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: thing and then ten years old it's out in the world. 307 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, from what I remember, it didn't get picked up 308 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 2: the first time, so my ma, I remember my mom 309 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 2: telling me that they had asked, like do we want 310 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 2: to keep working on it? They want to try and 311 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 2: pitch it again, so they were going to make some 312 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 2: tweaks and do some things, and we were like, yeah, 313 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 2: of course, Like what else are we doing, Like, you know, 314 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:06,959 Speaker 2: we want to work on this, And I remember there 315 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: were a lot of like late nights in the studio. 316 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 2: I remember being with the voice of Boots too and 317 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 2: us recording and doing all of these things. And I 318 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 2: even think they were like changing things on the fly 319 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 2: and like, so there was a lot of work that 320 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 2: was done between those years. I can't remember like right 321 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 2: before it aired, I'm sure like things were ramping up, 322 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 2: but yeah, we recorded a lot. I mean, we had music. 323 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,239 Speaker 2: There was a bunch of revisions all the time. So 324 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,640 Speaker 2: I do remember like being in the studio pretty often 325 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 2: before the show aired, and there were there were longer 326 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 2: episodes than they are now, so there was a lot 327 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 2: more dialogue in things. But also aside from that, you know, 328 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 2: I think I was just being a kid. I think 329 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,400 Speaker 2: I was like doing other auditions and kind of going 330 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 2: to school. I don't remember too much, And I know 331 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 2: for sure with school, I was recording when I had 332 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 2: to record like full days. I had a tutor on 333 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 2: set also, and I can't remember if that was before 334 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 2: the show aired or after. 335 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: And all of this in New York. 336 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 2: In New York, Yeah, the whole cast was pretty much 337 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 2: in New York. Wow, So the one of the first 338 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 2: sessions with all the kids. I remember two times being 339 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 2: with the whole cast. The first time was when we 340 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 2: were all meeting each other for the first time and 341 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: they were going to talk to us about our characters. 342 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 2: They started showing us images of our characters and kind 343 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 2: of like what we looked like, which was pretty cool. 344 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 2: And then the next time was when we I think 345 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 2: we were recording the theme song and we were all 346 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 2: together and it was chaos. I remember, just all the 347 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 2: kids like running around. There were snacks everywhere. We were 348 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 2: just like all over the place, and I think that 349 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 2: was the last time we were all together. I don't know, 350 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 2: because it was just like craziness. But yeah, we were. 351 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 2: I think most of us were kids, except for Map, 352 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 2: the voice of the Map and the voice of Swiper, 353 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 2: Mark Weener. He did both of those voices. He was 354 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 2: an adult. So and then maybe some other like characters, 355 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 2: but the main, other main characters were all kids. 356 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: So had you been had you been voicing Dora without 357 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: having an image of Dora? 358 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 2: I auditioned without having her image, so it was just 359 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 2: kind of like my voice. And then fun fact that 360 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 2: my mom reminded me recently, which I don't think I've 361 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 2: spoken about at all, So this is this is an 362 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 2: exclusive and exclusive. Yeah. So they had originally drawn Dora 363 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 2: with green eyes. No, yes, and uh there was someone 364 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,439 Speaker 2: on the team who we got really close to. Her 365 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 2: name was Dolly, and she was like, no, you can't 366 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 2: have you have to change it to brown. And they 367 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: changed it to brown. And I always like try to 368 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: think about that, like how one why and then like 369 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: two because of course there's people you know in South 370 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,400 Speaker 2: American countries or in Latin countries that you know people 371 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 2: who have green eyes. It's not like there is it, 372 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: but because you're trying to create a character that resonates 373 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 2: with the majority, right, absolutely think brown was the right 374 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 2: right way to go for sure. 375 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean, and do you remember when you 376 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 3: first saw the image of Dora and like what your 377 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,239 Speaker 3: thoughts were, did you feel connected to her or what 378 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 3: were your. 379 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 2: Thoughts her head? It was just like so. 380 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 4: I always remember like I always had that bell. I 381 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 4: was like, oh, her head is like pretty big. And 382 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 4: then what made it worse too? Like I always used 383 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 4: to get so many comments. 384 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 2: Of like, oh my gosh, she looks so much like Dora, 385 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 2: and I'm like what, But yeah, I thought she was 386 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 2: the cutest. I mean those first animations of Dora, like 387 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 2: especially in season one. I look back and I'm just like, 388 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 2: she's so cute, and I love her little belly that 389 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 2: shows between her shorts and her shirt and her little belly. 390 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 2: I was definitely like more as a kid. I was 391 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 2: definitely a little chubbier, and I owe that always happened 392 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 2: to me. My shirt always like wrote up a little bit, 393 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 2: so I thought that was like really cute. She doesn't 394 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: have that now, which is fine, I get it, but 395 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 2: I do miss the little like belly pop there. Those 396 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 2: are definitely the two things I remember noticing. 397 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 3: And I love that it was your mom who reminded 398 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 3: you about the character originally having green eyes. What do 399 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,399 Speaker 3: your parents say now, like as they also look back 400 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 3: on this huge cultural impact that you had, what are 401 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 3: their thoughts on this character and your involvement. 402 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,719 Speaker 2: I forget sometimes that my mom has all of the information. 403 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 2: So every time like I forget something or I call 404 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 2: her and I ask and she starts telling me all 405 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 2: these things. I'm like, oh, like, how do you remember 406 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 2: like all of this stuff? But she should definitely do 407 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 2: an interview with all the stuff that she knows. But 408 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 2: my mom has She's like, she is my best friend, 409 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 2: and uh, you know, she was the one who I 410 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 2: hung out with the most, and she was one taking 411 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 2: me to pageants, some mudeling, to auditions and really kind 412 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 2: of just being a protector and a guide in every way, 413 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 2: you know. Within with this industry, it's really hard to 414 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 2: kind of like navigate everything, especially not knowing anything and 415 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 2: my mom being an immigrant being here for only like 416 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 2: a handful of years. Kind of throw a young mom too. 417 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 2: She was twenty when she had me, No, twenty four, 418 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 2: so she was probably like thirty thirty one when I 419 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 2: started all of this, and you know, she did. In 420 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 2: my mind, she did well, thankfully, there was people that 421 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 2: were in her corner that were able to kind of 422 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 2: guide her and teach her like certain things about the 423 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 2: business that you wouldn't know otherwise, which is also something 424 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 2: like so crazy. I feel like a lot of times 425 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 2: there is no book right to teach you about the business, 426 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 2: and you're kind of learning and doing these things, and 427 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 2: a lot of times you can kind of get caught in, 428 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 2: you know, things that aren't true and things that you 429 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 2: think that you can't do or can't say, when in 430 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 2: reality you can. So there was definitely a lot of 431 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 2: growth that we did together, and I really am so 432 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 2: thankful that my mom was there to protect me and 433 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 2: to help me navigate the industry the way that she did. 434 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: Did your friends at school know that you were a 435 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: child actor and that you were doing TV shows and 436 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: auditioning and pageants? Was that just your work life and 437 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: you left it at work and then when you were 438 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: at school you were just in school, yes and no. 439 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 2: Growing up, I grew up in Queens and I was 440 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 2: going to a private school. It was a Greek Orthodox school, 441 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 2: so I had I think I went there from the 442 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 2: beginning since kindergarten and I was there till sixth grade. 443 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 2: And most and it were small classes. I think my 444 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 2: class the biggest it got was like twenty people in 445 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 2: the whole grade, so very small school. So I think 446 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 2: they kind of knew and like knew the whole process. 447 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 2: But because I knew them all from before and throughout 448 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 2: the whole thing, we had built friendships and relationships where 449 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 2: it wasn't like, you know, it was cool, and I 450 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 2: would invite and take some of them to like little 451 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 2: movie premieres that they would have at the Nickelodeon offices 452 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 2: and things, but it was never like how my experience 453 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 2: was in middle school, which I'll get to that in 454 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,840 Speaker 2: a second, Okay, But so I think the beginning years 455 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 2: was kind of like easier to navigate. And before we 456 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 2: moved to Long Island, I had went to public school 457 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 2: for maybe like half a year, and that was kind 458 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 2: of weird because I feel like I was still being 459 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 2: taken out of school or not really in school at 460 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 2: the time. I was doing like half days in the 461 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 2: studio or like half weeks in the studio, and then 462 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 2: half the other week I was in school, So it's 463 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 2: kind of weird. So people kind of knew and then 464 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 2: I got made fun of a little bit I guess, 465 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 2: because you know, Dora was seen as like a kid 466 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 2: show and I was already like in like fifth grade 467 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 2: at that point. But at whatever, then I left. I 468 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 2: went to Long Island, and I remember telling my mom, 469 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 2: I don't want anyone to know. I just want to 470 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 2: go start fresh, and I don't want that to be 471 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: like a topic of discussion at least in the beginning, 472 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 2: you know. And then I would tell people when I 473 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 2: was ready. So my mom made sure to tell the 474 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 2: guidance counselor this is what she wants, because obviously she 475 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 2: had to tell them because I would be taken out 476 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 2: early and things like that. So she's like, fine, no problem. 477 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 2: She takes me to my homeroom class, my guidance counselor. 478 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 2: She's telling my homeroom teacher who I am, and a 479 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 2: student comes up at the same time, and I'm like no. 480 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: I remember just being like stunned there. And this was 481 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 2: sixth grade and this school was huge in comparison to 482 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,719 Speaker 2: what I was used to. And she went back and 483 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 2: told everyone in the class and then it was kind 484 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 2: of like lost from there, and I'm like, well, what 485 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 2: was my secret and. 486 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 3: What was their reaction? I mean, middle school is rough. 487 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 3: I would never want to go back to middle school ever. 488 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 2: Again. 489 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 3: You couldn't pay me so. 490 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 2: Horrible. 491 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 3: So what was the reaction? 492 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 2: There was a mix. Some thought it was really cool. 493 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 2: Some was like some people were like, oh, that's cool, 494 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 2: but like who cares, Like let's get to know you, 495 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 2: which was really cool too. Some people thought I was 496 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 2: lying my best friend, well I'm still friends with now. 497 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 2: She thought I was lying the whole time. 498 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 4: Oh wow, she's my best friend now, so that's fine. 499 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 2: And and then some people just would make fun of 500 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 2: me about it. I think I don't I think too, 501 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,719 Speaker 2: like without social media and really understanding what voice acting was. 502 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 2: You know, I wasn't online the set of like, you know, 503 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 2: a show where you could see my face, so people 504 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 2: I don't think people really understood like what I was doing. 505 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 2: So I think maybe it just came from that, and maybe, 506 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 2: you know, maybe jealousy because I was leaving school early, 507 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 2: and maybe I was like being I, you know, people 508 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 2: excuse me for more things and things like that. So 509 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 2: it's just kind of hard, especially like you said, middle school, 510 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 2: it was just such a weird time. Everyone's changing, people 511 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 2: are changing faster than other people. I'm trying to figure 512 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 2: out like who I am, and you were working a 513 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 2: lot and you were a working actor. I was a 514 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 2: working actor. Yeah, and we did a lot. I mean 515 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 2: at the time at that time, Dora was like, we 516 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 2: were doing games. We were doing all of these online games, 517 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 2: we were doing toys. It was just it was a lot. 518 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 2: It was definitely a lot. And at the same time, 519 00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 2: not that this is related or anything, I was struggling 520 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 2: a lot with my weight at the time, so I 521 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 2: was really like insecure and self conscious about my body 522 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 2: and things like that. So it's just kind of hard 523 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 2: to navigate all of that, all of that stuff. 524 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 3: I'm thinking for bringing that up, because I think that that's, 525 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 3: you know, one of the parts of being like a 526 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 3: I don't know, a unique, not a unique, not quite 527 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 3: the opposite of unique, a universal experience for girls right 528 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 3: growing up in whether they're an elementary school, middle school, 529 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 3: high school, growing up, there's these body image issues, especially 530 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 3: if you're a girl of a young girl of color, right, 531 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 3: maybe you have a larger body than your peers. And 532 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 3: so how was that for you as you were also 533 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 3: voicing one of the biggest characters at that time, but also, 534 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 3: like you said, like I was just in middle school. 535 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 3: I was just a girl. What was that like? 536 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 2: Navigating it was hard because I was getting pulled from school, 537 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 2: so I really I couldn't do like extracurriculars or anything 538 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 2: like that, at least in middle school. In high school 539 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 2: I was able to participate in like the musicals and things, 540 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 2: but that was also hard to But especially in middle school, 541 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 2: I couldn't really like participate in a lot of things. 542 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 2: And making friends was definitely hard because especially because I 543 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 2: wasn't there, there wasn't a lot of times for me 544 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 2: to like really connect with people in a deep way. 545 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 2: I mean I did eventually, you know, find those few 546 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 2: people that I did connect with, but it was definitely 547 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 2: hard and kind of balance all of it school work, traveling, 548 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 2: then like my home, and then at home too, like 549 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 2: you know, I have a brother and things, and you know, 550 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,239 Speaker 2: just like trying to balance it all. I think it 551 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 2: was really difficult for me at the time, and especially 552 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 2: with my weight, you know, being mostly a voice actor 553 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 2: at the time because as a kid and not having 554 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: so much time to give, like you know, my priority 555 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 2: was Dora and the show and with Nickelodeon and so 556 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 2: and a lot of times I was recording by myself 557 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 2: at that time, and you know, so being by myself 558 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 2: but also like being overweight, and you know, I felt 559 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 2: comfortable in the booth because I was by myself. No 560 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 2: one's looking at me, and my body doesn't matter, it's 561 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: just my voice. So I do feel a sense of 562 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 2: comfort every time I'm in the booth, which is really 563 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 2: weird but also really amazing, and every time I would 564 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 2: and then when I started auditioning again and being in person, 565 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 2: I just felt very self conscious because I, you know, 566 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 2: I was bigger than everyone else, and a lot of 567 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 2: times I was being castid for things that I don't 568 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 2: know where I didn't know why I was being castered, 569 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 2: or maybe it was just kind of like I don't know, 570 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 2: I just looking at everyone else and then kind of 571 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 2: looking at me. I was just like, oh, I don't 572 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 2: really know if I'm supposed to be here. And I 573 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 2: definitely felt pressure for my mom too, which is like 574 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 2: a whole other thing. And I started doing like these 575 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 2: these weight I don't know if you guys remember herbal life, 576 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 2: but I started doing it like these shakes in school 577 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 2: in middle school. And I remember like my homeroom, my home, 578 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 2: mech I think it was homech it's called like with cooking, 579 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 2: and you learn cooking. She would let me like leave 580 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 2: my shakes like in the fridge. So when I started 581 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 2: to do that, and like I started to lose weight 582 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 2: and things. And it's so crazy because I remember at 583 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 2: the time being in middle school and all of those 584 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 2: things and doing all of that. I remember like really 585 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 2: thinking like, oh, like this is like this is great. 586 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 2: Like I'm making the decision, like I think this is 587 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 2: the right path for me to do. And I'm like 588 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 2: looking back and I'm like that was horrible for me 589 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 2: to do, like you know, but I did. It did 590 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 2: help me like lose weight and things like that, but 591 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 2: it doesn't ever give you the confidence that you need 592 00:33:57,680 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 2: to be in your own body. And that's just like 593 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 2: a whole another conversation, right which you have to feel 594 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 2: feel comfortable in your writing no matter how much you weigh, 595 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 2: how high it is, how low, whatever it is. As 596 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 2: if you're not comfortable in it, that's something else that 597 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 2: we need to work on. And I'm doing that work. 598 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 2: I'm still doing that work now with like a therapist 599 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 2: and really trying to understand kind of like my relationship 600 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 2: with food, especially you know, being Latina, being Hispanic growing 601 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 2: up like you just have to eat clean plate club 602 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 2: like that was like the thing. 603 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 3: Right, yeah, and being proving like Papa's heros. You know 604 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 3: it's the best in the world. 605 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 2: But yeah, and then then yes, yes, right exactly, you see, yes, 606 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 2: And it's just kind of hard to like break out 607 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 2: of that, and you don't realize, like as a kid, 608 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,359 Speaker 2: you all of these things that we learn, it's kind 609 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 2: of hard to like unlearn them as we get older, 610 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 2: and kind of like bringing it back to Dora, I 611 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 2: really do see how impactful it is. How even the 612 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 2: littlest things of teaching like words in Spanish or like 613 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 2: teaching how to explore just being a leader and being 614 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:20,200 Speaker 2: somebody that looks like us, even though it may be subtle, 615 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 2: it was so impactful and so meaningful. And I understand 616 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 2: that so much now, and uh, I feel like it's 617 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 2: really pushing me to want to be better. 618 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: Absolutely. I'm fascinated too by how you seem so well adjusted. 619 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,359 Speaker 1: I mean, correct me if I'm wrong. You seem very 620 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: sane and well adjusted. And I only bring that up 621 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:51,040 Speaker 1: because you are a former child actor, and I think 622 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:56,439 Speaker 1: the industry notoriously like traumatizes child actors who then grow 623 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: up to be like very dysfunctional adults. And I think 624 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 1: since the beginning of the cinema, we have so many 625 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: examples of child actors who were mistreated or who were overworked, 626 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: who didn't get to be kids, didn't get what they needed, 627 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 1: their parents didn't protect them. 628 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 4: What have you? 629 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:17,240 Speaker 1: Why do you think that you having voiced this huge 630 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: character and it sounds like over the course of many years, 631 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: like your entire adolescence, why do you think that you 632 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: have turned out the way that you have maybe compared 633 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,839 Speaker 1: to some of the other child actors from the same 634 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: time period and from the same network. 635 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 2: Even Yeah, it's hard to answer that question, right, because 636 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 2: you don't know exactly everyone. You only see what you 637 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 2: see on social media, right, But there's always things that 638 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 2: are happening or things that will never know what's going 639 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 2: on behind the scenes at home or at school or 640 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 2: things like that. But for me, because everything, at least 641 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 2: in my opinion, because of everything was happening in New York, 642 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 2: I was living in New York, I was recording in 643 00:36:56,360 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 2: New York. Most of my work was in New York. 644 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 2: I wasn't really a part of like kind of like 645 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 2: that La Hollywood and like surrounded by all of these 646 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 2: other actors and child actors. If anything, I was the opposite. 647 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 2: I feel like I was alienated. I didn't have like 648 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 2: other kids aside from like the kids in my cast, 649 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,759 Speaker 2: to kind of like talk to about, you know, the 650 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 2: work that we're doing, or to find someone who can 651 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 2: like mentor me and like voice acting or in acting 652 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,800 Speaker 2: in general. Like I just felt like a lone wolf 653 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:36,880 Speaker 2: really and for a very long time until like recently, 654 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 2: So maybe that was part of it. I feel like 655 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 2: because I just wasn't surrounded by all of that. I 656 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 2: was kind of like, you know, in a bubble here. 657 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,280 Speaker 2: And I mean I, like I said, like my mom 658 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 2: was just very involved. She was always there for me. 659 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:59,320 Speaker 2: I had a really great support system at least at home. 660 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 2: I need to give a lot of credit to God, 661 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 2: where you know, I grew up in a faith based household, 662 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 2: and I do think he protected me my whole life 663 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 2: and throughout many situations. But I say that to say 664 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 2: there was like there were struggles, so like I said 665 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 2: about like my weight and things like that, and there 666 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 2: were a lot of things that I had to fight 667 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 2: and grow and and understand as I got older, and thankfully, 668 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: I think just like the pieces just fell right for me. 669 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 2: I mean after the show when they recasted, I was 670 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 2: graduating from high school going into college and I wasn't 671 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 2: even I was kind of upset, but not really upset. 672 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 2: I was like, I need to leave Dora behind. I 673 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 2: don't know who I am. I need to find out 674 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 2: who I am without Dora. And I was going to 675 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 2: school for communications. I wasn't dorming, but I was like 676 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 2: working at the mall. I was like doing like so 677 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 2: many different things, but I kind of just wanted to 678 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:07,359 Speaker 2: explore a different part of me and my life and 679 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 2: who I'm going to be for the rest of my life. 680 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 2: I didn't know. And throughout that whole time, it wasn't perfect. 681 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 2: I wasn't perfect, but somehow I found my way, and 682 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 2: you know, I learned a lot about myself and I'm 683 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 2: you know, I'm growing and I'm getting better and I 684 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 2: feel like I don't know, just so a lot of 685 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,479 Speaker 2: things have happened, but thankfully I'm still here to kind 686 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 2: of like be better and work on myself. And that's 687 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,440 Speaker 2: all you can try to do, right And thankfully I have, 688 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 2: you know, a pretty good sound mind. I think to 689 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 2: kind of make good decisions and kind of like evaluate 690 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 2: some things. My husband may tell you otherwise, you know. 691 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 2: I Yeah, you just try it one day at a time, right, 692 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:56,600 Speaker 2: That's all you can do. 693 00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you so much for sharing that. And I 694 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 3: want to go back to the piece about you finding 695 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:04,879 Speaker 3: out you were recast, Right, so how many years were 696 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 3: you did you voice Dora? And now you're taking on 697 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 3: this new role. So I want to hear like from 698 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 3: there to now what that was, what that's been like. 699 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been pretty cool. So if you count the 700 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 2: pilot years also, so from seven and then when I 701 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:30,440 Speaker 2: knew I was getting recasted, I was eighteen, but I 702 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 2: was still doing there was still some overlap between me 703 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 2: and the next Dora, so maybe like a little more 704 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 2: so like eleven maybe eleven to twelve years, like in total, which, 705 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,880 Speaker 2: like you said, it was basically my whole childhood. It 706 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 2: feels like like one life, right and then like now 707 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:56,280 Speaker 2: I'm living like a second life. And so after college 708 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:58,160 Speaker 2: and things like that, I ended up leaving the industry 709 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 2: for a little bit and I was working in interior design. 710 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 2: Loved my job. I did project management. I was having 711 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:09,719 Speaker 2: a great time COVID hit. Lost my job and I 712 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,719 Speaker 2: found out people were auditioning from home. So I was like, oh, 713 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 2: let me do that, because you never know, you can 714 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 2: book something, money, pay pay the bills and things like that. 715 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 2: So I started to do that. I contacted my old 716 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:24,440 Speaker 2: manager and they were like, yeah, sure, we'll start sending 717 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,279 Speaker 2: you out, no, no problem. So I was like great. 718 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 2: I think like a year later, I found a job. 719 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,399 Speaker 2: I was working again, but I was still auditioning from 720 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 2: home because it was just easy to do. And I 721 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:39,680 Speaker 2: got this, Well, so this is another exclusive I haven't 722 00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't think I've mentioned this before. 723 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 2: I got an audition for Issa the Iguana, and I 724 00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 2: was like, I don't know, like Esa, so I did it. 725 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 2: I don't think I even submitted for it. I was like, no, 726 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 2: I'm going to pass on this one. And then a 727 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 2: little later I got the audition for Mommy and I 728 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:06,480 Speaker 2: was like, oh, that's kind of cool. And then also 729 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 2: at that time it clicked right like, oh, like their reboot. 730 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 2: They're gonna do a reboot of the show. There's so 731 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:14,239 Speaker 2: many other reboots, and I was like, oh, reboot. I 732 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 2: was like, this isn't this just happen like not too 733 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,960 Speaker 2: long ago. But then I'm like thinking about it, it's 734 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 2: been like you know, it's been ten years already, and 735 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,719 Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, wow, that's okay sure. And then I 736 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 2: was like, all right, I'm going to audition for this, 737 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:30,440 Speaker 2: and I was like this is this would be so cool, 738 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:32,799 Speaker 2: like to come back, and because I don't think I 739 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 2: ever wanted to be Dora again. Like I said, I 740 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:40,120 Speaker 2: think that was like my time, so to be part 741 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 2: of it in this way, to kind of play her mom, 742 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:46,319 Speaker 2: my own mom in a sense, was kind of cool 743 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 2: and full circle. So I auditioned for it, and I 744 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 2: didn't expect anything, but it was something that I was 745 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,720 Speaker 2: curious to see if I would get. So I remember 746 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 2: like emailing my manager like Hi, did you hear back? 747 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 2: Did you hear back, which like you normally don't do 748 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,200 Speaker 2: because it just kind of like you never know. But 749 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:06,720 Speaker 2: then three months later I got a call. I remember 750 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:09,719 Speaker 2: I was sitting at work in my cubicle and they 751 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 2: called me and I went into a phone booth and 752 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 2: he told me that I got it. I was like, 753 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:17,760 Speaker 2: no way. He's like, yeah, they want you to play mommy, 754 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 2: And like I started getting so emotion on this phone booth. 755 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:24,160 Speaker 2: I was like, this is so crazy, Like I know, 756 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 2: like that call that you get, like so many people 757 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:30,759 Speaker 2: like work so hard to get and for me to 758 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 2: get it for a show twice in a sense like 759 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:40,080 Speaker 2: I was just so like overwhelmed and so thankful to 760 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:41,799 Speaker 2: be a part of it again. And I knew it 761 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:44,359 Speaker 2: changed my life one time, and it's still here and 762 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 2: hopefully it can, like you know, change my life in 763 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:52,160 Speaker 2: other ways too. But it's also like really fulfilling in 764 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:54,520 Speaker 2: a real full circle to kind of be able to 765 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 2: look at my past and see it in a different 766 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 2: way and then channel all of that to bring it 767 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 2: back into this character as as the mom you know 768 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 2: as Dora's Mom. 769 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:11,920 Speaker 1: Our series that we are like including in this tenth 770 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: season of our show, and one of the reasons why 771 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,320 Speaker 1: we wanted to talk to you. We have the series 772 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 1: called Totally Nostalgic, and we are feeling nostalgic, and we're 773 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 1: thinking about our childhoods and our adolescents and the late 774 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,960 Speaker 1: nineties and the early two thousands, and I'm wondering if 775 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:33,319 Speaker 1: you feel ever a sense of nostalgia for that time 776 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 1: in your life, as it pertains to the show, even 777 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: with you know, the journey you've gone on and leaving 778 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 1: the child Dora in the past and figuring out who 779 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 1: you are. Do you ever feel a sense of nostalgia 780 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:46,560 Speaker 1: about that time period? 781 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:53,879 Speaker 2: For sure, Like with the show. It's kind of sad too, 782 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:58,719 Speaker 2: because I feel like I've pushed it away from me 783 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 2: for so long. Like I said, like after college, and 784 00:45:02,239 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 2: I didn't really talk about it. I kind of didn't 785 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:06,720 Speaker 2: like when people brought it up, or like I didn't 786 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:08,799 Speaker 2: like using it as like my fun fact when I 787 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 2: got a new job or things like that. My husband does, 788 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:18,360 Speaker 2: but I don't. But I don't know. That's still something 789 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:21,359 Speaker 2: I'm like thinking about, like why I was doing that 790 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:26,080 Speaker 2: for so long, and when I knew I was going 791 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:28,799 Speaker 2: to be voicing Mommy and then I was, you know, 792 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:30,959 Speaker 2: I got the same opportunity to do like a bunch 793 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:34,759 Speaker 2: of conventions at once with this one company. They were 794 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 2: kind of like, Okay, what's your social media presence. I'm like, no, 795 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 2: I have one, Like it's kind of like just for 796 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,080 Speaker 2: me and I post like my my outfits and like 797 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:45,760 Speaker 2: my you know whatever, and they're like, do you post 798 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,520 Speaker 2: about Dora. I'm like no, And They're like why, and 799 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:51,359 Speaker 2: I'm like, I don't know, you know, I don't know. 800 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:53,120 Speaker 2: I don't I don't know if it's because I didn't 801 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 2: want the attention or I didn't want to talk about it, 802 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:56,200 Speaker 2: or I didn't think it was like cool because it 803 00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:58,200 Speaker 2: wasn't cool. I don't know. It was so many different things, 804 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:00,759 Speaker 2: and they were like, well, post about it, because you know, 805 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,440 Speaker 2: people need to know, like if you're gonna be at 806 00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 2: you know, this city or that city, and you need 807 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,240 Speaker 2: a way to connect with them. So I was like okay. 808 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 2: So then I started posting about it on TikTok and Instagram, 809 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:15,439 Speaker 2: and it kind of like blew up in a way 810 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:19,279 Speaker 2: like where I didn't think people cared about me or 811 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:22,920 Speaker 2: the show or or you know, all of that. And 812 00:46:24,239 --> 00:46:26,720 Speaker 2: when I got hit with all of these stories and 813 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,360 Speaker 2: the songs that we used to sing and all of 814 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:31,440 Speaker 2: these different things, like it kind of like all like 815 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:36,600 Speaker 2: flooded back. And even now, like every time I talk 816 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 2: about it, I get like so overwhelmed because it it's 817 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:43,400 Speaker 2: such a big part of me, and it's it's like 818 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 2: I look at my all of these things and I'm like, 819 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:48,239 Speaker 2: that's that's like me, Like I grew up with her, 820 00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,280 Speaker 2: Like every time I look at her, I feel that nossage, 821 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:55,160 Speaker 2: I feel all of those different things, and it's so 822 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 2: beautiful because I feel like I kept it in like 823 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:01,359 Speaker 2: a box and now it's kind of open and I'm 824 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:05,719 Speaker 2: able like to tap into that and really like and 825 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,120 Speaker 2: feel all of those feelings that I feel like I 826 00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 2: was kind of like shoving off for a long time 827 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,160 Speaker 2: and I just yeah, I'm like embracing it now and 828 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 2: it's it's overwhelming because I probably haven't done that in 829 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 2: so long, but it is kind of beautiful. Like I 830 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,240 Speaker 2: love doing the voice now, I love singing the songs 831 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 2: and going back and watching like you know, the episodes, 832 00:47:26,920 --> 00:47:32,719 Speaker 2: especially that first the first the theme song for the 833 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:36,840 Speaker 2: first season with the computer that like, every time I 834 00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:39,839 Speaker 2: watch that, I'm just like it's just like grin ear 835 00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:42,080 Speaker 2: to ear, Like it's just so cool. That part is 836 00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 2: always going to be nostalgic for me. 837 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:46,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, thank you so much. I do want to 838 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,359 Speaker 3: just like a couple of final wrap up questions. Can 839 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:51,040 Speaker 3: you tell us about when the show is launching, because 840 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:52,399 Speaker 3: I know it's launching launching soon. 841 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it actually aired, Yes, it aired April twelfth of 842 00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 2: last year, so it's almost a one year anniversary. It 843 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:02,359 Speaker 2: is a vail to watch on Paramount. Plus the first 844 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 2: two seasons are on there, and this past September it 845 00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:10,239 Speaker 2: is now like on cable and on other on Nickelodeon now, 846 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:13,919 Speaker 2: so you can watch it there. And yes, hopefully we'll 847 00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:16,480 Speaker 2: hear some more good news in the future for that. 848 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 2: Oh and they have. I don't know if people are aware. 849 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 2: There's podcasts too that the show is doing. There's like 850 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,880 Speaker 2: a Dora's Recipe for Adventure, which is really cool, the 851 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:31,719 Speaker 2: podcast for kids, but they make different recipes throughout each 852 00:48:32,719 --> 00:48:35,839 Speaker 2: episode and it's pretty cool. There's great music. Mommy's there, 853 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 2: Poppy's there, Auila's there, so it's actually really fun. 854 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:43,800 Speaker 3: That conversation with Kathleen was so touching, so beautiful, so profound. 855 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:46,279 Speaker 3: It went places I didn't think it was going to go. 856 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 3: But I'm so glad we got her for this series 857 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:55,000 Speaker 3: because talk about nostalgia, talk about cultural impact and staying power, 858 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,759 Speaker 3: and a Latina behind the voice, which I feel like 859 00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:02,840 Speaker 3: at that time was not very important to network executives, 860 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:05,919 Speaker 3: but it was the exception here at Nickelodeon. So I'm 861 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:07,440 Speaker 3: really grateful that we got to interview her. 862 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 1: She shared really personal stories and details about growing up 863 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:15,680 Speaker 1: and what the show has meant to her and the 864 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:18,520 Speaker 1: places it's taken her, which I really appreciate. So I 865 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 1: hope you guys like this interview. 866 00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:23,480 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to another episode of Loka Radio. 867 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:27,800 Speaker 3: We'll catch you next time, Bestsos. Loka to A Radio 868 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,200 Speaker 3: is executive produced by Viosa Fem and Mala Munios. 869 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:33,840 Speaker 1: Stephanie Franco is our producer. 870 00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:36,400 Speaker 3: Story editing by Me viosa. 871 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 1: Creative direction by me Mala. 872 00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:40,959 Speaker 3: Look At Radio is a part of iHeartRadio's Michael Dura 873 00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:41,960 Speaker 3: podcast Network. 874 00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:44,719 Speaker 1: You can listen to lok At Radio on the iHeartRadio 875 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:46,799 Speaker 1: app or wherever you get your podcasts. 876 00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:49,239 Speaker 3: Leave us a review and share with your prima or 877 00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:50,240 Speaker 3: share with your homegirl. 878 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,359 Speaker 1: And thank you to our loc a morees to our 879 00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:54,439 Speaker 1: listeners for tuning in each and every week. 880 00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:55,440 Speaker 3: Besitos