1 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Morenita, a deep dive into the Latin X experience. 2 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 1: With more Anita, we want to create a community and 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: a shared space with you while sharing knowledge and inspiration. 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: This show is about celebrating our culture with guests who 5 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: exemplify the best of us. I'm Darrylene Castillo Vito Lauda 6 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: Gomez is Dominican actress, writer, and film director, known mainly 7 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: for her role as Blanca Flores and Orange Is a 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: New Black Now. Laura Gomez has a podcast called Baraja, 9 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: which is part of the Sonato Network, an introspective podcast 10 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: with a slight touch of Caribbean humor in which Laura 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: and Fablo talk with special guests exploring their processes, seeking 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: to better understand the universal things that connect and disconnect 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: them while reflecting on their own dilemmas and the world 14 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: around us. Lauda, thank you so much for being here 15 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: on Modanita. We are so excited to have you. I 16 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 1: have to say before we start that I'm a big 17 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: fan of your work. You're absolutely marvelous watching you on 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: screen a Dominican actor. I love your work. So thank 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: you for being you and thank you for being here. Wow, 20 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: thank you for that intro. Thank you, Yes, I appreciate it, 21 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: well deserved. We're both Dominican US, but I love that 22 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: our stories are a little different. You actually moved to 23 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: New York at twenty one. I could tell you my 24 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: experience going to d R you know what was four 25 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: team for the first time. But I want to know, 26 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: like for you coming to New York, how was that 27 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: chain being a Dominican and d R and then now 28 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: being a Dominican in New York and New York and 29 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: now back in dr Because now, right now it's so beautiful. 30 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: It's uh, it's been an interesting journey for me. Um 31 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: effective Amenta. So I was raised in in d R. 32 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: UM going to New York was a dream come true 33 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: because I didn't see any outlets for me here creatively 34 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: at the time we're talking about two thousand and one. Um, 35 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: I was a teenager who was very active and many 36 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: things like I started my career here kind of in radio, 37 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: and I was in theater, and I was doing all 38 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: sorts of things like Jack of all trades. As I 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: think I'm I still am that a little bit. You 40 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: are you are, We're gonna get We're gonna get to that. Um. 41 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: But my dream since I was nine, and gladly I 42 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: achieved a little bit of it was to become a 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: professional actress. I wanted this to be my life. At 44 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: the time I didn't know it, but eventually my source 45 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: of income. Like I wanted this to be what I 46 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: did for a living. So moving to New York was 47 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: an essential part of my story because, um, it was 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: the formative years of my adult life in a way. 49 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: You know, I was starting my journey as an adult 50 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: and leaving the nest um, moving to another country without 51 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: my family and being at the capital of the world, 52 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: which ended up being such a essential part of of 53 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: who I am today. And yeah, I I got to 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: New York three weeks after nine eleven. I can tell 55 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: you that much. Yeah, wow, how's that for crazy? I know, 56 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: I might talk about what hold hold on was the 57 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: family freaking out? Was your family supportive and all of 58 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: that and that decision. Yes to my family did support me, Um, 59 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: even when they didn't necessarily always understand what this was 60 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: all about. Uh, but my dad, he has an artistic soul. 61 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: He's not an artist, and they both have sensitivity towards 62 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: the arts. It's not what they did, but my dad 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: is like a frustrated sociologist. He's not writing a book. 64 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: And I think he specifically had a very um his 65 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: support was almost like I didn't get to do certain 66 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: things that I feel he wanted to do. It's like, 67 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: so he wanted me to be able to do whatever 68 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: it is that I wanted to do because he has 69 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: a company here which has been in the market for 70 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: thirty five years. So yeah, so my third brother. So 71 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: I think the expectation in a way was for me 72 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: to follow like the family, you know, company and my 73 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: dad's steps, and the fact that I felt a little 74 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: bit of release from him, like you don't have to 75 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: follow my steps. You don't have this was my journey, 76 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: You do your own. I was very lucky. And my 77 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: mom is a very pragmatic woman, um as any Latino 78 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: would know. Um. So, I don't think that she necessarily 79 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: um understood. She was very pragmatic, like she needed me 80 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: to have a career and she was like her She's like, 81 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: when is this happening? Which I don't blame her, because 82 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: I wanted to leave to New York when I was seventeen. 83 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: I just wanted to leave high school and moved to 84 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: New York. And she's like, yeah, no, no, no, I can't. 85 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: You have to choose something and then that you can 86 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: fall on if anything happened, which to me was never 87 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: a choice. But to be honest, it just grounded me. 88 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: And I feel New York at seventeen would have eaten 89 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: me alive. So when the time came for me to leave, 90 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: this had already been in the back burner for a while. 91 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: So I think we were all prepared for me leaving 92 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: the nest. But what we're not we were not prepared 93 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: for was for a you know, the tragedy of nine 94 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: eleven happening. Yeah. Um, And yet I was determined and 95 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 1: we had a meeting. My dad is very grounded and 96 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: my mom is very pragmatic, so we were like, listen, 97 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: if there's a city that's safe in the world right now, 98 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: it is probably that probably the safest is New York City. 99 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna trust that this was an event 100 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: and not a continuous thing, and because I didn't want 101 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: to change my plans, and I think they just had 102 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: to find a narrative to go on with it. I 103 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: think even then it was worse in the sense that 104 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: it was an attack to the city itself, and but 105 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: it was very interesting because I had time to find 106 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: the city in a very generous state. I felt like 107 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: New Yorkers were at a time where they were really feeling, um, 108 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: this sense of community. People were together being here. Yeah, 109 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: that's such a beautiful thing to experience, especially not everyone 110 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 1: gets to really see that, you know, me being a 111 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: New Yorker, I'm like, I know, we're nice. We are nice. Yeah, 112 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: New York has about Brett. We had a relationship for 113 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: twenty years New York and I that was such a 114 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: brave I mean, that was an incredibly brave move, especially 115 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: to do that during that time frame. And I'm sure 116 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: during the time of like what acting and all that 117 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: looked like for you, you had, you know, some radio 118 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: experience and there was this artistry that you were seeking. 119 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: Was it always something that was on your radar that 120 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: you were like, Okay, I have to go to New 121 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: York to be an actor? So was that the plan? 122 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: Since I was nine, I took my first theater lessons 123 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: at school. I was in a school play where I 124 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: played a spaceship type of mouse and I had one line. 125 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: But then my my partner, my friend who still one 126 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: of my best friends. To this day, I knew all 127 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: her lines, and I just like, God, I don't know why. 128 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: I didn't wish her like anything bad. But if anything 129 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: bad were to happen, I was We were ready. You 130 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: were prepared, already had that, You already had that bug 131 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: in you. You're like, I'm ready to play the lead. Yeah. 132 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: And it wasn't even the Lindad line. It was like, 133 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: I would have three more lines. Okay, that was it. 134 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: Just give me more, just give me more than one. Yeah. 135 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: And she didn't make it to the play because, for 136 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: whatever reason, her mother didn't take her. She had a 137 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: flu or something. Yeah, yeah, that happened. Powerful. The mind is, 138 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: unless you manifested that. I didn't. I didn't wish her 139 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: anything bad. I know what you mean. But she to 140 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: this day she says she wasn't even ill. It was 141 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: her mother didn't want to take her. Whatever, it doesn't matter, Wendy, 142 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: I love you. She's my one of my best friends. 143 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: She's not an actress. She's not an actress. It what 144 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: happened unfair. I love that you guys are still friends. 145 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: That's so good friends. And so I had three more 146 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: lines and something happened to me at nine at that 147 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,719 Speaker 1: school play that stuck with me. It was like it 148 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: was meant to be. It manifested itself as whatever. This 149 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: was a virus that took over me, and you know, 150 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: the acting virus because it has made me suffer for 151 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: many years. But it doesn't matter. It's what I love 152 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 1: the most. Somehow it always draws you back. Sometimes it's 153 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: never it's never done with you. When even when you 154 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: think you're like, okay, I'm gonna go do this for 155 00:08:53,120 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: a few years either, but your phone rings and you're like, okay, 156 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: how did we get from that moment a year life 157 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: of your acting career to landing the iconic role Blanca 158 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: Um on the Orange of the New Black Um. Tell 159 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: me about the meat? How did this happen for you? 160 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: What was the meat? The meat was a lot of uh, 161 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: sleepless nights, a lot of tears, a lot of laughter 162 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: because honestly, you know, I was young and acting classes 163 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: because I studied acting professionally in New York. I'm very 164 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: grateful about that. Um. Even though my teacher was insane, 165 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: but he was a genius. So I trained in a 166 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: basement on the Upper West Side. Wow, real, we're going 167 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: way back okay, she said, as it gets. You know, 168 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: Joe with Williams the great actors, So I don't know 169 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: many people in your generation know her, but my generation does. 170 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: And JoBeth Williams studied with my teacher, so did ted 171 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 1: ted Dance. And I met Joebeth Williams at an event 172 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: at the SAG Awards and I went to say hello, 173 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: and I just wanted to say hi, Um, I'm a 174 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: fan of your word. But also I studied with your 175 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: teacher and she said, you survived, you made it the basement, 176 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: just to say that training for me meant a lot. 177 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: I wanted this so badly. I knew I had some talent. 178 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: I for sure knew I had passion for this, but 179 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: I also knew I didn't know how to do it 180 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: other than in my head. And and you know, passion 181 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: is not enough. So there's muscles, you know, and there 182 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 1: are muscles I needed to develop. And I'm so grateful 183 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: that I did, because now that I connected, I connected 184 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: everything that I learned there about you know, training, the 185 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: body and mine and I took it. Now. You asked 186 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: for to Blanca Florist audition, and I remember getting that 187 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: audition in two thousand twelve. I want I think we 188 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:14,079 Speaker 1: started shooting two thousand thirteen. Uh, but um, I remember 189 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: reading you know, crazy Dominican women talk to the devil 190 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 1: who had no Calmericana, And I'm like, I can't do this. 191 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: I know this woman, but what it did give me, 192 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: and I think, what training gives you and just getting 193 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: in touch with your instincts and understanding the language, is 194 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: that well, if she's crazy and starting to the devil, which, 195 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: by the way, the Oblo ended up being my boyfriend, 196 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: but at the time we didn't know that. Especially at 197 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: the audition, I said, she cannot be that pretty, she 198 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: cannot be that clean. In prison, I took my toolbox 199 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: out of my training and and I decided she would 200 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: walk funny, like she had the weight of the world 201 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: on her shoulders. Right, she wouldn't look pretty. So I 202 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: went and took up my makeup in the bathroom. I 203 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: have sleeping issues, but so I put my dark circles 204 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: even darker, and I went in and they told me. 205 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: Even then, they told me. Gen Euston, the casting director, said, 206 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 1: you mane, it's too pretty for the role. I'm ana 207 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: come off, You're like, I worked so hard and besides, 208 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: like no, I can be ugly, trust me. Trust me, 209 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: I'm a Picasso. I can be ugly. And and then 210 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: I did get the part they called me like a 211 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: few days later. Um, And granted I didn't know what 212 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: I was getting with. Nobody knew Netflix didn't exist by 213 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: then as a service to get DVDs, which I was 214 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: a part of. I got dmvds on the mail the 215 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: good old days. Yeah, so it's like a web series 216 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: something like that. I just love that you used the 217 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: word like your toolbox, because that is such an actor. 218 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,599 Speaker 1: That is our thing, like we all have our toolbox, 219 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: and the importance of education. You've freaking nailed that role. 220 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: The arts are very subjective, so everybody has a different journey. 221 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 1: But I just thought a doctor would go to medical school, 222 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: and what I was thinking of was longevity. I didn't 223 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: go to l A, you see, because I wasn't thinking 224 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: of being like And for some reason, even though I 225 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: was in love with Hollywood, which I was, I'm left 226 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: in love now, I'm in love with cinema, you know. 227 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: But but Hollywood was my first connection to cinema. For 228 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,719 Speaker 1: some reason. I was always very grunted and I was 229 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: a film junkie. I was just thinking of of Anaman Yanni. 230 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: I don't know what. I always thought of the great 231 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: actresses that I was in love with, uh in my 232 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: teen years when I discovered cinema, and so I wanted 233 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: that and training seemed like the logical thing. Also, for 234 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: the record, you know, I did theater for many years 235 00:13:55,679 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: before Orange came, which was very essential. But I'm so 236 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: curious for you, like the journey of when obviously being 237 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: Fanto mingo and then you came here and what was 238 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: what was English? To you? English was very no. I 239 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: was first of all, I studied English since I was 240 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: a child, So I was I was in school, and 241 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: of course in here in regular school, but I used 242 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: to go to this place at the Boston Institute of 243 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: Schooled so um, three times a week for eight years. Wow. 244 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: For many years, translating was a source of income for me. 245 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: I'm a professional translator and proof reader. My mom would 246 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: do the same thing. Yeah yeah, And so my English 247 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: is very good, um, both grammars. Some of my grammar 248 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: is better than many people who were raised in the US. 249 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: I mean sorry to say this, but it's true. But 250 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: what happened is within the Caribbean, so many of my 251 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: teachers had accents. I didn't study with someone from the 252 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: country itself, And so when I got to New York 253 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: and my acting classes, specifically, my accent was like this, 254 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: And I would say, I'm going to Brooklyn and you know, 255 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: and my teacher would tell me, where are you going, Laura? 256 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: Do you mean Brooklyn? Do you mean Brooklyn? Uh? Can 257 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: we learn to say Brooklyn? And I'm like, yeah, that's 258 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: what I say. I said Brooklyn, But now you could 259 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: do both. For that record, my ear is very well 260 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: developed in Spanish, like, I can do many accents in 261 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: Spanish like, but in English, okay, my ear is not 262 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: as well developed. So it took forever for me to 263 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: us into the difference between Brooklyn and Brooklyn, right, And 264 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: to this day, I still I'm uneven in my ear 265 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: quality in English. So I've I've gone through some issues 266 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: where they've asked me to soften my accent so um 267 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: and at some point I just said, you know, it's 268 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: as soft as it gets. But has it been a 269 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: big thing in your career so far? Like your accent, 270 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: You're like, this whole softness is did a conversation that 271 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: you're finding happens often? And how do you feel about that? 272 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: If so, it affected me for for a while. I 273 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: would get some of those comments. Um. Even my manager 274 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: sometimes I get would tell me things and I guess 275 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: it's because she was getting that feedback. Um. And there 276 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: came a point where I just said, fuck it, Yeah, 277 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: I just I can't have this be a source of insecurity. Um. 278 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: The truth is the more authentic I've been, and certain 279 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: things like oranges in New Black Eye got because of 280 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: my being Domini exactly and because of me having an accent, 281 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: because and so many other roles that I've gotten which 282 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: are not as well known. Of course, I've done many 283 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: other things, you know what. Let me just embrace this 284 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: and whenever whenever is for me, it's gonna be for me. 285 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: And whenever they're thinking of urban or whatever, then then 286 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: it's not me because it's sometimes yeah, sometimes I feel 287 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,719 Speaker 1: like they don't know what to do with people like me, 288 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,719 Speaker 1: Like you look Latina, but you don't have the New 289 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: York edge? What do we do with you? Right? And 290 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: so that took me to writing and directing. Um, this 291 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: is what we need to stop allowing this industry to 292 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 1: tell us how we need to be, and we need 293 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: to show them like, actually, there can be versions of this, 294 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: of that we are so much more than just this 295 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: one thing, and I love that you're taking control of 296 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,199 Speaker 1: that in your career. Tell me more about your writing 297 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: and directing. What you're creating for our community's popping. I 298 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: think that in a way, a little bit of what 299 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: you're doing right you have this show is called Modernita, 300 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: which I love. By the way, any Dominican person will 301 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: respond to this, but others will discover what it means. 302 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: It's a term of endearment, and it's a little bit 303 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: like taking over your narrative. Right, you created something that's 304 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: your voice. It was before Orange. I think Orange was 305 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: brought by my finding the need to voice my insecurities. 306 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: I guess I started writing because I wasn't getting roles, 307 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 1: so I decided to write those roles for myself. And 308 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,959 Speaker 1: I wanted to get into off Broadway, and I couldn't remember. 309 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: Labyrinth was like a big goal of mine, you know, 310 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: And I don't know how many of your audience people 311 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: in your audience no Labyrinth, but it was it is, 312 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: and it was an iconic theater company Latino based. But 313 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: also you know, Philisp Mohffman was the director from any 314 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 1: years and um, and I said, you know what, if 315 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: I can get into those places and I'm gonna write 316 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: something and I'm gonna hire these people, I guess what, 317 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: they're my friends now. And I discover many things about myself, 318 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: such as, maybe I don't belong to groups. Maybe I'm 319 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: a person who does her own thing, which is a 320 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: little bit more in line with my way of living. 321 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: And so I started writing and directing a few shorts. Um, 322 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: I got into a workshop and YU and took like 323 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: filmmaking classes and discovered a new muscle I didn't know 324 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: I had, Like I'm a good director and I'm a 325 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: good writer. It all came from acting. But eventually what 326 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: happened was I was so into my project and creating 327 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: my own work, and that was taking so much of 328 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,400 Speaker 1: my energy in a good way that when I went 329 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: to that audition for Oranges in New Black, I always 330 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: say this, I was very busy looking for a cockroach 331 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,959 Speaker 1: for my first short film, which is called The Killer Row, 332 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: which and so I went to that audition feeling very 333 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: inspired by my other work that I was creating. So 334 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 1: all my eggs weren't in one basket, and I didn't 335 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: have this feeling like, don't get this. I'm gonna be 336 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: in you know, unhappy or whatever, like okay, great, thank 337 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: you for seeing me. You're too pretty further all okay, well, okay, 338 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 1: thank you. I gotta go work on this. Yeah. Creating 339 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: your own narrative absolutely, and creating your own work creates 340 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: your own narrative. And I think it just empowered me 341 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: in an energetic way because that opened up doors, it 342 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: really did. I remember people from Labyrinth writing to me 343 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: on face Okay, I saw your shirt. It's so cute. 344 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: I hope we can get to work together at some point. 345 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, I I stopped being someone who 346 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: was waiting for a ship to happen, and I was 347 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 1: creating work. It seems like you never stopped discovering, you know, 348 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: discovering things about yourself, because that's so important. And I 349 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: always say this, to be a storyteller, you have to live. 350 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: You can't just be out here and think this audition 351 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: is going to be your everything. And I know that 352 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: you're doing some voiceover stuff, um, which I love. It's 353 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: just another skill. It's another thing that you're opening up 354 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: vos over the bread and I was gonna say voice 355 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,640 Speaker 1: over wasn't my bread and butter for a while, and 356 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: so I was a voice for Cover Girl for many years. 357 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: And like many brands, you know, many many, many, many things, 358 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 1: so some some things I don't even remember. Um, it 359 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: was very pragmatic. I was just getting a check. But 360 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: but Cover Girl and SWAT professionals and some brands that 361 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: I did, um, we're very essential to my income. And 362 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 1: so what that did it expanded my universe and actives 363 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: and eventually I would encourage in this industry and just 364 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: the arts in general. And you just said something I 365 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: want to point out was that it's very easy to 366 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: fall into this idea of your work giving you identity, 367 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: or that you are what you do. And I fell 368 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: into that inadvertently for many years, and especially when the 369 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: show was happening, because I made my career my source 370 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: of fulfillment, which is I think it's fine if it 371 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: gives you joy. But I just think in general, I've 372 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: been working on something for a long time now in 373 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: therapy and just by myself and my journey, and it 374 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 1: is that happiness just comes from within this cliche, but 375 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: it's really something that I've been working on in terms 376 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 1: of identity yeah, because I gave too much power to this, 377 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: Like I had a relationship in my May thirties and 378 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: when that broke, it really broke me into pieces. So 379 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: I think I put all of that into my career 380 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: like this is gonna be. And when Orange ended, I 381 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: didn't get a hundred offers. You know, I wasn't getting 382 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: work like crazy, and I was getting all this, Oh 383 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: my god, I love your character, Oh my god, I 384 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: love the show. All my guy congratulations, interviews, right, carpets, 385 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: zero work. Wow. And for me that was such a shock. 386 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: But I I think I lived through it, and I 387 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: guess share this because it opened up a whole other 388 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: avenue of possibilities for me because from that I created 389 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: my own podcast. Tell me more about your own podcast. 390 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: I can't wait, come by and check out. But the 391 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: highest So if you speak Spanish, you know it's a 392 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: very Dominican term that means like switch, just skip the subject, 393 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: let's change. Love it. I love it, I love it, 394 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: I love it, I love it. Definitely Keeping your years 395 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 1: open for that one is something that's given me a 396 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 1: lot of joy is um. It's in Spanish with one 397 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 1: episode in English per month. Um. And what I was 398 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: doing was precisely what we're talking about. It was a 399 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,679 Speaker 1: little bit of taking control of my own narrative because 400 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: I wasn't getting any work the pandemic hit. There wasn't 401 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: many possibilities and I'm like, well, everybody in the mother 402 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,639 Speaker 1: has a podcast. I'm like, yeah, so so you'll be 403 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: and you create your own avenue and your own journey 404 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: and your own conversations and have you know, find your 405 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: your own audience. But also it was a way for 406 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: me to divorce myself from my actor identity so that 407 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 1: identity wouldn't kill me. And it's it's interesting conversations precisely 408 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 1: about you know, process, identity and transformation, which is something 409 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: that I'm very interested in. Like, and we have one 410 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: English episode per month, Like we have Seleny Slaver from 411 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: Ourn and Black talking about her journey as an actress 412 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 1: and her book she wrote with her trans sister just 413 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 1: Many and being a Latina in Hollywood and how is 414 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: the journeys and the sickles. And I'm very interested in 415 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: what makes us human and what makes us more of 416 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,160 Speaker 1: the same so that we feel less alone, and these 417 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: types of conversations I think hearing your experiences, um definitely 418 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,959 Speaker 1: resonates with me as an Afro Latina actress in the 419 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: world of you know, Broadway and Hollywood and all of 420 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: those things, Um, and I definitely agree with you. I mean, 421 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: this Morenita project was definitely a little bit of you 422 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: know what, I'm gonna go do this, and I know 423 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 1: everybody has one of these, but you know, mine's gonna 424 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: be about this and it's going to be something that 425 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: represents me and I thought, you, oh my god, and 426 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: something that I want to tap in on. And I'm 427 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: just gonna go back and rewind for a second. We 428 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: know what's going on, we go to the rooms and 429 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: after Latina's everybody has a different definition for that. What 430 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,959 Speaker 1: do you think it was from the world of Hollywood 431 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: and the TV film world? Why weren't you getting these calls? 432 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,199 Speaker 1: It's a business. It's also very and tangible for the 433 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 1: people who are not making the decisions. And what I 434 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: understand about this industry a little bit, um, is that 435 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: some things are not even based on any logic. It 436 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: just happens. They choose who they choose, yes, and that's 437 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: the rest of us, our Pians, and I think it's 438 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: a reflection of society. You know in a way, Um, 439 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: I don't know the causes. If I go in and 440 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 1: analyze the causes, I think I'll just go insane. I 441 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: know it's not personal. I know sometimes I feel they 442 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 1: don't know what to do with me in the sense 443 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 1: of like like I said, I am Latina, but I 444 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: don't feel the whatever specific boxes sometimes they have for 445 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: Latina because I was and raise in the US, so 446 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 1: I don't have, um the type of I have a 447 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: little bit of an accent. If they have a role 448 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: that is a little bit urban, maybe I don't have 449 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: it organically as someone else who was raising in New 450 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: York and has the street thing. And so there are 451 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: layers to every human right and in order to fill stereotypes, 452 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: sometimes it's impossible. It's whoever does fit the stereotype. I 453 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: can assure you have another set of obstacles or challenges. 454 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: Maybe when they want to cross to them more less 455 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: they're a typical, they don't let them exactly. So I 456 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: decided that I'm not gonna try to figure out the 457 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: industry of Hollywood. That makes absolutely no sense to me. 458 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: I think what we do need to be advocating for 459 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: that's very important is representation behind the camera as much 460 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: as in front. And I think I've been training myself 461 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: inadvertently to be a writer and director because I want 462 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: to be able to create a little bit of that, 463 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: break a little bit of of the stereotype and and 464 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: have more narratives from my truth, which includes like someone 465 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: like that Elne who's after Latina, who's not as often 466 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: represented because they're The idea is that maybe they put 467 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: you as an Afro American instead of Dominicans, Like, well, 468 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: if there's gonna be Latina, they're gonna go for my complexion, 469 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: which is lighter, and they have whatever, Like, no, we 470 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: could be sisters and they wouldn't do that in a 471 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: movie now that don't look like no, then we literally 472 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: could be sisters, and we literally could. I'm gonna put 473 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: that out in the universe right now. Okay, me and 474 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: Ladd are going to be in a movie together. I'm 475 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: gonna play your sisters. Oh my god, I have a 476 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: story and everything. We should write it. And I feel 477 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: that that's a reality that we know as Dominicans, that 478 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: someone I knew these twins that back in school, and 479 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: one was lighter than my complexion. We called a blonde 480 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: even though and the other one was dark skin and 481 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: they were twins, and I was like that type of beauty. 482 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: They were put in a movie because they have no 483 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: imagination and no sense of the reality of different places. 484 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: So I feel instead of trying to figure out why 485 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't getting cast, which so many reasons, whatever, I 486 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: was just pushed to do my own thing. And so 487 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: now I'm in the midst of moving a screenplay that 488 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: I wrote and planned to direct hopefully next year. I 489 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 1: can't wait to see what you do now with the 490 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: shift of the pandemic and we're having more open conversations 491 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: right about Afro Latinoism and about representation in the industry. 492 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: How do you feel about the opportunities that are happening now? 493 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: You know, Look, I think change is slow. That's the 494 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: nature of change. The powers that be are not just 495 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: gonna give up their power and give it here, and 496 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: and you know, there's that sense of equality doesn't happen overnight. 497 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: We've been working at this forever and ever. We I 498 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: think we owe ourselves to have a sense of history 499 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: and in journey, to have like context of where we 500 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: come from, the fights that other people have been fighting, 501 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: you know, because I think there's importance in that and 502 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: knowing where we come from, where we are and where 503 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: we are is in an interesting place. At least there's 504 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: conversation happening around this. We are nowhere where we should be. 505 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: Latinos are in the bottom of the I mean, and 506 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: and we also have to be introspective about ourselves. And 507 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 1: remember there's also an identity issue when it comes to 508 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: be a Latino American. I know both sides of the spectrum, 509 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: the Latin American perspective and then Latino in the American 510 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: Latino perspective. So in these conversations, knowing that we are 511 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: trying to get in places that are established by white 512 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: people who are the ones making their decisions for minorities 513 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 1: and sometimes putting us against each other. And so we're 514 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: fighting with each other because we're fighting for power UM. 515 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: And then the ones who get it sometimes it's hard 516 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: to get there, so they don't want to share it. Yeah. Yeah, 517 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: and I think that's something that we need to work 518 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,959 Speaker 1: through UM as a community. Yeah. But I also understanding that. 519 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: I feel like what's important is that there has there 520 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: have been shows like Oranges Me Black was an example 521 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: created by a woman with women behind the camera. We 522 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: we did get a lot of um and she got 523 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: um backlash at some point because there wasn't enough diversity, 524 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: and I think that was valid, and yet she did 525 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: so much and so but when the when they came 526 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: to shop, we got more writers, people of color behind 527 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: the camera, the show started to get better again. So 528 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: I say, this shifts, these dances, these conversations are going 529 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: to happen. So we have to have a little bit 530 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: of a sense of process. I feel some patients, but 531 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: also some forcefulness. You know, it's a game, after all, 532 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: we're playing the game, that's right, but we're also pushing 533 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: for representation. We don't stop. And if you are going 534 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: through that, then I think we do have to develop 535 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: other muscles and and try to get into the game 536 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: from behind the camera, because I think that's it's very 537 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 1: much needed. That's so beautiful, Lauda. It was just lovely 538 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: hearing about your rediscovering your womanhood and what your desire 539 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: and what your legacy is going to be in this life. 540 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: I cannot wait to hear and see everything that you 541 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: are about to build and create. And if we want 542 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: to follow your journey, how do we follow you? Oh gosh, yes, 543 00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: But the plug listen whatever it is that Instagram is sometimes, 544 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: so I do have a window to reality because I 545 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: talked from my truth. Um, there are good days and 546 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: there are bad days. And so I'm on Instagram, Miss 547 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: Laura Gomes ms Laura Gomis, and my podcast is also 548 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: on Instagram, asked, but I hired a podcast and hopefully 549 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: we'll have you even, you know, at some point, so 550 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: we can do yes. Um, so I want to hear 551 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: your journey. Yes, yes, yes, I'm on Twitter, but I 552 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: don't tweet much honestly, and so it's Miss Laudams as well. 553 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: And now I got miss official on on Facebook. And 554 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: I'm very optimistic about where we're going, you know, something 555 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: like this, these conversations. We're having your podcast for Latino's 556 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: and and I'm very much into diversity because that's the 557 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: gift that New York gave me. Um, It's always been 558 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: in me, but New York kind of broughten that up, right. 559 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: So I have friends from all over the world, and 560 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: it's so rich. It would just make every project so 561 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:07,479 Speaker 1: much for richer. Yea, to have representation, yea, to have 562 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: some realness in there. Lauda, thank you so much, My dear, 563 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:16,800 Speaker 1: it was a pleasure and bless me to you soon. Yes, 564 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:25,479 Speaker 1: thank you so much, thank you love, thank you. Loud 565 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: us calling was so strong. She took a leap of 566 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 1: faith to chase her dreams. To be great, you have 567 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: to be fearless and daring along her journey. She took 568 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,879 Speaker 1: what others would consider a weakness, her accent, and made 569 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: it a strength because she doesn't let others define her. 570 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: She created her own voice and she's using it to 571 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: change stereotypes of Latinos in media. They do not define 572 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,600 Speaker 1: us and that she shows us and everything she does 573 00:34:52,920 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 1: it fills us with inspiration. No vemos mona Nita is 574 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: a production of Sonoro in partnership with I Heart Radio's 575 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: Microlguda podcast network. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, 576 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,520 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 577 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.