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MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 80MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 7513MOSTMAGAZINEMOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 80InterviewExclusiveQ: YOUR JOURNEY FROM MEDELL%u00cdN TO QUEENS IS SUCH A COMPELLING STORY. HOW DID YOUR UPBRINGING SHAPE YOUR PASSION FOR ACTING? A: I think growing up Colombian%u2014and being an immigrant%u2014instilled a deep sense of resilience in me.Not speaking the language at first, having to adapt, watching my family work so hard to build a life here%u2014it made me hyper-aware that not everyone%u2019s story follows the same path. And that awareness fueled my passion for storytelling.It made me want to portray characters whose lives don%u2019t fit into neat little boxes. People who fight, adapt, and survive%u2014because that%u2019s what I witnessed growing up. It%u2019s what I lived. Q: YOU MADE YOUR DEBUT IN THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY THESIS FILM ST. PAUL. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE, AND HOW DID IT INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH TO ACTING? A: I feel like I got spoiled with my first production.The crew was professional, the shoot ran as smoothly as a production can go, and the director%u2014Francisco Ordo%u00f1ez%u2014was incredible to work with. He had such a gift for pulling the character out of us, and the script was solid. Everything felt aligned.That experience taught me what professionalism looks like in this industry. Not every production after that was like that, but because I had that as my first example, I had a clear template to model. It showed me how important it is to show up prepared, present, and respectful of the work%u2014and of everyone involved in making it happen. Q: YOU%u2019VE APPEARED IN ACCLAIMED PROJECTS LIKE RAY DONOVAN AND THE INDEPENDENT FILM GANYMEDE. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ROLES THAT RESONATE WITH YOU?A: I%u2019ve always been drawn to the underdog%u2014the characters we don%u2019t often see or side with.I love stepping into the shoes of people who%u2019ve been overlooked, misunderstood, or underestimated. With Mischa, the character I played on Ray Donovan, I connected with her toughness, her survival instinct. She was a single mother before I became one myself, and I wanted to honor that. I was six months pregnant at the time, and I remember walking 20%u201330 minutes from the train station to Sony Studios just to get in her mindset before the audition. I was in it.Then there was Kim in Ganymede%u2014the mother of a gay teenage son, living in a small town. I imagined how fiercely she%u2019d have to fight for him, how much more love and protection she%u2019d need to give, especially in a place where he might not be safe. I wanted to show the world how I would mother in that situation%u2014with fire and with love. I choose roles that expand perspective. That open people%u2019s hearts a little. That remind us how human we all are.