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'Jane the Virgin' star sees hero in role
American actress of Puerto Rican descent, Gina Rodriguez, has been named the ânext big thingâ for her breakout performance in Filly Brown, which served as the launch pad for her steadily rising profile
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merican actress of Puerto Rican descent, Gina Rodriguez, has been named the 'next big thing' for her breakout performance in Filly Brown, which served as the launch pad for her steadily rising profile.
The 30-year-old actress won the Imagen award for Best Actress in a Feature Film at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for the titular character, which opened the path to her current success.
Thanks to her role in sleeper TV series Jane the Virgin, Rodriguez can no longer walk the streets without being recognized as Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a religious young Latina who was determined to remain a virgin until marriage but became pregnant after being artificially inseminated in error.
The native of Chicago now has 'the virgin' as a nickname, but it is never said with even the slightest air of mockery.
'It's a huge blessing,' she said about being cast in the show based on the Latin American telenovela Juana la Virgen, which was dubbed 'Ugly Betty meets the Gilmore Girls'.
The outlandish premise of the comedy-drama ' dramedy ' has all the beloved elements of a soap opera: a grand storyline, love triangles, marital affairs, long-lost lovers, murder and devious plotters.
Rodriguez said she was comfortable with comedy and being put into humiliating situations in the show. 'If you can't laugh at yourself, it's hard to let others do it.'
Nothing is coincidental or laughable for Rodriguez, who saw herself in the character as soon as she read the script developed by Jennie Snyder Urman, and fought her way through the auditions.
She previously turned down a role on the series Devious Maids simply because she refused the prolonged stereotyping of the Latino community in entertainment as 'maids, gardeners and pregnant teens, gang members or drug addicts'.
'Jane was the role I've waited for, because there are other stories that need to be told about the Latino community, and the media is a venue to educate and teach our next generation.
'I didn't become an artist to become a millionaire ' to wear Louis Vuitton. Every role I've chosen has been something I thought would push forward the idea of my culture and women.'
It was a good decision as a Golden Globe award could be her next achievement.
Rodriguez and the show were honored with two Golden Globe nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for Best Actress in a TV Comedy and Best TV Comedy.
Rodriguez, who lives in Los Angeles, California, was recently in Hong Kong to support her father referee a boxing match, and talked to Southeast Asian media over the phone of her thoughts on the character, the hidden messages in the show and her dreams of becoming a superhero.
Rodriguez, the youngest child of three, had dreamed of being an actress since she was 13.
She studied at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, where she learned performing and media arts.
When she was 19, she was diagnosed with a thyroid condition that affected her body image and made her believe she wouldn't make it in the industry.
She was proved wrong.
Her life story was one of the reasons she was determined to play Jane.
She said she fell in love with the titular Jane the Virgin the instant she read the script.
'When I first read the script, I was instantly connected to it. I'm a Latina and I have the dual culture. For me, Jane's story shows on screen her dual identity in an authentic way, in a way that is integrated ' almost like a slap on the face. In America we have a lot of TV series that talk about being Latino but are very one-sided.
'Growing up in the States and as an actress, I always wanted to see my culture reflected on screen in an organic way.'
Although Rodriguez refused allowing Jane's race to define her, she said that she saw the character as a hero for all girls.
'I'm not saying she's a hero because she is a virgin, I'm not saying that at all. I think she is a hero because she fights for her education, for her dreams and isn't afraid to say no, to stand up for herself. She's very courageous and independent. I think it's very empowering to give that message to the public,' she said.
The show, she said, also gave her a great experience of learning.
'I guess I spread my wings as an actress, I got to do comedy, I got to do drama ' all in one episode. That was the biggest pull.
'I feel so lucky because we're now on episode 14 and I just keep learning more about myself, I keep learning from my fellow actors and I keep going as an actress,' she said.
At the beginning, the show faced obstacles. There had been objections to her being the lead, to the quirky title and the fact that it was being aired on Monday, the toughest time slot.
'I'm not the prettiest girl in the world, I'm not the skinniest. I'm not what people used to call a leading lady; I think that's relatable to so many people out there. If I am a leading lady, anybody can be a leading lady. There is no one type of leading lady.
'Giving people a chance over time, I'm not surprised that people like it, because I know how hard we work. But I do feel very lucky that [audiences] have given us a chance. It's definitely, at times, off-putting ' just the premise. But when you watch the show, it's got a lot of heart and people love hearts.
'My mom used to tell me: Gina, if you work hard and you are good to people and you just believe what is right, the cream will rise to the top. And that's how the show is.'
The cream does rise to the top, which Rodriguez attributes to the writers, crew and everyone in the cast.
While she was waiting to see where the writers were going to take the story when the baby comes, she has also taken up offers in two movie productions.
Although her roles have not yet been revealed, Rodriguez said she dreamed of doing stunts in her next movies.
'I want to do thriller, I want to do action, jumping off a building.
'I want to work like Christopher Nolan, I want to be Batman. I want to be a superhero. That would be my dream.'
