SELF: How did you find this role and get into acting?
And if there was representation, it was of the saddest, most depressing story around death.
So I thought there was no place for someone like myself in the entertainment world.
Marc Piasecki/GettyImages/Lisa Moses
And it was an opportunity to fill in that gap that I have been yearning to represent.
Later on I talked to the director about what motivated her to write this character in this TV show.
She told me that she had been a math tutor and tutored a young girl.
As a director, she wanted to bring that beautiful chemistry to the screen.
She was on social media and came across my Instagram.
I was like, Oh, my God!
Im gonna give 200% of myself to this character.
What do you like most about your character, Maribel?
Shes an immigration attorney, so she very much cares for her community.
How do you hope Maribels character will change the way viewers think about people with disabilities?
I think it will give people a reeducation of what a person with a disability looks like.
ItsThe L Word, so theres a lot of romance, and theres a lot of love.
I was able to play around with that aspect of the human experience.
How do you think that will affect viewers?
And I didnt have that.
So I had to learn by trial and error during my whole youth.
I went through a lot of rejection.
And there is another book with another story.
And I hope that they feel like they belongbecause we all do.
How has playing this character changed the way you think about yourself?
I am on the right track.
All of this is possible.
What made you most nervous about acting?
And how do you deal with those fears?
When you enter a territory that youre not familiar with, it can be very scary.
That reminds me, You have a great bed, girl.
You bought this bed with your own money that you work for.
Ive worked really hard to be here.
So its up to you to remind yourself of how much work you put into something.
How did you feel about filming during the pandemic?
We started filming in November.
Because everything was done very top tier as far as testing, I definitely had a bit of relief.
What are some ways that you relax?
Ivedownloaded and deleted Headspace, and I almost bought the subscription.
And its hard for me to do anything.
The thing that helped me is acknowledging when those stressful times happen.
And if Im able to, I take five minutes and go to a space where Im alone.
I think about how I am on this earth.
I feel my feet in my shoes.
I drink a cup of water.
Im glad I now know to take a break when I need a break.
I also keep boundaries with people.
If my friends call and want to come over, I can say, Maybe tomorrow.
Ive learned that sometimes solitude can be very powerful.
I love washing the dishes.
Thats very meditative for me.
I like towater my plantsand look at how green they are and see the little baby leaves come out.
Thats calming for me.
On Instagram, you said youve learned a lot about yourself during the pandemic.
What did you learn?
My life before the pandemic was very hectic.
I was traveling a lot, like three times every month.
I never really took some time for myself.
I never got to stop and enjoy the sunrise and the sunset.
I had the opportunity to just stop and breathe during the pandemic.
I think a lot of people, including myself, plan 5 to 10 years out.
How do you create them in your life?
Boundariesis my word of the year.
If you do love a person and they love you, they should understand thatyou need boundaries.
People would call you and the pandemic was all that they wanted to talk about.
I had to remind myself that its okay to say no to talking about the pandemic.
What is one of your goals for making the entertainment industry more inclusive?
And that can be robbed from you because of accessibility.
What thought do you want to leave our readers with?
Invite different people into your life.
And then make a change.
You dont have to have millions of followers or be a boss to make a difference.
One change can snowball and lead to a bigger movement.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
