ARTICLES

From: Open Your Eyes, Oct. 2002
by: Joaquin Acatl

Boomtown star Lana Parrilla is buckled in tightly and ready for a fast ride up the who's who list of Hollywood stars.

THERE WAS A TIME NOT TOO LONG AGO when a new Latino face appeared on a major network show about as often as Haley's Comet comes around. Thankfully, those days appear to be behind us as more and more Latin faces pop up to surprise us on TV shows every season. Of course some surprises are more pleasant than others, and none could be considered more pleasant than Lana Parrilla. Lana first appeared on Spin City shortly after the departure of Michael J. Fox and is now starring in NBC's highly anticipated new drama, Boomtown . Lana looks poised to open more than a few eyes with her wit, charm, beauty, and acting skills. I caught up with her recently for an interview and was pleasantly surprised.

You're a Brooklyn girl transplanted to L.A. Which do you like best?
I like both actually. They're so different. I'm one who likes to travel a lot anyhow. I'm kind of like a gypsy. I don't live in one place too long, I'm always moving. I've probably lived like in 18 different places. So I like them both, although I loooove New York. There's nothing like New York. If I don't go back at least four times a year I'll rip my hair out.

So what do like so much about the Big Apple?
I think one of the nice things about New York is that you can get a hot meal at three o'clock in the morning and not have to travel 40 minutes away to do it. And I love that you don't have to drive. I think that it helps you stay less stressed out. The other great thing is that you know everyone. It has more of a neighborhood feel, I feel like I know everybody. I feel safer in New York, because you know people and people know you. Whereas here in L.A., I mean thank God I've created [a circle of friends] in my environment, but before that I didn't know anybody. I didn't know who my neighbors were. But at least I live in a five-unit building, so I've forced everyone to know me. I'll scream their name out the window if I have extra food.

Free food? I need to move into your building ... Now, you are of mixed Puerto Rican and Italian heritage, were you pretty conscious of your heritage growing up or were you more of an All-American girl?
I was never really too aware of it. I lived with my mother who's Italian for the most part until I was ten. Once I hit ten I started living with my father who is Puerto Rican and they spoke Spanish in that household.

So that's how you learned Spanish?
Well, no. Because at that age I was like, "I don't want to learn a language," who wants to learn a language when they're 11 years old. At that age, you want to play, you want to hang out with your friends, go out and get Icees and stuff. You don't really want to learn a language. That's why I don't speak Spanish fluently, cause I was never really taught it. But all my friends were Dominican, Puerto Rican, black ... I didn't really have many Anglo friends because of the neighborhood I grew up in. Most of my friends were ethnic, so I guess I was aware of my heritage because of the area where I lived and the fact that I was surrounded by a lot of Latins and ethnic people. So I felt like, yeah I'm Latin, this is where I belong.

As you've grown up, is your heritage something you've become more conscious of or do you feel it's just a matter of "happen to be" Puerto Rican and Italian.
It is definitely something I am more conscious of. I think it started probably about five years ago where I started really going, "Okay you know what? I'm Puerto Rican, I'm Italian. I need to learn my languages." [laughs] It's something that is still a process, because it's hard to learn a language. It's hard to dedicate the time and the patience. So I am more aware of it and I'm proud. I'm proud to be a Latina. I'm proud to be ... and I also consider Italian Latin ... so I'm proud to be Latin. And now I see it more in me. Before, I was more like whatever, but now I see it more in me. I own it, even with what I cook. Like now I'm starting to realize ... I never paid attention to [Hispanic spices] and sazón , but now I'm like, let me throw a little sazón in the spaghetti. I can mix the two.

Have you been to Italy or Puerto Rico?
I've been to Italy, but sad to say I haven't been to Puerto Rico. I'm making my way over there when I go on hiatus. My uncle says, "Come live here." My great grandmother is still alive-she's in her late nineties-and we still have a house there.

You're only half Puerto Rican and you're pretty fair skinned. Do you think casting directors and people in Hollywood see you as a Latina?
I don' really know what they see me as. I don't know. I've played both parts. I've played Latin, I've played Italian. And I've played the all-around regular girl. I think the thing about the way I look, is that I can look like many different things. People some- times ask me if I'm Russian. I don't think I specifically look like a Puerto Rican or an Italian. Wouldn't you agree?

Well I think you definitely have somewhat of a Latina took, but again with Latinos who are fair-skinned, like you said, they look like they could be almost anything...
Which I think is something of an advantage as an actor.

Oh yeah, definitely if you're an actor. How do you feel about being perceived as a Latina in Hollywood? There are many Latinos who feel that they don't want to be seen or thought of as Latinos because they're afraid that they'LL be typecast. Do you agree with that thinking that being seen as a Latina is something that can hurt you or that you'd rather not bring to people's attention?
No, I never think about that. I just go in and do the best that I can. I never think about that when I enter a room or when I'm auditioning for something. I auditioned for Strong Medicine and it was between me and two white-trash-looking girls-because it was a part written for like a trailer trash role-and I went in and I was like the one to give them a different idea if they wanted to go that way. I did a very Latina, just street- saavy thing, so ... I just think it doesn't really matter what you are, and that's the beauty about how casting directors and people now in this industry are opening their eyes to Latinos and we're not as stereotyped anymore. Because we're just human, we all go through the same crap, we all have a hard time, we all get our hearts broken. So there's a lot of Latino cops and lawyers, politicians. I hope the doors open for Asians too, because they're so stereotyped as the martial artists or the lawyers or the doctors...

Yeah, but I'd rather be stereotyped as a doc- tor or a computer nerd than as a drug dealer or gangster.
Well, yeah.

Tell us about your upcoming role on Boomtown .
I play a woman named Teresa Ortiz. She is a native-born Mexican-American in Los Angeles. It's funny because in the second episode they have me speaking Spanish. And they tell me like two hours before we're supposed to shoot, "Lana, yeah we want you to do it in Spanish." And I say, "What? Are you kidding me? ... Ramon, come here I need you translate everything for me. I'm going to go crazy!" So who knows if they're going to use it. But, I hope it turned out okay. So I know they want her to be bilingual, which I think is fabulous, I just hope the audience is a little patient with me, since I'm currently learning to speak the language. And I hope they won't say, "Oh, she doesn't speak Spanish, she's not Latina!"
[Teresa] is also a dual function paramedic and firefighter. She's a very loving person, but she has her past that has not yet been established, that we will soon find out in the upcoming episodes. She's a street- smart girl. She has a strong affinity for people. But the thing about television is you never know where your characters are going to go. And it's a discovery for me and it keeps me so intrigued because it makes me wonder: Where is she going? Where are they taking her? So I love that Teresa is still a mystery to me.

What about the show? Why don't you give us a little background on it?
The show is about a crime that is solved every week and the story is told from seven different characters' perspectives. It's different. It's something that's never been done before: seeing a story told from different peoples' perspective. It's more of a character driven show ... It also shows more of the reality of L.A., the crime, poverty, people's suffering, drugs, the things that often get candy-coated by Hollywood ... so in the show you are seeing the dark side of L.A.

So ... let's change gears and talk about Charlie Sheen. Did he ever hit on you when you were working with him on Spin City .)
Charlie has never hit on me, dammit!

You mean he never even flirted?
No, never. [laughs]

Did he at least check you out?
I don't know? ... Charlie ... God, I love Charlie, he's just fabulous ... but I think he has just turned around so much from his old self. I mean he's a married man. Is that wonderful?

But can you see how a lot of people would have a hard time believing that he's a completely changed man? You know a lot of people are out there going, "Yeah right?" In fact, I think I'm one of them.
Yeah, I know. In fact, people used to ask me, "Oh, are there any girls walking in and out of his room?" And I said, "Never once, did I ever, ever see a girl on set that was one of Charlie's girls. He's a very respectable man, very intelligent. He has a very dry sense of humor. He reminded me of my grandfather, in that aspect.

So what would you have done if he did hit on you?
I don't know. I never even thought about it, I had a boyfriend.

Oh, so wasn't your boyfriend jealous or worried about Charlie coming onto you?
A little bit, yes. To be honest with you, yeah he was a little nervous just from what he'd heard. He was a little wary, and he'd ask me, "Does he hit on you?" And I was like, "No.,, Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe I should look into that.

So who has hit on you? Anybody we know?
No, you know why, I've always had a boyfriend.

But you know guys, they don't care if you have a boyfriend.
Yeah, but I think when they see you with him they do.

What do you think is a man's most important asset?
Integrity.

What other things are important to you?
A man has to make me laugh otherwise I'll fall asleep ... I gotta have spontaneity. He has to lift me up when I'm down; someone to fulfill me spiritually, that's so important to me. And you still have to treat me like a lady.

I always thought that if I were a star-not that I ever fantasize about being a star-I would never date another star. Look how often Hollywood relationships work. Why do you think stars date each other so much?
Not many people understand the life of an actor ... when you're both actors you both know where you're coming from. Actors have a level of understanding and that makes it a lot easier.

Who would you most like to work with on a professional basis?
I'd love to work with Robert De Niro. I've always wanted to play his daughter and I think I'd be good at it.

Any words specifically for the Latino man?
Latino men are known to be so jealous and overprotective ... so I'm waiting to find one who's not. [laughs]