Francia Raisa, Selena's Friend: Being A Latina In Hollywood

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Francia Raisa, Selena Gómez's best friend, shares anecdotes about how she made her way in Hollywood.

The 29-year-old actress, of Mexican and Honduran heritage, spoke to People Chica about whether or not there is enough Latino representation in Hollywood today. About that, Raisa, who has the role of Ana in the series Grown-ish (Freeform) related her experience of the times she went to auditions looking for an opportunity. Back then, the roles were determined by race or ethnicity, Raisa said.

“There are so many things that can be improved. But what excites me right now, -especially in the position I am- … When I was growing up and I started in this industry at 16 or 17 years old, when the casting directors wrote in the description of the characters, below they put a description between parenthesis that said: Caucasian, black, Latin; they were very specific”, revealed the young actress. That is, if it was not your race, the chances of achieving that role were slim. "And if I didn't say 'Latina' there was no way to get an audition," said Raisa,.

However, Raisa affirms that gracefully this has already changed. “Now it's open to races [open ethnicity]. So while much remains to be done for us to have the roles of doctors, lawyers …, [Now] there are many more opportunities to represent us. I have an example of a role I had as a woman in the Navy. I remember when I first read it I said, 'This is for a white girl.' He said it was open ethnicity, but he knew it was really for a white girl, "he said.

Even Raisa shared that when she went to the wardrobe tests, she heard the producer talking on the phone and saying that they had hired a Latina for the role. “She is Latina now. So we have to change the last name,”he said to the person on the other end of the phone. Far from being offended, Raisa explains that she saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate what we can do; "Fighting for the country," he said.

Selena Gómez's friend, who donated a kidney to the singer, warned that there is definitely a lot to do, but she is honored to work with producers like Brenda Hampton and Kenya Barris who created casts as diverse as Grown-ish's.. Raisa affirmed in the 12 years she has been in this industry, she sees that a change is taking place.

About the kidney donation to her friend, Raisa stated that she knew that she had to donate the kidney. She felt that God had asked her to. “From the day I found out [that I would be a donor] until the day of the surgery I felt a peace, which is inexplicable. That day I breathed well and she said ok, I'm ready."