“Ambitious and determined to make her mark on the FILM & TV industry”
Best known for her role in the Netflix hit TV series Designated Survivor, Graciela Martinez is now on her way to becoming a household name. Graciela is not the typical actress who would say that she always dreamed of becoming an actress. Her situation was very different. She moved to Canada under a contract to work but after two years the contract expired and there was no renewal. She was then told that the only way for her to remain in Canada would be if she went to school there and was able to get a student visa. She didn’t waste any time, soon after receiving this information she grabbed the George Brown viewbook and started looking into every single program they had to offer. At first, she only looked at courses that she really liked reasoning that if she liked the course she would like the program. Her first pick was actually ballet but then she discovered that she would need 7 years prior training to qualify, so that was a no! Then she chose a social worker and theater course. This was perfect since becoming a social worker only required one year. After speaking to her advisor things changed again. Her advisor asked her questions such as, “how good are you at handling other people’s problems” and “especially kids”? After that last question about the “kids”, her career decision was clear, she chose theater! Finally, she could get a visa and remain in Canada. Soon after the course started she switched to film where she found her true passion. Graciela stated, “ for the first time in my life, my heart was fulfilled”. She fell in love with acting!
Graciela’s greatest accomplishment according to her was that she worked as a legal aid of Michael J. Fox character on Designated Survivor just six months after her school graduation. She was surrounded by veteran actors such as Kiefer Sutherland, Timothy Busfield, and more. Right then and there she knew she could play in the “big” arena. This is in sharp contrast to her first acting role which was actually doing voice-over for History Television.
We also managed to ask Graciela some other questions which we think you will find very interesting.
Q. What are your top 3 movies of all time?
A. The Godfather (all 3 movies), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ratatouille, and all Disney animated movies.
Q. What celebrity would you like to have over for dinner
A. I would have loved to have Michael Jackson. I don’t think we will ever have somebody like him.
Q. What type of movies do you personally watch the most?
A. Walt Disney animated movies and real-life stories. Lately, I’ve been watching more science fiction but with topics related to the existence of life and events different from ours.
Q. Do you have a secret annoying habit? *
A. I’ve been told that I’m slow at getting ready.
Q. How would you best describe your personal style of dress?
A. Classy, elegant but comfortable.
Q. What’s the one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A. People always get shocked when I tell them my age. It’s hilarious. I’m 40 years old.
Q. Do you speak any other languages?
A. Fluent in Spanish, A little bit of Russian
Q. How would your friends describe you?
A. Crazy haha. They say I am sweet and very very kind.
Q. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? *
A. I see myself living in a house that I own with my family ( my mom and nieces). Professionally I see myself playing principal/recurring roles in American, Canadian, and Spanish movies and TV shows. I also see myself helping street dogs to get shelter in Ecuador.
Q. Are you a morning person or a night person?
A. I worked night shifts for 14 years so definitely a morning person now. I love to wake up early and enjoy the day with my dogs. Taking a nature walk is my favorite thing to do in the morning.
Q. Describe your acting style?
A. I always try to keep my character real and truthful with the situations I face during a scene as a character.
Q. What is your favorite hashtag?
A. #latinblood
Q. Who is your celebrity crush?
A. Mark Anthony singer (Jlo ex-husband)
Q. Is there anything else you would like to say?
A. I wish I was more encouraged to do background work when I was in college. The practical on-set experience with real crew and actors has been priceless for me, it has increased my confidence and knowledge. Being a background actor has also helped me to learn from other working professional actors, I love to see them performing. The network is unbelievably huge and I made great connections.
With such an impressive and eye-opening beginning we can only wonder what’s next for Graciela. She has a lot to offer the world of Film and TV, I’m sure we will see her soon on the “Big Screen”.
Photo Credits:
Actress/Model: Graciela Martinez
Photography by: Ratul Debnath
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