Latin Times Media Exclusive Interview with Actress Valery Ortiz
Latin Times Media : Valery , please tell us about your family history and background ? Valery Ortiz : Soy 100 % Puertorriqueña ! Mami , Papi , my brother and I were all born en nuestra isla del encanto . A lot of my family is still in Puerto Rico and the rest reside on the East Coast of the United States !
Latin Times Media : What made you decide to become an actress ? Valery Ortiz : My first dream was to be a ballerina . But really , my big brother Hector was my inspiration . He always had our home video camera and we ’ d do little mini movies and fun shows growing up . It ’ s just him and I , so we really kept ourselves entertained . My mom had a huge part in getting us involved in things too . She found a place in Orlando , FL called Extras Express where Hector , my cousins and I got our first taste of real movie magic on the Universal Studios back lot . We also have a childhood family friend , Rodney , to thank for telling us about the Dr . Phillips High School Theatre Magnet Program . And again , Hector auditioned and got in so I was inspired ( and a big fan of their productions ) so I followed in his footsteps !
Latin Times Media : Coming from a Latino household have you ever struggled with weight and being fit ? How does being healthy play a part in your life now ? Valery Ortiz : Yes and yes ! You know what and how much Latinos LOVE to eat ! I ’ ll just speak for myself . There ’ s something about our traditional foods and celebrating around the dinner table or just straight up standing around the kitchen that just feels like ‘ home ’. It was hard moving to L . A . and being called “ chunky ”. It took me a bit to find who I was outside of my cultural traditions and who “ Hollywood ” accepted . More importantly who I accepted . And honestly , I look at some pictures of back in the day and although I wouldn ’ t say I was ‘ chunky ’ by any means , I could ’ ve had fewer plates of arroz con salchichas ! Ha Ha !
Being healthy plays a HUGE part in my life now . I have found what works for my body type and even blood type ( from a book called : Eat Right for your Blood Type )! I eat a lot less meat than I used to and I LOVE to work out ! I love
Jillian Michaels ( a huge fan of ‘ The Biggest Loser ’), hiking , taking Zumba , and I just FEEL better when I am active ! The difference is crazy ! Now , it ’ s REALLY hard to say no to my dad ’ s bistec encebollado but everything in moderation , right ?!
Latin Times Media : Who past or present has been an inspiration and hero in your life ? Valery Ortiz : There are a lot of people who have and still inspire me every single day . My husband ( he ’ s an amazing singer and performer !) is a reminder every day of what a fighter and dreamer truly is . My dad has always inspired me to take big risks and do things that scare me and my mom , my hero , has always dared me to dream really , REALLY big . She ’ s inspired a lot of my creativity and has taught me a lot about true love and forgiveness .
Honestly , I can write a whole book about the close people in my life ( family AND friends ) and how they each inspire me . I like to keep people close to me that inspire and challenge me ( and themselves !) to keep dreaming .