MADE Maven October Issue MADE Magazine | Page 16

MADEXXX POWER'S lela loren As multi-layered and complex as Angela Valdes is on Power, there’s much more to Lela Loren than meets the eye, or the screen for that mat- ter. In an exclusive interview, Loren candidly shares how she unintentionally stepped into her dream job and how she leaned on her faith to land the star role in the highly-rated hit television series. MADE: What was it about Power and the Angela Valdes character that made you want to accept the role? Lela: I’m flattered by the idea that people think I had a choice in whether I could turn down the role when it was offered (laughs). It’s sweet, because as an interviewer you’re making my career bigger than it what it was at the time but the reality was, I really needed this job when it was given to me. I got really lucky with my role. I would’ve taken the opportunity to work on the show even if it was a vacuous character that I was playing. I just believed in the show that much, and I really needed to pay my bills. I had $86 in my bank account and was on the verge of moving back in with my MADE BY JASMINE BROWLEY parents. So, the fact that there’s a conversation around Angela, that she’s complex and layered, on top of the monumental success of the show, it’s incredibly rewarding. MADE: It’s always a breath of fresh air to see actors represent complex, real life people. How important is it that you play a character that’s outside of the stereotypical roles that most Latinx get casted in? Lela: People sometimes try to give me credit for breaking the boundaries as an actor, but it’s really the producers and writers that deserve the glory for thinking outside of the box. My position is secondary in that the character has to be written first, I just have to fill it. I’m really lucky that Courtney Kemp and the other members of the writing team has taken time to create these amazing characters and make my job so easy. made-magazine.com | 16