Gloria Garayua Talks “How To Get Away With Murder” In Exclusive Interview! (@GloriaGarayua)
- What was your reaction when you booked the part on How to Get Away with Murder?
I was ecstatic! Number one, it’s a hit show on a hit network! Number two, this was my second time working on a Shonda Rhimes show and it took me six years to get cast with this office again. I don’t mind that. It shows me that they don’t play favorites and I like that. All roles must be earned. I’m OK with that. But finally, 2016 was the year when I booked one of the lead roles in a sitcom pilot, but sadly it was not picked up and I was left devastated. So booking How To Get Away With Murder really helped me feel like I was back.
- How would you describe your character?
I loved my character on How To Get Away With Murder! I played a tough detective who was very good at her job and had a strong poker face. I as an actress happen to be very animated, so I was very proud of the work that I did on the show. I tried to make my work more subtle than usual. I think I accomplished that. This was my first detective role and I was a little nervous about it. I wasn’t sure others would take me seriously as a detective. But honestly, once I got started working on the role, all those unnecessary thoughts vanished and I was immersed in the world.
- What is your favorite part about working on the series?
At first, it was the excitement of playing a role I had never played before. Then of course it was the excitement of working with the very talented Viola Davis. And then after a while, I saw that every time they wrote me back onto the show, they had me working with another lead, so I started to get excited about working with as many of the other characters as possible!
- Why do you think the show has remained popular after all these years?
The show has a very cool way of developing storylines while still maintaining mystery. It’s like they give you a little golden nugget of something good, but it’s not enough to answer all the questions that come up. Smart! That’s how they get people to watch week to week! I wish I had such writing talent!
- What has been your favorite episode to film and why?
Obviously, the episode that had me in it a lot, Haha! No seriously, it was the day that I was interrogating Viola Davis‘s character. It was so cool to be working with her! She’s so good at what she does. She can laugh and joke around in between takes, and then snap right back to her character when they yell “Action”!
- How was the filming process for Bounty Hunters different from that of How to Get Away with Murder ?
Well for one, Bounty hunters was filmed in Spain. But also, my character there was very different from what I played on How To Get Away with Murder. I played a woman who started with very humble roots having grown up in New York City, but who eventually meets a very handsome and charismatic man with whom she runs away. This man is the leader of a Mexican cartel, but she leave everything behind, including her own daughter, to be with him. My sister, played by Rosie Perez, takes responsibility of my daughter. Rosie and I are estranged and finally meet after many years because of very odd circumstances that brought her to Mexico where I was living with my husband until he all of a sudden died. My character had received information that led me to believe that my sister was responsible for his death. So you can imagine the conversation we finally had after all those years. Drama!
- What is the show about?
Jack Whitehall play as a character who is trying to save his family‘s business. After a deal went bad, he had to figure out how to recover a ton of money which he lost, and in order to do this he gets help from a bounty hunter from Brooklyn which is played by Rosie Perez. Their crazy adventure starts which includes running into police and terrorists and other characters.
- What was it like getting to work alongside Rosie Perez?
It was great! In fact, coming up in the acting world, people would hear that I’m Puerto Rican from New York and immediately tell me that I reminded them of Rosie! It was always a secret hope of mine to work with her one day. So exciting that I got to play her sister!
- Are you currently working on any other projects you’d like to share with us?
I just booked a guest star on the FX network’s show called Snowfall. I am making a small appearance in season three, episode one!
- What are your social media accounts
@GloriaGarayua on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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