Forum Artistico: Hi Mariangelica, you are an actress, can you please tell us what is the primary reason that made you choose this profession?

Mariangelica:  Since about the age of four I knew that I wanted to be in the entertainment industry.  My uncle would take me to theater classes back in Colombia and I loved how I could be someone else.  I also loved the feeling I had when I watched a movie or a show and I wanted to be the person to produce those feeling to someone else. It wasn’t until I was in University and years of talking about it that I finally decided to plunge and dedicate myself.  I realized that in life you have to do what makes you truly happy and that no matter how difficult it may be everything is possible.

F.A.: Is there any person in your life that influenced your decision?

Mariangelica:  I came out from the movies with a friend from university back in Toronto and as I always did, I talked about how it was my dream to be an actor and I would start acting like some of the characters.  He suddenly stopped me and told me to stop talking about it and actually do something about it.  That it would never happen if I just kept on talking.  That night I went home to look for acting schools in NYC and moved here a few months later.

F.A.: You are originally from Colombia why did you decide to come to New York?

Mariangelica: I was born in Colombia and I was raised in Canada. My mother and I moved to Toronto when I was ten.  I decided to come to New York after my friend knocked some sense into me, and I came here to get training.

F.A.: In Colombia you have acted in numerous telenovelas and now that you are back in US you have worked in several theater productions; what are the differences between acting in a telenovela and acting on stage and which one do you like the most?

Mariangelica:They are very different.  In a telenovela everything is very fast.  You get the script a day or so before and you have a lot to memorize in a very short time.  Sometimes you don’t even know who you will be doing a scene with until the day you shot or when you get on set to start blocking.  At times you will be blocking and the director will come up to you and tell you to change a chunk of the text and you are expected to get it right away. In theater you get to savor the process of developing a character and you grow into the character.  It’s hard to say which I like more because they are both invigorating, but I do have it clear that I want my focus to be on television and film.

F.A.: We know that many actors use a different technique to develop a character, do you use any particular one?

Mariangelica: In the last production that I did which was “Moonchildren” I did a lot of research to understand my character and to give it life. I read books, watched movies and talked to people. I also took it into my everyday life, and became “Ruth” outside the rehearsal space. 


F.A: Among the characters that you have played are you more attached to one then another?

Mariangelica: They are all special to me. Each character has given me different experiences which are all valuable, but if I had to choose one it would be Ruth from Moonchildren because it had many similarities to me and part of the development process was based on personal history.



F.A.: Are you currently working in a project or a production?

Mariangelica: Recently I booked two jobs which I will be doing in the next few weeks.  One is modeling for what will be part of a book and the other is a combination of print and video for a project which will be in exhibition at MoMA New York, San Francisco and Amsterdam next year.


F.A.: What are your immediate and future plans?


Mariangelica: I am auditioning diligently.  My immediate goal is to book something for television.  I also plan to move to Los Angeles sometime next year.

F.A.: Professionally, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Mariangelica: I see myself as an established actress. I see myself as in both film and television both in the English speaking market and the Latin market.

F A : Based on your personal experience, what would you advise other young artists that are thinking of undertaking a career as an artist?:

Mariangelica: I would say that it is important that you believe in yourself.  That no matter how hard it is and nerve-racking, you need to have perseverance.  You also need to prepare yourself so that when the opportunity arrives you are ready.

F.A.: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?

Mariangelica:   I believe that it is important to surround yourself with positive people.  This is a very hard industry to be in and unfortunately cut-throat.  I am very fortunate because I have an excellent group of peers who are supportive and encouraging and this is very important.

F.A.: Because, our website has just been launched, we would like to have some feedback from our artists. What do you think about Forum Artistico, and in your opinion, can this project help artists in general?

Mariangelica:  Forum Artistico is a fantastic website.  This website is extremely beneficial for artist because of the valuable information it provides and the casting notices.  It provides the supportive environment which is crucial for our development and success.   

F.A.: Thank you Mariangelica for you time and good luck with your career.

If you would like to know more about Mariangelica Cuervo search for her in our community and view her profile.