Today, at The Inscriber, we interviewed Mexican actress Mariana Flores, who was named one of the 28th most influential women of Latin America by Influential magazine a few years ago! Don’t miss it!
Mariana, tell me a little about yourself.
Hi, my name is Mariana Flores, I am from Mexico, Cabo San Lucas, but I’ve been in Los Angeles for so many years that I already consider myself a Cali Girl. [laughter]
I am also an actor, who really enjoys portraying and bringing to life characters, where the audience can be moved or be identified with; I am also very much involved in fitness, meaning I really enjoy taking care of my body, since it’s the instrument with which I inhabit different characters. I love traveling, especially with family, I love food and I am a huge fan of chocolate.
Why did you decide to become an actor?
I’ve started to question myself more and more these days, why do we do or choose the things we do and want?… I remember telling my dad at a young age, when he was trying to persuade me otherwise, and by that I mean a “career that is safe ”, because like all parents they want to protect their children, and I remember I said to him… “If I don’t do this, I’ll never feel satisfied”, I never really understood the weight of those words, even though they were mine, and now looking back, I can see the huge shift within me over the last couple of years, being an artist, it’s a bitter-sweet thing, it transforms you, it really does, you are constantly discovering, new things about yourself, good and bad, it shapes you in ways you never thought you could, it makes you grow not only as an artist, but as a human being. So why did I choose this career? I believe I wanted to transform myself through art and be able to share it with the world while bringing light in their lives through films.
Can you tell us what are some of the projects you have worked on?
One of the most recent projects I have worked on, is called C’est La vie, which are anthologies of life, where we show moments of life, tiny glimpses of particular circumstances of someone’s life and it could be, good, bad, bitter, beautiful or even terrifying which is how life could be sometimes. We’ve recently got nominated at the NOVA fest 2022 Fest as best TV/Web Series, and got accepted into several film festivals already while being nominated and winners in some of them.
https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6168340/details
I’ve also been working for Dhar Mann Studios a major TV Series, where I have played several roles, which has been a great experience for me, being able to be part on what Dhar Mann is doing, is wonderful, he is such an amazing person, he is very nice and you genuinely like him, I really admire all the work he has put on in is company, and what he does in order to bring more light into this world with his episodes.
Who is your inspiration?
Myself! It might sound a bit selfish but I’ve done so many things I thought I wasn’t going to be able to overcome, limits I believed I was never going to pass through, I have achieved so many things as an artist and in a personal level, with a lot of effort, hard work and discipline, face and walk through my fears.
Nevertheless I don’t take away credit from the people who have been there to support me, my friends and family, who have been a constant support throughout my career. Even though I’ve gotten this far I don’t think I was going to be able to do it without them.
What techniques do you use to create a believable character?
My imagination. There are no limits with this technique, and I feel that it is wonderful, nevertheless this is like a muscle that you need to work on, every single day, for you to be able to connect with someone or something, and be able to feel it and project it, so the audience can be moved by it. The more you work on it, the faster and easier it will be for you to connect with the character or the circumstances you are going through.
The entertainment industry is said to be full of stress and pressure; how do you tackle the pressure that comes with your work?
Two things, I work on my craft, this will provide me confidence during performances, keep on learning ways to improve my acting, by that I mean I take classes to continue polishing myself and I meditate. I encourage myself through meditation to keep going, and I should say this, it’s an excellent tool for everyone, regardless of your profession. I have discovered the power of the mind through thoughts and senses, and how magical they can be. I tackled different areas of my life, meaning different fears a might have in certain fields, and I work with the opposite, meaning if I feel insecure regarding “not feeling able to create a character”, I set my mind into believing I have the creativity to build such character, however it’s not enough, with just thinking or feeling yourself positive, this will only help you to a certain point, you must become active trough this thoughts in order for them to persevere.
What suggestion would you give to young aspiring actors?
There will be moments in your life, especially in this career, where you’ll feel, perhaps you do not have the talent or the courage to keep up, and in these moments, you should ask yourself, why are you doing the things that you do?, what are you willing or have you already sacrificed in order to be where you are right now? How much did it cost? But most importantly, if you are willing to give up everything that you’ve done so far, because of fear? I tackle these specific questions, because you will have rough moments, we all do, no matter the profession, we all have fears, lack of courage and insecurities, but understand this, fear doesn’t exist, it’s just something you have created in your mind and just like you did, you can make it disappear. Be grateful for the small achievements, hold on to your loved ones, the ones that help you and push you along the way and even though the goal is way up high, you have to say, “okay, it may take me more time, than what I thought, but I’ll do it” and I promise you, once you’re up there you will rejoice.