Gabriela Santander: Growing Creatively And Revelations From Taking A Hiatus

Gabriela Santander is a Miami-based actress whose talent has landed her roles in shows produced by Nickelodeon Latin America, Univision, and Telemundo. She recently starred in La Patio Novela and is making her way on screens internationally. Keep reading to learn about how she discovered her love for acting, her preferred character roles, and how she hopes to be a voice in the LGBT community.

What kind of roles do you think would suit you best?

I like roles that have a depth to them. Ones that challenge me to tap into real emotional places.

How do you hope to inspire with your acting? 

I want to be a part of films that cover important themes. I want to take people places and make them feel.

How did you get into novelas to begin with?

Well, I've always been involved in the arts in some way, but one day my mom suggested that I go to an acting class and I really enjoyed it. From there it all kinda just started! Back in 2010, I got a role in a show called Grachi and that was when things began to pick up a little for me.

How did you manage to incorporate filming and the show into your everyday life?

It became a very successful show on the latin Nickelodeon channel, and I loved it, but I was trying to balance it while attending high school and it got a little overwhelming. After I graduated I also began to feel the pressure of having to decide on whether I was going to pursue acting full-time or attend college. 

At the time, did you find college or acting to take precedent?

I was living under my parents' rules at the time and they preferred that I attended college, so I did and stopped acting for about a year.

During your 1 year hiatus, did you feel any effects in not having a creative outlet?

Yeah, within that year I realized that not acting made me really unhappy. Once I came to terms with that, I began going to auditions again and that's when I got into novelas. Now, I'm officially back into acting, but I want to transition out of novelas and into the American market. 

Now that you're back, how does it feel getting back into the rhythm of things?

I'm definitely trying to find ways to strengthen my talent. I'm taking classes with an acting coach and getting back into the lifestyle.

Fuck what everyone else thinks. Do what you've gotta do for you. You need to be. 

How important are appearances in this industry? 

It's very important...and that's the stressful part. At times, I've taken it a bit overboard with diets and detoxes because I'm trying to manage how I look for photo shoots and being in front of the camera. I think it's so important to find the balance between being healthy and also happy with yourself.

Have you ever had instances where producers or casting agents have asked you to change something about yourself?

Oh yeah. It's something they do nonchalantly.

Has that ever affected your self-esteem?

I'm a very sensitive person, so I used to take things personally, but I've had to grow a tough skin. It's just something you have to deal with in this industry.

On social media, you've been vocal about your coming out story and have inspired a lot of others who are on their own personal journeys. Do you hope to be a more prominent voice in the LGBT community?

I definitely want to be a louder voice for the LGBTQ+ community. I feel like it's finally being accepted more and more each day and it's beautiful to see the look on someones face when they know that they're loved for who they are, they don't need to hide anymore. I want to promote more of that and let them know that there's an entire community ready to offer guidance, support, and unconditional love.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the next 5 years?

In terms of location, I'm not sure. The actor in me will always say L.A. but in my career, I have options like Mexico and Colombia to choose from since I have experience in the Latin industry.  In other aspects of life, I hope to see myself at a more stable place. It's been a work in progress and I still have a long way to go, but I want to start branching away from soap operas and more towards film, I want to reach larger audiences...work on projects that challenge me and bring out meaningful themes.

If there was one message you could get out to the world, what would it be?

Fuck what everyone else thinks. Do what you've gotta do for you. You need to be. 

Learn more about Gabriela by following her on Instagram @gabasantander.