I also have a film coming up called Breaking Up, and my part in that was not written for a Latina, and my character is not particularly pretty or sexy or exotic.
I am so, so lucky. I am the luckiest girl in the world, really. And still with access to everything I could possibly want I still say ‘Oh dear, what am I going to wear today?’ There’s no ending to that question!
Botox, trust me I’ve been tempted – but I resist! Think about what happens to your muscles – and your skin – if you’re sick and don’t move for a few days. It all atrophies! Plus, if you freeze a muscle in your face, other muscles have to compensate! And once you stop, what does that look like?
Being a mother is more exhausting than working, and sometimes I push myself too hard and burn myself out. I can appreciate how exhausting it must be for women who have to do everything themselves all the time.
Art and activism seem to go together naturally, the idea being that if you’re an entertainer, you can have a voice, and if you have a voice, you can make a difference. But if I were not an actress, I would still try to extend myself beyond my little micro-universe of my job, family and personal joy.
Every unwanted animal ends up on my farm: alpacas and horses and dogs and cats and chickens and ducks and parrots and fish and guinea pigs.
Before I had my child, animals were my life. I slept with four dogs in my bed.
My heart has been stolen too – but I’ve gone and got it back every single time!
I work hard, I make my own living and I love it. I like having financial independence.
If you give me any problem in America I can trace it down to domestic violence. It is the cradle of most of the problems, economic, psychological, educational.
I have a farm and I love it there. There’s really nothing to do, but even watching the chickens, its fun.
I do have a Mexican accent, but that doesn’t mean that I’m a Latin vamp.
If a man lets all of my dogs sleep in the bed with us, then that is the most romantic thing. You must love my dogs in order to love me. A man who is nice to my animals and doesn’t shoo them away – well, that’s the height of romance.
I think it’s important that kids have responsibilities and understand the value of things, but I think it’s great I get to travel the world with my daughter.
So you have to keep waiting and then they give you the script and it’s terrible. Then you have to go to the rewrite and they’re very upset because you didn’t like it. I went through that for seven years.
They thought I was crazy in Mexico when I said, ‘I’m going to Hollywood.’ Nobody thought I could make it.
What once was an expression of who I was – acting – also became my hiding place.
When I feel stressed, I turn to food for comfort, but I don’t like to diet and I’m not good at it.
For my wrap present, Colin Farrell gave me a first edition book. I got so involved with this character and I was so sad when the movie was over that when I got home and I tried to read the book I got really emotional and I started crying.
When it is important for you to say something and you find a vehicle to say it, then go for it. It is so rare when that happens so I think every minute spent fighting for it is always worth it. Even if nothing ends up happening, it’s still worth the fight.