Paula Velasquez – California Coyote Interview

4th April 2023

Paula Velasquez – California Coyote Interview. With Liz Rodriguez.

Seasoned Venezuelan actress Paula Velasquez was born in a small town called Maracaibo. When she was seven she moved to Mexico, which is when she found her love for acting. She began her journey in entertainment as a professional dancer and soon after got the acting bug.

From theatre productions in Mexico City to the big screen in Hollywood, Paula went onto study musical theater and Acting for Film, ahead of her move to Los Angeles to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the prestigious New York Film Academy.

Fast forward, and the Latina is a sought after talent in Hollywood. We caught up with Paula to talk about her latest feature film, ‘California Coyote.’

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello! I started my acting career in Mexico at a young age. At first I was captivated by dance and movement so joined a professional dance troupe and started competing and from there I transitioned into acting. Now as an actor in Hollywood, which is the entertainment capital of the world, I work on film and television projects that I feel passionate about the story and character I am to portray.

What can you tell us about the new movie ‘California Coyote?’

California Coyote is a film about Living in the world of Cartels and Coyotes. It is based on the daughter of a Cartel leader that is trying to escape from her father’s enemies and finds herself in situations that will make her take edgy decisions.

What character do you play and what are some of her traits?

My character’s name is Leticia Nava, Aka Leti. She is the main character of the film along with Danny De Leon. She is the daughter or a very important head of a Cartel, Diego Nava. She is a very smart girl that has been trying to get away from the Cartel environment. She wants to have a regular life and be as free as she can be. She has a very strong personality from the south of Mexico and she does not put up with anyone’s bullshit. She has major trust issues because of her surroundings so she is always skeptical of what people tell her. Deep down, she is a hopeless romantic and all she wants is safety. Life has made her toughen up and grow up really fast. She craves to have fun and loosen up a little bit. She’s very outspoken and she would say anything that is on her mind. She’s very loyal and not afraid to fight for the people that she loves.

Do you think it is easier to play a character that is similar to you, or is that harder?

Definitely both. Somehow, when you play a character that is similar to you, it hits hard because you start to maybe realize a lot of things about yourself and sometimes it feels like a slap on the face in a very therapeutic way. It makes you be more empathetic towards yourself, and it feels just very comfortable sometimes but also very vulnerable, which is the tricky part. You have to definitely dig deeper within yourself and you get to learn how to be more patient with your own person.

Who else is involved and where did you film?

What I love about this film is that is all a Latinx cast and crew which I appreciate a lot. It is also my culture and it feels so at home to work with people that understand your roots. We are still currently filming, we are filming in various locations, but as off now we have filmed in Lompoc, California. We still have a long way to go with filming.

What are you hoping people take away from the film?

Definitely hoping to learn more about my roots and see it from a different perspective. Leti is very different from me and I love the fact that she challenges me in that way. I absolutely love having to do stunts and that is something that I have the opportunity to work on for the entire time that we are filming. Working with amazing people that push me to be a better actor is something that I am forever grateful for.

Is there a timeline for its release?

At the end of this year, which I am very excited about.

How can people keep up with you?

People can follow me on Instagram and also on IMDb.

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