The Dominican Republic Native is Making Waves in Hollywood Circles
By Elia Esparza
PC: Stephanie Girard
What some international actors sometimes do not do during their attempt to cross-over into the Hollywood acting arena, is get properly trained. But, not Katherine Castro. She knew Hollywood was a different game, in a different ballpark and in the kingdom of Tinseltown, she would not venture in without being totally prepared.
The first thing the Dominican Republic actress did upon arriving in Hollywood was to begin training with Aaron Speiser, acting coach to thespians like Gerard Butler, Jennifer Lopez, Virginia Madsen and Will Smith. She spent a year at the New York Film Academy, where she also studied with the singing coach, Caro D’Andrea (Broadway’s West Side Story).
Mind you, she was already enjoying success in her native DR, hosting such popular shows as Música en 1/4 de Hora, Show Del Mediodía‘, and A Mil where she was honored to have worked with one of the most beloved and influential personalities in the history of Dominican TV, the late Freddy Beras Goico, on his late night show Punto Final.
Castro began her on-camera work in her mid-teens, where she emerged as a popular actress in a series of national commercials, and at 17 she became the host of a daily national variety show, simultaneously landing a recurring role in the weekly series El Sótano.
Latin Heat caught up with Katherine to ask her about her current indie film, Someday, making the film festival circuit gathering awards at just about every stop. She stars alongside of Chris Santos (The Girlfriend Experience). She is a woman of many accomplishments, who also holds a degree in journalism and is multilingual able to speak French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, and English.
LatinHeat: First, congrats on the Sundance recognition of NBC Top 10 Standout Latinos! Your film, Someday, is abuzz in Hollywood circles because they know audiences love a really great romantic drama!
Katherine Castro: Thank you so much. You are so sweet!
LH: For Someday, you wear many hats, not only the lead actress but also have a producer credit, joining other actresses who have made this leap. Will we be seeing you take on more producer roles and possibly even direct films in the future?
KC: Yes, absolutely! I see stories that need to be told everywhere. Everyday life inspires me. I almost feel as if everything happening in front of me is a moving picture. As it’s happening, I can see it on the big screen, and I know exactly how I want to tell that story in detail. So yes, producing and directing more is something that I’ve definitely thought about and I know at some point I will do.
LH: Who among the women filmmakers/actors do you most admire? Any industry ladies you draw strength and inspiration from?
KC: Oh, there are so many that inspire me! It’s such an incredible time. It’s exciting to see more and more women actors become filmmakers. I admire all women filmmakers. Making a movie is not an easy task, and in this male-driven industry, we have everything against us, so any woman filmmaker has my respect and admiration. Dee Reeves, Ava Duvernay, Laura Amelia Guzman, Leticia Tonos, Salma Hayek, Cathy Schulman, Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Brit Marling, Kathryn Bigelow, Margot Robbie, Amy Pascal….those are just some of the women whose work resonates with me, but really, I could go on forever.
LH: The trailer for Someday is so captivating! I notice it says, ‘Based on a true story,’ you have a ‘Story by’ credit, we assume this is a story is based on your first-hand experience… Can you talk a little about how this chance encounter changed your life?
KC: Yes indeed, it was my own experience. This chance encounter was the catalyst for a story I had wanted to tell but, for whatever reason, it just stayed in the back of my mind.
I travel a lot, and I’ve always thought it would be interesting to make a movie about a love story that begins on a flight. Two complete strangers that meet on a plane and fall in love while on the course of that flight. How many times have we all come across people that we have an instant connection with and that we can just tell each other anything without being shy or hold back? Like you’ve always known this person, and while you are immersed in a conversation, it’s as if nothing else exists. Who can’t relate to that? So, I wanted to explore that, but I didn’t have a clear picture of the full story, or how to bring about the whole thing altogether. Six years later, it seemed like I manifested the entire thing. The story was brought to me, and now we have Someday.
I think the big lesson for me with my personal experience is to enjoy the present moment and take it all in. We tend to overthink, and we love complicating everything, don’t we? When, in reality, everything is simple. To enjoy the now. To be fully present. To disconnect from our phones and distractions and enjoy the presence of this human being in front of you at that moment, nothing else matters, and that’s a fantastic feeling. It lasts forever.
LH: What was it like working with the super talented Chris Santos? Had you ever worked with him before? You have incredible chemistry — was it your choice to cast him?
KC: It was so much fun working with Chris. We had all sorts of moments. We laughed a lot. Struggled together with tango rehearsals but I think we created a genuine connection as friends that translated beautifully into that chemistry that you see in the movie. I had never worked with him, in fact, finding him was a surprise. Choosing Chris was a mutual decision, but for me, JS [Mayank], as our director, had the last word on casting him. We had gone through a few potential “Adams” but it never worked out. When we met Chris we both knew he was Adam and JS loved Chris’s, so it was an easy decision. It was one of those cases of ‘you know it when you see it.’
LH: Without giving away the film’s ending, can you tell us if there is any other classic romantic film, which audiences might find themselves comparing Someday to?
KC: Maybe Lost in Translation, Before Sunrise and Vanilla Sky.
LH: How was it that you were able to hook up with JS Mayank to write the script and also direct? Did you already know each other?
KC: Yes, we did. It’s was all about timing. I met JS while working on another project of his and I immediately fell in love with his work, not only as a writer but as a director. After that, we kept running into each other and talked about the possibility of working together again. Four years later, and I have to thank social media for this, I made a post on Facebook and Twitter about looking for a writer. JS saw the post and reached out. We talked about the story and not only did he get it and understand my vision, but he also guessed the name of the person that was sitting next to me on the plane. Unbelievable! That was it for me. He had to be the writer, and the director, so thank you Facebook!
LH: Someday is set to premiere at the Dominican Film Festival in New York in July, as a Dominican Republic-born woman, we can only imagine how excited you are to be able to share your film with your country’s festival and here in the USA. Can you tell us a little about your journey as an actress working here in the states as a Latina, ‘an ethnic chameleon’ in an industry that makes it hard for non-Anglo actors to book a gig – how hard has it been for you?
KC: I’m thrilled to have my U.S. premiere at the Dominican Film Festival in New York. It is very humbling to see how well the film is being received and then when the love comes from your tribe, from mi gente, there’s no better feeling.
Being a Caribbean Latina and not looking like what the industry thinks a Caribbean woman should like has been quite the experience. I won’t lie, it hasn’t been easy, and it’s frustrating at times because the standard industry thing is to typecast and when they look at me, they don’t see what they have set in their minds of what a Caribbean Latina woman should look like. Although it has gotten better, we are not there yet. Our industry still needs to learn more about our culture and understand that we all come in different colors, shapes, and sizes, but again, I also see this as an opportunity to create my own work. To tell stories that showcase us in another light and play roles that conveys our multi-dimensionality. Characters that are universal. Not just limited to ethnicity. So it’s been a blessing in disguise.
LH: For other Latinas following in your footsteps, what’s your advice to them?
KC: Don’t let anyone or anything stop you. If the door doesn’t open, create your own. People will catch up. Trust me. Thanks to social media, the Vimeos, Youtube, etc., we now have so many tools available to get our work out. Use them!
Now an Angeleno, Health & Exercise Guru & Philanthropy
Castro resides in Los Angeles, she uses her spare time to stay healthy (vegetarian cooking is a love of hers), pilates, Brazilian & extreme martial rrts, Aerial Silk-Trapeze, and a love of dancing tango. In addition, she is a global citizen, lending her time and generosity to such nonprofit organizations as Artists for Peace and Justice, which supports children in Haiti. She’s actively involved with PETA and supports Step Up, which inspires young girls to fulfill their potential, and the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, Make a Film Foundation and S. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Someday movie trailer, CLICK HERE.
Castro is repped by Crawford Talents, Miracle Box Agency / Talent Agents. Anderson Group Public Relations / Publicist.
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