Original subtitles

Welcome back to Un Chín Life

Today, beautiful actress Tanairi

who shares with us

beautiful moment to her career.

Let's go, let's go to work.

Hi.

So talk to me about your new project.

I'm so proud of this project.

It's a indie rom-com holiday film.

Specifically Puerto Rican.

Yes.

A holiday film, which I love.

porque yo soy Boricua

That's right.

And you know, it was made

with a lot of love and heart.

And you know, the

filming process was very fast.

Because it was a low budget film.

Okay.

But it's a beautiful film about

ya tu sabes, Noche Buena, drinking coquito, con tu familia

parrandas

pernil, ya tu sabes

So it was made with

very, very talented actors

que son latinos

Okay.

And it touches home for me, you know.

I grew up in a Puerto Rican household.

Yeah.

I was taught at a

very young age, you know,

our tradition, you

know, how important that is.

Just to be proud of where you come from

and never to let that go, you know.

So it just touches home for me.

And it's a love story.

It's a very cute love story.

And I'm just proud to be part of

something like that,

you know, that just was made by Latinos.

And even though it's a small project,

we gotta start somewhere, you know.

And we gotta share our stories.

it were premiered here

in New York Latino Film Festival.

Okay.

Which was also really cool

because that was my first film festival

to be a part of.

Yes.

And so

y tu sabes, poquito a poco estamos

pushing the film.

We're actually gonna,

it's gonna air on Aspire TV,

December 6th.

You gotta watch it.

Yeah, so you gotta watch it and support.

That is for me, support.

Yes, and it's now available on tubi, Roku,

Apple TV and all of that.

So we're just trying to

push it out there so that--

Beautiful.

You know, other people can

see other Christmas stories.

Yeah, you know, in a world

that is so heavy right now,

we need to have some

light, beautiful, happy content.

Yes.

You know, traditions get lost.

Exactly.

I remember we, in my family,

we used to get together every year.

There was like, it was non-negotiable.

Christmas, there was none of that.

You know, I'm gonna go to a spring break,

no, you're gonna come home.

Yes.

So, and then we stopped.

Yeah.

And we lost that, and I

sort of missed that, you know?

Because it was like the first time,

with all the cousins come, you know?

The other side of the family.

Sometimes you met new family members.

Right, that's never even--

(laughing)

Yes, exactly.

I think that's something

that I used to be like,

wait, I got a new cousin?

Like, where is he from?

I know.

That is so real.

ese fue el primo.

See, oh my gosh, yeah.

So I can't wait to see it.

Yes, please watch it.

It's very heartwarming, it's funny.

Right.

So, all the things

that we need right now.

All right, so your

first job on TV was what?

Oh my goodness, Orange is a New Black.

As a reoccurring role.

Show.

Oh my God, I was obsessed with that show.

When I first saw it, because, you know,

for me, all those characters were so

unique and individuals.

But I was like, wow, I wanna

be part of the cast like this,

of such strong women, you know?

And they were just so badass.

Yes.

You know, so that show

inspired me to tell my agents

at the time, hey, I would love to

audition for TV film.

I wanna, you know, dip

my toes in that world.

Let's see what happens.

Okay.

And my first audition was

for Orange is a New Black.

And I was like freaking

out, I was like, oh my gosh,

like this is my favorite show.

I don't know what I'm

doing, you know what I mean?

Like, but I showed up at the audition.

I had to say just like one line.

Okay.

And that was it.

And then I got a call

from my agents being like,

okay, so they want you

to be this other role,

which is a reoccurring role.

And I was like, okay, let's do this.

And I was in four

episodes of, I believe season two

of Orange is a New Black.

And like, you know, I was

doing scenes with Poussey

and you know, Crazy Eyes

and like, you know, the big,

The big

Like main actors of the show.

So I learned so much just

being on set and like, you know,

how there's tons of people around you.

Yeah.

And there's different cameras and just

like that different,

the difference between being

on Broadway and being on film.

And I just grasped so much from that.

And I'm just so grateful that that

opportunity came to me

at that time.

Cause I really didn't

know what I was doing,

but I figured it out.

I got a coach.

Yep.

And everybody on set was

amazing and just guiding me.

And that was in.

How does that feel when you manifest

something like that?

Oh my gosh.

Your favorite show and

then here you are part of it.

I mean, it's possible.

You know, it's possible

for all of us to really like

have that mindset.

It's all about the mindset.

It's all about the mindset.

And if you believe it will happen,

it will come to fruition.

So that is what I did literally.

And I was like, oh my God,

the universe, está conmigo,

because this moment I did not expect.

And wow.

And is that a big jump?

I mean, let's talk a

little bit about your,

you know, Broadway and theater.

And was that a big difference?

A huge difference because

it's such a different medium.

Yep.

You know, when you're on stage,

you're performing for a huge audience.

Okay.

You know what I mean? And

it's live, like on the spot,

eight shows a week, ya tu sabes

So being on set, it's

like, you got to bring it down.

It's like having, like we're having a

conversation right now.

Right, right.

You know, like it's not,

you're not performing for a huge stadium.

Right.

You got to keep it grounded and centered

and it's very conversational.

You know, like I was like, oh my God.

what am i doing

i dont know what am i doing

but you just, for me,

like what makes me, what

helps me grow as an artist

is like facing fears.

Okay.

You know, like going

for something that like

you're interested in, but

you're scared, but I'm like,

you know what?

yo me voy a tirar

y vamos a ver lo que pasa

you know what, you know, so that for me

was that experience.

And from there, I was inspired.

I was challenged.

You know, I had

another passion for TV film.

So the show was your favorite show,

but talk to me about

your big break in theater.

Oh my goodness.

So my big break in

theater was "West Side Story".

"West Side Story".

Which fun fact, funny fact is my parents,

cuando yo era chiquita

me sentaron

okay, you're gonna watch this film.

"West Side Story", and I was like, okay.

And seeing Rita Moreno on the screen,

I was like, I wanna be her.

I wanna do that.

So having like "West Side Story"

to be my Broadway debut, you know,

bringing my parents to the

opening of our Broadway show

was like, como un full circle moment.

And they were so proud.

And I just felt so proud

to be a Boricua on Broadway

at the age of like 20, 21.

That was my first experience.

And it just meant so

much to me and my family.

Yeah. You know?

I can imagine. Oh my gosh.

the idea that you, Did you feel pressure?

Because you knew what it meant, you know?

No, I knew that this is where i belong

I was like, this is mine.

Like, yes, I deserve this.

I am worthy of this moment.

Beautiful. And just to represent,

you know, it's all about representation.

I mean, you can see my

boricua Puerto Rico flag

I love it, I love it. My parents got me.

I love it. Yeah.

One of the things that I'm

focusing on creating Un Chín

is to make sure that we find each other

and creating and telling the

stories from a point of view

that is not only Latino, both Caribbean,

a little different

way of telling stories.

Yeah. And I love the fact

that you have, you know,

you were part of "Hamilton,"

which was a difference, right?

It was a brand new way of doing Broadway.

Yeah. How was that experience

working in "Hamilton?"

Oh my goodness.

Well, I was in the Broadway company for

three and a half years,

which is like the longest I've

ever been in a Broadway show.

But being a part of that show

was so, I mean, it's Lin Manuel Miranda

I've been a fan of his

since "In the Heights."

Like, I saw that show so many times.

I had so many friends in the show.

And to be a part of what he created

is really one of the biggest

honors of my career as well.

You know, El es Latino Puertoriqueño

from Washington Heights.

You know, a kid that, Vega Alta, hello.

You know, as a kid, you

know that he was just filled

with such passion of creation.

And he's just so original.

There's no one out there

right now like him, you know?

And to be a part of it,

to be also Puertoriqueña

and being one of those, you know,

characters on that stage every night

was just like a huge honor, you know?

Because that story, the

music, the culture within,

within that show was incredible.

I'm so grateful for that experience.

And I was so inspired,

you know, being in that show,

being with all those different actors

and, you know, a lot of

celebrities would come

and like, apoyaron ese show

and it won Tony

And so I always wanted to work for him

or be in one of his shows.

And to be in that was very an honor,

such an honor to be a part of it, yeah.

And I am so grateful

that you're here, you know?

Oh, thank you for having me.

I'm so grateful.

Knowing your trajectory and

everything that you've done

to me, it's like,

especially for the young artists

that are gonna watch this.

I'm gonna say, wow, you know,

there's a lot, you know?

And I, you know, I gotta

admit, I didn't know about you.

Right.

You know?

I didn't know about you until

my friend told me about you,

you know, so.

Yes, yes, yes.

We gotta continue that.

I think that's what's

gonna help, like, our movement.

Yes.

Just collaborating and

sharing and apoyando you know?

Un Chín

Un Chín

Un Chín verdad?

Un Chín

I love you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

This is such a pleasure, such a pleasure.

Un Chín