December 7, 2021 • 40 mins
This week Darilyn welcomes the incredibly talented Cedric Leiba, Jr. Cedric is an award-winning stage, film and television actor, singer and dancer. Today Cedric tells Darilyn about his journey from Puerto Rico to the stage, and how he and his partner hope to make that journey better for the next generation of Latine/x performers.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Morenita, a deep dive into the Latin X experience.
With Moranita, we want to create a community and a
shared space with you while sharing knowledge and inspiration. This
show is about celebrating our culture with guests who exemplify
the best of us. I'm Darrylene Gastillo. Vito Cedric Leva Jr.
(00:34):
Is an award winning stage, film and television actor, singer, dancer,
writer and producer. He has toured the US and Canada
with theatrical productions of Rent and Miss Saigon, as well
as performed with the prestigious Theater des Chatelet in Pali
in a production of Carmen La Cubana. He portrayed the
lead role of Manny in the Tribeca nominated Best Narrative
(00:58):
short Gets Good Light, and he would feature poet in
the Latino Book Review. Cedric was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico,
and resides in New York City currently. It's my pleasure
to introduce to Morenita Cedric Leva Jr. Hello, Hello, Cedric,
(01:20):
my love. How are you doing. I'm doing well. Thank God,
I'm blessed and I have health and the family is
good and the career is good. So I'm just really
grateful and thankful right now. It's so good to hear
your voice. When was the last time we connected a
few months ago? Right to dine amazing meal? Yes, absolutely delicious.
(01:51):
But we have you here for a different reason because
we want to learn all about you and all about
the amazing things that you're doing for our community. And
if you just tell us a little bit of your
start in the entertainment industry, How did you come about this? Um?
How did this life find you? Yeah? That's that's deep. No, UM, Yeah, so,
(02:15):
I mean I guess it goes all the way back
to my childhood days in Puerto Rico. I was a
part of the quot One and that was really my
first UM introduction to the entertainment business or industry because
it was a renowned children's choir in Puerto Rico as
well as internationally and UM, so we were able to
(02:40):
perform a really prestigious UM places in Puerto Rico, UM
and like Casablanca and Wang and we traveled all around
the city. So it started there and UM. From there
we moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, Florida. I was
quickly UM in Florida. Yeah, Deltona, Florida, Florida is in
(03:06):
between Orlando and they Towona Beach. It's like the second
home for all the Puerto Ricans leave the Islands to
go to New York. Or when they made New York,
they come all the way down to Orlando. And a
lot of Dominicans there too. Everywhere, everywhere, all over. Um
so so yes. So when I moved to Deltona, Florida,
(03:27):
I was involved in the choirs in middle school and
something happened, something magical happened, and people really put their
love and focus and energy into my talent. And from
there I started taking voice lessons with a college professor
who then got me into UM, a local performance program
at Stetton University, where I got my bachelor's. And then
(03:49):
while I was there, I really fell in love with
musical theater. It happened a little before I got to
Stetson UM. There was a local community theater called Seaside
Music Theater. I'm actually not a community professional theater. Yeah,
professional theater in Daytona Beach, Seaside Music Theater, and they
came in and put on a production high school production
(04:12):
of Once On This silnce. Okay, they came out doing
a diverse show. They're giving you Caribbean vibes. That's a
beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing thing. Yeah, and I
played Daniel Boone. Come on, Daniel, you know you know that? Okay?
Am I feeling a little calmer coming on? Yes? Um
(04:34):
sou So they really treated us like a professional company
at warmups, we did all the things, and I was like,
I want this life. So I went to school for opera,
but the whole time I was like I want to
go back to bed. So while at school for opera,
connect through all the kids who are and that's a
whole different world. I mean, how was That's a whole
different Take a pause for a second, because I'm curious
(04:56):
in the opera because they don't you don't really see
many of us in that word at all. How was that? Even,
Like I will say this, at Stetson, I don't think
it was on purpose, but maybe not looking back, maybe
it was. But I came here with a very diverse group.
There are a lot of African Americans in my group
and my uh. When you go into the opera program,
(05:20):
you're also kind of connected to the choral program, and
my conductor director was obsessed with this composer named Moses
Hogan Um. He's famous for his spiritual his choral spirituals,
and so we sang a lot of African American spirituals.
So I really felt like in that world I had
exposure to um not only the classics, security and Mozart
(05:43):
all that stuff, but also we were exposed to contemporary
composers and artists of color. But all that being said,
I definitely felt like a black sheep in the program.
I was raising the church. So a lot of my
musical inspirational influence comes from that right world. And so
I was in this opera program and on the side
(06:05):
listening to Maryan Franklin listen to you know what I'm saying,
listening as we do, and I was supposed to be
listening to, uh, you know, Proparatti. Right, you would say
like you were the black sheep of the program because
you had other interests and other desires and other desires.
And also, yeah, I was equal. I mean I think
(06:27):
I was the only one. Maybe maybe there was another one.
And culturally are people didn't really do all yeah, And
culturally I wasn't raised withal and how did your family?
This is like one question and people always think people
always think like, oh, like it's I think it's always
like a you know what I mean, you just never know.
(06:47):
So but your family sounds like they were very supportive
and they very supportive. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, my my parents, um,
you know what, Yes, I will say they were very supportive.
Mom was more supportive. Dad was kind of on the sideline.
But then when he saw that, you know, I was
making money and people are like giving me attention, and
(07:08):
he was like, okay, okay, alright, this but this boy
has He's like, oh that's my son. That's my son.
Oh that's it. That's it. And so yeah, because mom
was always taking me to the voice lessons and I'm
going to all the competitions with me because I did
that a lot in high school. Um. But yeah, but culturally, yeah,
I grew up with you know, listening to the side side,
Motown R and B, Top Top ten, you know, Casey
(07:32):
case and all that stuff. So yes, so I'm in
this program giving you opera, but not but my spirit
wasn't connected, you know, so so did my four years.
It was challenging because again not only I wasn't in
love with the world. But also I didn't feel seen
in the world, whereas I did feel kind of seeing
a musical theater, which is interesting because that's probably gonna
(07:53):
come in later, but at least soul fully and like
an urban sound. I felt like I could do that
in musical theater or I was definitely um in this world.
That kind of embraced me a little more than Opperatuit. Right,
you're pushing the boundaries you were pushing like and then
realizing finding your place in in that world exactly. And
(08:14):
so while an undergrad again connecting with the black sheeps
like me and I got connected to how to get
into musical theater auditions ups. I did the any tcs
and that's how I got connected to regional theater. So
I did that all through college and then once it
came to my senior year, I was like, get oh,
(08:37):
I'm not ready to go to New York yet because
I had this all this vocal training, like I need
a little more dance, a little more acting. So then
I got I went to the Boston Conservatory. Beautiful, Okay, Boco,
that's a real that's a real deal. That's a real deal.
Place right there yeah. But what I love that you stated.
(09:10):
And I don't know some of our listeners know this
or not, but theater is not just like a generic thing,
like you don't just learn like theater and like all
the aspects. No, there's opera. And then wait a second,
if you want to go do Broadway or you want
to do plays, that's a whole different training, a whole
different mentality like yourself in a wonderful, hungry fashion that
(09:32):
you have. You obviously went out and after doing all
of this schooling, you said, Okay, we gotta go back
and we gotta, you know, relearn some things and learn
this new avenue. So when did you come to New York?
When was that transition? When did you feel comfortable? So
I finished my program at the Bocum, and you know,
(09:53):
I will say that I say this is a rich
kid's business. Honestly, I think this is ever in myself
saying this over and over and over again. You got
to have this money. Money. So if mommy and daddy
are not paying for all these lessons and all these
things starting from the age of three, then you do
(10:14):
need to go to either performing arts high school, I
would say, or get into one of these institutions that
are known because what Boco did for me was that
it got me into certain doors in the city, of course,
and that's the privilege. Yeah yeah, So it got me
into certain casting offices, and it gave me the training
and the confidence to come to New York and slate
(10:36):
as a musical theater auditioner and performing. So after Boco, UM,
I booked my first tour right out of college. I
booked it, I think on a spring break situation, right
before I graduated. So I booked the national tour Missigone. Okay,
(10:58):
you know, and at that time, we can say this
anymore or we can't do this anymore. But at that
time I was ethnically ambigue, you know, as a children
used to use because they were like, get the way,
I don't know what to do with you. So you're
you're ethnically and we're gonna use you. We're gonna use
this ethic. We're gonna figure it out because you got talent.
I don't know, so so yes, So I booked Missigone.
(11:21):
I booked the track where I played a g I,
but I also played an Asian. Again, very inappropriate. Now
I wouldn't I would not take an Asian role now,
but at that time, people that looked like me, people
that came before me, the tract, the people that I replaced,
we kind of all looked like mixes, like mixing or
biracial or like, we don't know what. You weren't know where,
(11:43):
but you could be from anywhere exactly. So so yes,
I was ensemble. I played. Yeah, it's like these two
different tracks or ethnicities in the show. Um and I
lived my best life. It was. It was my first
tour and we played it was like all one nighters,
(12:03):
which was bless you back, but no, but we had
just touch base what is a one nighter because some
of y'all don't know what a one nighter is, and
we got to fill you in. One nighter is where
you literally hit a new city every night on a
musical theater or any type of national tour. I can
(12:23):
never again, I mean yeah, yeah, And there were a
couple of sit downs where you stay in the city
for at least a week, but for the most part,
it was a lot of one nighter And that's kind
of like how in the beginning, when you when you're
starting out and you're coming in coming out of school,
you know, you're going to hit these tours. You're gonna
(12:44):
take the job that you gotta take, and that sacrifice
of you're young, you're back can handle it. Okay, you
can have your back everything, so you know the life
like you perform and then after you have to look
have a little fun and then you still get up
the next thing. You can do it. You know, yeah,
you can do that. And I can't do that anymore.
(13:06):
So yes, bless all your young listeners, because those knees.
Take care of your knees. Okay, stretch. I just started
stretching now, and I'm like, why didn't I do this
back in the day. Okay, so your knees, you know,
we still got a little strong knees. So how did
your knees? How did your knees? You know, continue going
(13:28):
in this business? After Miss p and I booked Rent.
After that, I booked the Nickelodeon tour, and then after
touring the US, I was like, all right, I'm ready
to do that New York City after grind, Like I'm
ready to like pound the pavement as they say. And
and so I did it. I came officially came here
(13:48):
in two thousand eight. I want to say, that's when
I officially moved um to New York And after touring,
had you been to New York prior to that? Had
you been coming in checking it out, scoping the scene. Yeah,
so dad is from the Bronx, Mom's from Brooklyn. Yes,
so yeah, they did it backwards. I would say that
(14:10):
New Yorecans came down to the island. They were like
me to get up and then and I want my
kids to learn the culture, so they came. Yeah. So
from these New Yorecans moved to to Rico barely really
knowing the language. They knew the language, but didn't feel
very comfortable speaking because you know that first generation thing
of like hold the whole idea, you know, you know
(14:39):
they always spoken with their parents, but you know they
didn't need to speak Spanish in New York City. So anyways,
came to Puerto Rico, had us So, yes, I had
been to New York a lot because of my family,
have a lot of family here still, but I had
never as an actor, had never been to New York
to found the pavement, to audition, to experience that life
other than flying in for a day, busting in for
(15:01):
a day doing an audition, booking, and then going back
to and what was that like for you? Tell us
the shock? What what? What was your experience? It was
a lot of different things. I think for me, I
just I was so hungry to to experience the New York,
to experience going to show experience. I will say this
(15:23):
that I'm so grateful that I've always been extremely hungry
and driven and and had good work ethic because I
was like, Okay, I gotta get to New York. I
gotta meet people, I gotta get in these rooms, you know,
Brobbi Brobbery roy or whatever, and so that that was
a motivation. Um. I will say keeping it one d
as the kids saying that I came here and I did.
(15:47):
I do feel like I partied a lot just because
I had to get that out of my system. I
was like, oh my god, New York sitting Oh my god,
Oh my god, oh my god. And also like the
diversity did you have that? I know that you know,
you were in Puerto Rico and then you were in Florida,
But like, how did you feel like, I don't know,
like walking outside taking the subway and being surrounded by us,
(16:10):
you know what? I mean like four seven in a sense,
you know what, I will say the blessing was that
I got to live with my You meet my deal
Pouli in Castle Okay, so you got that good food
at home the bron Castle Hill Okay, okay, Homo, Jail,
I got on the six Every time I got on
the sixth, I'm like, Jail, look on the six two
and look what she got. Yeah yeah, yeah, no, but
(16:32):
that would literally no, I thought of her every single time.
There's no other way to survive because it would be
an hour to the city, then do the city thing
in an hour back back up to the So I
will say that I had my family to kind of
ground me also to give me that culture that always
so important to me. That's always that's always been important
to me, That's always kept me, like again, giving me
(16:53):
that drive like so that was always kind of underneath
the motivation inspiration to do the thing. Um. So I
had that, Thank God. And no, I mean I listen,
I already had a bunch of friends here that were
already established that I met through the many years of
(17:13):
doing um summers. I will say that again, that networking
it started in college. So I met those directors, I
met those choreographers, I met those actors who were not
starting to blow up in New York City. So so
so yeah, so live my best life, I would say,
for a couple of months, and then I got focused
and then yeah, pounding the pavement, doing the open calls. Um.
(17:35):
I finally got an agent through a friend, and that
kind of shifted everything for me because then they were like, oh,
a musical theater, but here's TV and film. I had
never teav and film was never in my radar, I saying,
I act I stepped touch. I remember. I think there
was just one of my mentors who would talk about
(17:55):
TV film and transferring over. But do you think that's
just because in our world of theater, it's not talked
about much like it's just kind of like do the thing,
do the job, do the eight shows a week on
Broadway and that's it. Get your check. Yeah, I think so,
and I think it's part of the training. I did
not have one TV film class, so then that kind
(18:18):
of shifted everything for me because it was this whole
other beast that, first of all, I wasn't trained in.
Now retraining starts, listen, listeners, Retraining starts back to start
this monopoly to start, Yeah, back to start. And I
will say I was very The ego was like, listen,
you just spend all this money on school. You know,
I gonna spend more money on no classes, on no
(18:39):
voice sizes, and better than acause you just spend all
the money. But I learned real quick with that TV
film world. I was like, okay, I need to get
into a class because it was literally unknown territory. I
was starting from zero. So but I will say, um,
the agency that was with they really pushed me for that,
(19:00):
and that was never again in my radar that I
was not passionate about being a TV film star, and
they kind of I thank god for them because they
really kind of put that into my brain and into
my world and my little bubble. And and then getting
a taste of those auditions, getting a taste of what
that world was like, I was, okay, let me get
(19:20):
into class. Now that you're transferring into this TV film moment.
The things were called in for a theater are very
different than opera and then they're very different even more
different for TV film. So you being a a for
Latino male, what were you noticing about casting? Yeah, like,
how are you being viewed? How are you being accepted? Yeah?
(19:41):
What was your your process? Now we're gonna get into
the nitty griddy and the reason we've all been waiting for.
Were there, we there, we here, We're following you. So yeah.
So I mean, I will say, when I started with
musical theater, what do we have? We had rent and
we had this Island. Yeah. When I started dream Girls,
(20:05):
we had rag Time. Um, we had Lion King, west
Side story, west Side story, right, So I learned early
on in my musical theater slash opera slash regional theater world,
I was like, Okay, Cedric, the kids love your little
soulful R and B sound, so work on that. And
(20:26):
pretty much all through my non union days, my regional
theater days, I played only African American. So I did
the Smokey Joe's Coming, I did the Five Guys Name,
I was in the Harlem Ensemble in Return Nuna. Okay.
I think it's because also by the time, there wasn't
(20:48):
much unless it was west Side. And I will say this,
I've never been castling west Side other than in high school.
I've never in my life being considered for a West
Side story professionally in New York's that I've been here
a minute. And to me, that's crazy because I'm actually
Puerto Rican and and and my family is actually from
the area where Lincoln Center is currently at. You know,
(21:10):
but I was always looked past or looked over for
an Italian person or someone that looked fair skin. But
we're gonna get into listen. You could be Italian too,
and it's great, but it's it's our actual people are
not being represented in that. That's another car we might
we will, but um so yes. So musical theater Opperland,
(21:31):
I was like, Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna get in
with this baritone, sultry R and B and I'm gonna
give you a couple of high us a couple of
riffs here and there. So so I knew that already
with musical theater, and then in the Heights kind of
started happening, and then I was like, oh a Latino
sho you know, not a next show. And then but
then with TV film, I first of all, I was
(21:53):
told to cut my hair, so I hadn't you know,
I had like a curly look. I had kind of
like a mini fro, I was told to top off
my hair, and I believe it was because casting was
confused not only what to do with me ethnically, but
they felt that if I had a buzz cuts or
or I had a Baldi, let's say I looked more Latino.
And at that time I was only going in for
(22:15):
these like rough could personas, which is also not in
my essence. At that time with casting, it was only
what was available as a Latino man was you know,
these very generic mainly violent and um evil bad people.
(22:37):
So that was my experience for a lot of the
beginning of my TV film World I. I was going
in a lot of this one show one network, and
that's fairly popular that people love. I don't know, I don't,
I won't say, but but you know, it's it's one
of these really these hit shows that's been around for
And the casting director was like, man, I just she
(23:00):
had tattooed. I wish she had scars because I love you,
but just you know, I don't I'm not believing it.
And I was like, cool, that was experienced. And then
kind of after having that moment, that kind of stopped,
like I think people stopped looking for me or stopped
asking for me because maybe they were just like, he's
not it. I don't know what happened, but kind of
everything kind of stopped for a while for me. And
(23:22):
I also changed representation, and so I'll just skip to
from when I started to now. It's such a vast
difference because especially with this whole like racial reckoning and
moment that we've had and all kinds of communities being
like we're not being represented. I will say that I've
(23:43):
auditioned the most of my life. Now I've I've worked
the most as an artist, and I think it's because
now they do want to see Alfred Latinos in the screen.
Alfred Latinos are now behind the table as creatives, you know,
and not only that, you know, as a gay man,
as an openly gay man. Those opportunities are now like
just flooding in, and that wasn't there when I started.
(24:06):
They didn't want to see black Latinos, they didn't want
to see LGBTQ stories, or if they did, there was
only room for two and the A list people in
Hollywood we're getting, or the A list people in New York.
Because this is something that I went through personally, you know,
after changing representation. I think something that I had realized
was the person that I was with before was not
actually portraying me in that light, you know, it was
(24:30):
almost So do you think that's something with representation? I
think in that world, is that something that's changing as well, right,
so like agents are being forced to look at the reality. Yeah,
I think it's representation, It's it's several things. I think that.
Um first, I think myself, my own self, love, identity,
(24:50):
all that kind of just kind of got in sync
with the moment. I think back then, I didn't really
know what my type was. I didn't really know who
said drink was, and I think I was kind of
trying to become this thing that I thought the industry
wanted me to be. So there's this reckoning moment for you, right,
there's this moment of hold on, I need to know
(25:11):
who I am before about here telling people who I
am exactly. Yeah, I tell that to young people. It
takes a moment and time to figure out who you are.
But once you you you get into the essence of
who you are, it shows and you work, and it
shows in your auditions, and it shows how you promote
yourself on social media because that's a big part of
(25:32):
our industry now and are how we get work and whatever.
I wasn't aware of my blackness as a Latino to
really going into TV film casting like I was like wait, yeah,
I was like wait, why am I not going I
kept going in for African American and again, and if
I was going in for Latino, it was only like
these thugs. You weren't like, you weren't out here like
(25:56):
you know, yeah, and and and it was I really
I wasn't aware of that. I wasn't aware of of
I guess you know. In theater, yes, I was like,
oh you know I can. I can sing soul fully.
I can give you urban an urban sound as well
as an opera. And you were going in for all
these black per se Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um, but for real,
(26:21):
like I think again, TV film casting, I was. I
was made aware of my look. I was made aware
of my hair texture. I was made more conscious of
my African features and as to why that might have
been limiting the opportunities that were given to me to
kind of play to exactly so in so many years
(26:46):
sitting down sitting here and watching non Latino people play
Latino because they had quote unquote the look, these these
Eurocentric features that we're seen as beautiful and as value
and seen as Okay, this is going to make us money,
this is this is what America is ready for. The
(27:08):
problem is also, you know, in our Latin side as well,
the blackness of who we are, even in the Latin
aspect of things is he didn't really see how the
blackness was affecting the way people were purturing you were
seeing you until TV film, until that Actually then you
got to see it clearly. It was a little bit
of that, And then it got to a point in
(27:29):
musical theater where yes, then people all of a sudden
after in the Heights, all of a sudden, Honestly, before
in the Heights, I know so many actors that had
Latino last names. There were Smith's and frank and and
and and Henderson, and all of a sudden, all these
people changed their last name to all of a sudden
(27:50):
Latino was in. After that was that it wasn't in
And I'm like, I'm Dominican. They're like, oh, I know
what that is. That wasn't it isn't that musical It's
Heights Written by Lin Manuil. Yes, yes, yes, you know,
the father of all his time, you know, you know, no, no,
we love um no, we love him. But it's it's
(28:11):
hilarious that the shift that happened also with musical theaters
and then people started writing all these Latino shows, shows
and and there was a little bit more representation. But
so along with that moment of of not being casting
certain things and going in for the avidas I'm Broadway,
going in for the West Side stories regionally and I'm
Broadway and all this stuff and not getting casts and
(28:32):
seeing non Latinos be casting these roles, you know, that
started messing with my psyche, started messing with like myself value,
and that along with the non quality auditions that I
was getting from TV film, I was like, wait a minute,
this is because I look a certain way. And it's
also because these worlds aren't don't realize that there are
(28:53):
black Latinos and in every single Latin x Latino Latino
Latin country in this world, like black people exists in
every country and black people speak Spanish. Do you think
the reason for all of this is that there is
a lack of US Latinos who are our experiences are
going to be different. Do you feel that we're allowing
(29:14):
Latinos to tell our stories in Hollywood and Broadway and
TV and film and all of these aspects, especially with
what happened recently with the In the Heights movie, all
those people being called out and Lynn coming out and
apologizing and realizing, you know, the shortcomings. And I think
(29:35):
that really with that moment, I think Hollywood and especially
theater has really been called out on the lack of
black and Indigenous representation in these Latin X narratives. I
think people realize, like, oh, this is your experience of
how you see this thing. But hey, let's like broaden
(29:58):
our lens a little bit, and you know, why don't
we just go to Washington Heights and take a walk
right now? You know what I'm saying. And I think
that's the thing, like being able to being open to
have that conversation. That's where we make changes together, you know. Yeah.
And it's also because the Afro Latinox community is a
huge movement now of wanting to be seen, you know,
(30:21):
of wanting these casting, these these writers, these producers to
also include us in these stories. But when casting uh
a Latin X movie play, whatever, Traditionally, they've they've gone
with people who look like j Lo, Mark Anthony, Ricky Martin, Samahayak,
you know. And that's the way it's been and in
(30:41):
a weird way, Latinos have all been like, yeah, I'm
okay with that. Isn't that weird? It's so weird? Or
and what it is? It's like not that it's okay,
but it's more of like not realizing it's a product,
that's what it is. It's that's the biggest It's like
these blindfolds that we didn't don't even realize are on us.
(31:02):
And then we're like, hold on, did I see one
brown person in this movie, in this Latin film? No,
I didn't, Like wait a second. That takes time to
even process. So this movement that's been kind of stirring
and the kettle popped within the heights because people are
like dah, no more, no more, because it's being led
(31:23):
really by Afro Latin X women really pushing this whole
thing of like we are here, Where where are we?
Why aren't we in commercials? Why aren't we why aren't
we on Where are the Afro Latin X um news anchors?
You know? Where? Where are we in you know, because
you go I was just in Mexico a couple of
(31:44):
months ago. There are no indigenous or black people in
any of the advertisement. When you go to Menico, it's wild.
Is a bunch of European looking people. It's crazy, and
then you walk out that's the majority of what you see.
(32:11):
There's an obvious increase of visibility that we need to
um instill and um yeah, and speaking more about that,
I know that you and your partner Um Pierre have
something called amin A Reeken. Can you give us a
little and that's something that you're doing to bring up
the affro Latino experience. Can we hear more about that?
(32:33):
Domina Reecan? Yeah. So I wrote a poem and Pierre
wanted to film it, and we filmed this like experimental
piece literally the week that the pandemic happened, and um
we shot it on Tuesday and the shutdown happened that
Wednesday or Thursday, and we were kind of in this
weird place of what do we do next? And once
(32:55):
we put the film together and started promoting it, um,
there was so much positive feedback and we're like, Okay,
this is a thing, and so out of that other
projects came and we started a production company UM with
this idea of we want to tell more Afro Latin
X stories, we want to tell more LGBTQ plus stories,
(33:16):
and we want those stories to be told by us,
and also wanting to have people of color on both
sides of the camera. We came into it kind of
what the experience we've had as actors in New York
City and seeing how limited the roles that we were
going in for and and and the quality of the
work we're going in for it, and so UM kind
(33:36):
of starting this production company with the idea of we
want to hire our friends. Are amazing talented friends that
are around us that are mainly POC and queer, and
a bunch of talented women who are not getting opportunities.
How can we bring all this together and start a
production company and start to create work. And let's create
work that's then going to inspire young people, that's gonna
(33:58):
inspire people to then create their own work, and and
the whole what's underlying everything is that we just want
to We want our images and our stories to be
out there. We want visibility because we didn't have that
growing up. I did see people that look like me
growing up as leading men as as UM in romantic
um UM relationships and experiences, you know, and we were
(34:23):
just so hungry to kind of change the narrative and
kind of in control of that, and we used the
perfect time of having nothing to create something. And so yeah,
we've filmed about three or four shorts. We want one
of a couple of awards, and UM have been UM
(34:44):
hired to collaborate with other companies to create their own
work and it's all been kind of this thing where
we keep telling these Afro Latin X, these queer stories,
these stories about women and having that representation as well
as in in front but also behind the camera. I
think it's amazing the work that you guys are doing
(35:04):
and UM, the fact that you were able to lift
something like this coming from the pandemic when we were struggling,
and you created an outlet for you know, all people
of color and the lgbt K community and such to
just connect with something and also provide an outlet. And
I think that that's how we increase this visibility of
(35:26):
our community of lifting each other up. And that's what
I love about your production company. It's such a beautiful
example of not just talking the talk, putting the work
up and really lifting everybody else around you as well. Um,
I think that's the that's the goal at the end
of the day, right yeah, and I think in years
to come, you know, the the goal is to be
(35:47):
an empire, you know, to be a media empire. And
where we're really um spearheading these conversations and these stories
and these narratives that for so long we're being told
by people outside of these communities. Right, It's about time.
It's about time, and we just you know, what's what's
(36:09):
motivating us is really want inspired people. We want people
to see themselves in our work and and see themselves
as beautiful and invaluable and um and important. Well, I'm
inspired by you guys in your work. How are you
feeling You've had this incredible journey from opera to theater
(36:30):
to TV film to this new world of being your
own CEO. How are you feeling about the industry as
a whole right now? Is it better as a whole
for everyone? No, there's a lot of work that needs
to happen. I think a lot of people are putting
a little band needs on everything right now. We're hiring
you know, African Americans misposition in that position, and oh
(36:52):
we'll have seven black plays. I'm probably trying to like
make it UH look really good visually right now, to
make it seem like, all, we fixed it, but we
love you guys exactly. So yeah, there's work that needs
to be done. But on an individual personal um no,
(37:14):
I think I'm completely inspired. I've auditioned and they called
in for so many Afro Latin X roles that prior
to the pandemic never happened in the same same never
I'm with you. I literally was like the next day
I woke up all of a sudden people saw me
as Afro Latino finally. Yeah, so I feel like people
want to tell our stories. I've been in for so
(37:35):
many and have booked so many um lgbt Q plus
UH roles and campaigns and commercially to like, I booked
so much during and post pandemic, and prior to that,
people we are not interested in me at all, and
something shifted, and so I'm inspired for people that look
like us. I'm inspired for future young people who are
(37:58):
in college right now. They're going to get out future
Black Columbians, Black Dominicans just from everywhere, Indigenous, gay, lesbian, trans,
trans I mean that whole community has i mean leaps
and bounds. And so I'm so inspired and I'm so excited,
um because I right now, honestly, I'm overwhelmed with the
amount of work and auditions that are coming my work, Cedric, Cedric,
(38:23):
I'm tired, and I'm like, all right, see, y'all just
can't get enough of me now, Okay, okay, Darrel, It's crazy.
It's I've never been this busy in my life artistically,
creatively ever. And I'm here for. I mean, I'm here
for I'm feeling the support, I'm feeling the love. But
I also hear you, Cedric. I'm just hoping that this
is not a fad. I'm hoping that this is something
(38:45):
that sticks. And I cannot wait to continue seeing the
things that you and I do in this industry. And
my dear, if people want to follow you or know
about the minute weekend, can you let him know this
is your plug time. My handle ct C E D
(39:06):
D y N y C dominer Waking Productions is at
the miner rek In Productions. Go to those social media
handles and and find me find us and and Pierre's
Pierre Lito to ours p I E R R l
I t O and he's doing some amazing things. Oh yeah,
we're gonna have to We're gonna have to revisit this
is going to have to be a part to later
(39:28):
on for for you guys, stay tuned. Cedric, my dear,
thank you so much for spending time with me. It
is always so good to see you, so good to
hear that you are doing well. Cedric's desire to improve
is always accompanied by commitment and discipline. His patients, talent,
and perseverance are testimony to the personal and professional growth
(39:50):
that occur when things are done with passion, versatility, being
open to listening to the universe, and a willingness to
change our keys to his success in this world be
Water a Velante. Mon Anita is a production of Sonato
in partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael Kuda podcast Network.
(40:14):
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I
heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Welcome to Morenita, a deep dive into the Latin X experience.
With Moranita, we want to create a community and a
shared space with you while sharing knowledge and inspiration. This
show is about celebrating our culture with guests who exemplify
the best of us. I'm Darrylene Gastillo. Vito Cedric Leva Jr.
(00:34):
Is an award winning stage, film and television actor, singer, dancer,
writer and producer. He has toured the US and Canada
with theatrical productions of Rent and Miss Saigon, as well
as performed with the prestigious Theater des Chatelet in Pali
in a production of Carmen La Cubana. He portrayed the
lead role of Manny in the Tribeca nominated Best Narrative
(00:58):
short Gets Good Light, and he would feature poet in
the Latino Book Review. Cedric was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico,
and resides in New York City currently. It's my pleasure
to introduce to Morenita Cedric Leva Jr. Hello, Hello, Cedric,
(01:20):
my love. How are you doing. I'm doing well. Thank God,
I'm blessed and I have health and the family is
good and the career is good. So I'm just really
grateful and thankful right now. It's so good to hear
your voice. When was the last time we connected a
few months ago? Right to dine amazing meal? Yes, absolutely delicious.
(01:51):
But we have you here for a different reason because
we want to learn all about you and all about
the amazing things that you're doing for our community. And
if you just tell us a little bit of your
start in the entertainment industry, How did you come about this? Um?
How did this life find you? Yeah? That's that's deep. No, UM, Yeah, so,
(02:15):
I mean I guess it goes all the way back
to my childhood days in Puerto Rico. I was a
part of the quot One and that was really my
first UM introduction to the entertainment business or industry because
it was a renowned children's choir in Puerto Rico as
well as internationally and UM, so we were able to
(02:40):
perform a really prestigious UM places in Puerto Rico, UM
and like Casablanca and Wang and we traveled all around
the city. So it started there and UM. From there
we moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, Florida. I was
quickly UM in Florida. Yeah, Deltona, Florida, Florida is in
(03:06):
between Orlando and they Towona Beach. It's like the second
home for all the Puerto Ricans leave the Islands to
go to New York. Or when they made New York,
they come all the way down to Orlando. And a
lot of Dominicans there too. Everywhere, everywhere, all over. Um
so so yes. So when I moved to Deltona, Florida,
(03:27):
I was involved in the choirs in middle school and
something happened, something magical happened, and people really put their
love and focus and energy into my talent. And from
there I started taking voice lessons with a college professor
who then got me into UM, a local performance program
at Stetton University, where I got my bachelor's. And then
(03:49):
while I was there, I really fell in love with
musical theater. It happened a little before I got to
Stetson UM. There was a local community theater called Seaside
Music Theater. I'm actually not a community professional theater. Yeah,
professional theater in Daytona Beach, Seaside Music Theater, and they
came in and put on a production high school production
(04:12):
of Once On This silnce. Okay, they came out doing
a diverse show. They're giving you Caribbean vibes. That's a
beautiful thing. That's a beautiful thing thing. Yeah, and I
played Daniel Boone. Come on, Daniel, you know you know that? Okay?
Am I feeling a little calmer coming on? Yes? Um
(04:34):
sou So they really treated us like a professional company
at warmups, we did all the things, and I was like,
I want this life. So I went to school for opera,
but the whole time I was like I want to
go back to bed. So while at school for opera,
connect through all the kids who are and that's a
whole different world. I mean, how was That's a whole
different Take a pause for a second, because I'm curious
(04:56):
in the opera because they don't you don't really see
many of us in that word at all. How was that? Even,
Like I will say this, at Stetson, I don't think
it was on purpose, but maybe not looking back, maybe
it was. But I came here with a very diverse group.
There are a lot of African Americans in my group
and my uh. When you go into the opera program,
(05:20):
you're also kind of connected to the choral program, and
my conductor director was obsessed with this composer named Moses
Hogan Um. He's famous for his spiritual his choral spirituals,
and so we sang a lot of African American spirituals.
So I really felt like in that world I had
exposure to um not only the classics, security and Mozart
(05:43):
all that stuff, but also we were exposed to contemporary
composers and artists of color. But all that being said,
I definitely felt like a black sheep in the program.
I was raising the church. So a lot of my
musical inspirational influence comes from that right world. And so
I was in this opera program and on the side
(06:05):
listening to Maryan Franklin listen to you know what I'm saying,
listening as we do, and I was supposed to be
listening to, uh, you know, Proparatti. Right, you would say
like you were the black sheep of the program because
you had other interests and other desires and other desires.
And also, yeah, I was equal. I mean I think
(06:27):
I was the only one. Maybe maybe there was another one.
And culturally are people didn't really do all yeah, And
culturally I wasn't raised withal and how did your family?
This is like one question and people always think people
always think like, oh, like it's I think it's always
like a you know what I mean, you just never know.
(06:47):
So but your family sounds like they were very supportive
and they very supportive. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, my my parents, um,
you know what, Yes, I will say they were very supportive.
Mom was more supportive. Dad was kind of on the sideline.
But then when he saw that, you know, I was
making money and people are like giving me attention, and
(07:08):
he was like, okay, okay, alright, this but this boy
has He's like, oh that's my son. That's my son.
Oh that's it. That's it. And so yeah, because mom
was always taking me to the voice lessons and I'm
going to all the competitions with me because I did
that a lot in high school. Um. But yeah, but culturally, yeah,
I grew up with you know, listening to the side side,
Motown R and B, Top Top ten, you know, Casey
(07:32):
case and all that stuff. So yes, so I'm in
this program giving you opera, but not but my spirit
wasn't connected, you know, so so did my four years.
It was challenging because again not only I wasn't in
love with the world. But also I didn't feel seen
in the world, whereas I did feel kind of seeing
a musical theater, which is interesting because that's probably gonna
(07:53):
come in later, but at least soul fully and like
an urban sound. I felt like I could do that
in musical theater or I was definitely um in this world.
That kind of embraced me a little more than Opperatuit. Right,
you're pushing the boundaries you were pushing like and then
realizing finding your place in in that world exactly. And
(08:14):
so while an undergrad again connecting with the black sheeps
like me and I got connected to how to get
into musical theater auditions ups. I did the any tcs
and that's how I got connected to regional theater. So
I did that all through college and then once it
came to my senior year, I was like, get oh,
(08:37):
I'm not ready to go to New York yet because
I had this all this vocal training, like I need
a little more dance, a little more acting. So then
I got I went to the Boston Conservatory. Beautiful, Okay, Boco,
that's a real that's a real deal. That's a real deal.
Place right there yeah. But what I love that you stated.
(09:10):
And I don't know some of our listeners know this
or not, but theater is not just like a generic thing,
like you don't just learn like theater and like all
the aspects. No, there's opera. And then wait a second,
if you want to go do Broadway or you want
to do plays, that's a whole different training, a whole
different mentality like yourself in a wonderful, hungry fashion that
(09:32):
you have. You obviously went out and after doing all
of this schooling, you said, Okay, we gotta go back
and we gotta, you know, relearn some things and learn
this new avenue. So when did you come to New York?
When was that transition? When did you feel comfortable? So
I finished my program at the Bocum, and you know,
(09:53):
I will say that I say this is a rich
kid's business. Honestly, I think this is ever in myself
saying this over and over and over again. You got
to have this money. Money. So if mommy and daddy
are not paying for all these lessons and all these
things starting from the age of three, then you do
(10:14):
need to go to either performing arts high school, I
would say, or get into one of these institutions that
are known because what Boco did for me was that
it got me into certain doors in the city, of course,
and that's the privilege. Yeah yeah, So it got me
into certain casting offices, and it gave me the training
and the confidence to come to New York and slate
(10:36):
as a musical theater auditioner and performing. So after Boco, UM,
I booked my first tour right out of college. I
booked it, I think on a spring break situation, right
before I graduated. So I booked the national tour Missigone. Okay,
(10:58):
you know, and at that time, we can say this
anymore or we can't do this anymore. But at that
time I was ethnically ambigue, you know, as a children
used to use because they were like, get the way,
I don't know what to do with you. So you're
you're ethnically and we're gonna use you. We're gonna use
this ethic. We're gonna figure it out because you got talent.
I don't know, so so yes, So I booked Missigone.
(11:21):
I booked the track where I played a g I,
but I also played an Asian. Again, very inappropriate. Now
I wouldn't I would not take an Asian role now,
but at that time, people that looked like me, people
that came before me, the tract, the people that I replaced,
we kind of all looked like mixes, like mixing or
biracial or like, we don't know what. You weren't know where,
(11:43):
but you could be from anywhere exactly. So so yes,
I was ensemble. I played. Yeah, it's like these two
different tracks or ethnicities in the show. Um and I
lived my best life. It was. It was my first
tour and we played it was like all one nighters,
(12:03):
which was bless you back, but no, but we had
just touch base what is a one nighter because some
of y'all don't know what a one nighter is, and
we got to fill you in. One nighter is where
you literally hit a new city every night on a
musical theater or any type of national tour. I can
(12:23):
never again, I mean yeah, yeah, And there were a
couple of sit downs where you stay in the city
for at least a week, but for the most part,
it was a lot of one nighter And that's kind
of like how in the beginning, when you when you're
starting out and you're coming in coming out of school,
you know, you're going to hit these tours. You're gonna
(12:44):
take the job that you gotta take, and that sacrifice
of you're young, you're back can handle it. Okay, you
can have your back everything, so you know the life
like you perform and then after you have to look
have a little fun and then you still get up
the next thing. You can do it. You know, yeah,
you can do that. And I can't do that anymore.
(13:06):
So yes, bless all your young listeners, because those knees.
Take care of your knees. Okay, stretch. I just started
stretching now, and I'm like, why didn't I do this
back in the day. Okay, so your knees, you know,
we still got a little strong knees. So how did
your knees? How did your knees? You know, continue going
(13:28):
in this business? After Miss p and I booked Rent.
After that, I booked the Nickelodeon tour, and then after
touring the US, I was like, all right, I'm ready
to do that New York City after grind, Like I'm
ready to like pound the pavement as they say. And
and so I did it. I came officially came here
(13:48):
in two thousand eight. I want to say, that's when
I officially moved um to New York And after touring,
had you been to New York prior to that? Had
you been coming in checking it out, scoping the scene. Yeah,
so dad is from the Bronx, Mom's from Brooklyn. Yes,
so yeah, they did it backwards. I would say that
(14:10):
New Yorecans came down to the island. They were like
me to get up and then and I want my
kids to learn the culture, so they came. Yeah. So
from these New Yorecans moved to to Rico barely really
knowing the language. They knew the language, but didn't feel
very comfortable speaking because you know that first generation thing
of like hold the whole idea, you know, you know
(14:39):
they always spoken with their parents, but you know they
didn't need to speak Spanish in New York City. So anyways,
came to Puerto Rico, had us So, yes, I had
been to New York a lot because of my family,
have a lot of family here still, but I had
never as an actor, had never been to New York
to found the pavement, to audition, to experience that life
other than flying in for a day, busting in for
(15:01):
a day doing an audition, booking, and then going back
to and what was that like for you? Tell us
the shock? What what? What was your experience? It was
a lot of different things. I think for me, I
just I was so hungry to to experience the New York,
to experience going to show experience. I will say this
(15:23):
that I'm so grateful that I've always been extremely hungry
and driven and and had good work ethic because I
was like, Okay, I gotta get to New York. I
gotta meet people, I gotta get in these rooms, you know,
Brobbi Brobbery roy or whatever, and so that that was
a motivation. Um. I will say keeping it one d
as the kids saying that I came here and I did.
(15:47):
I do feel like I partied a lot just because
I had to get that out of my system. I
was like, oh my god, New York sitting Oh my god,
Oh my god, oh my god. And also like the
diversity did you have that? I know that you know,
you were in Puerto Rico and then you were in Florida,
But like, how did you feel like, I don't know,
like walking outside taking the subway and being surrounded by us,
(16:10):
you know what? I mean like four seven in a sense,
you know what, I will say the blessing was that
I got to live with my You meet my deal
Pouli in Castle Okay, so you got that good food
at home the bron Castle Hill Okay, okay, Homo, Jail,
I got on the six Every time I got on
the sixth, I'm like, Jail, look on the six two
and look what she got. Yeah yeah, yeah, no, but
(16:32):
that would literally no, I thought of her every single time.
There's no other way to survive because it would be
an hour to the city, then do the city thing
in an hour back back up to the So I
will say that I had my family to kind of
ground me also to give me that culture that always
so important to me. That's always that's always been important
to me, That's always kept me, like again, giving me
(16:53):
that drive like so that was always kind of underneath
the motivation inspiration to do the thing. Um. So I
had that, Thank God. And no, I mean I listen,
I already had a bunch of friends here that were
already established that I met through the many years of
(17:13):
doing um summers. I will say that again, that networking
it started in college. So I met those directors, I
met those choreographers, I met those actors who were not
starting to blow up in New York City. So so
so yeah, so live my best life, I would say,
for a couple of months, and then I got focused
and then yeah, pounding the pavement, doing the open calls. Um.
(17:35):
I finally got an agent through a friend, and that
kind of shifted everything for me because then they were like, oh,
a musical theater, but here's TV and film. I had
never teav and film was never in my radar, I saying,
I act I stepped touch. I remember. I think there
was just one of my mentors who would talk about
(17:55):
TV film and transferring over. But do you think that's
just because in our world of theater, it's not talked
about much like it's just kind of like do the thing,
do the job, do the eight shows a week on
Broadway and that's it. Get your check. Yeah, I think so,
and I think it's part of the training. I did
not have one TV film class, so then that kind
(18:18):
of shifted everything for me because it was this whole
other beast that, first of all, I wasn't trained in.
Now retraining starts, listen, listeners, Retraining starts back to start
this monopoly to start, Yeah, back to start. And I
will say I was very The ego was like, listen,
you just spend all this money on school. You know,
I gonna spend more money on no classes, on no
(18:39):
voice sizes, and better than acause you just spend all
the money. But I learned real quick with that TV
film world. I was like, okay, I need to get
into a class because it was literally unknown territory. I
was starting from zero. So but I will say, um,
the agency that was with they really pushed me for that,
(19:00):
and that was never again in my radar that I
was not passionate about being a TV film star, and
they kind of I thank god for them because they
really kind of put that into my brain and into
my world and my little bubble. And and then getting
a taste of those auditions, getting a taste of what
that world was like, I was, okay, let me get
(19:20):
into class. Now that you're transferring into this TV film moment.
The things were called in for a theater are very
different than opera and then they're very different even more
different for TV film. So you being a a for
Latino male, what were you noticing about casting? Yeah, like,
how are you being viewed? How are you being accepted? Yeah?
(19:41):
What was your your process? Now we're gonna get into
the nitty griddy and the reason we've all been waiting for.
Were there, we there, we here, We're following you. So yeah.
So I mean, I will say, when I started with
musical theater, what do we have? We had rent and
we had this Island. Yeah. When I started dream Girls,
(20:05):
we had rag Time. Um, we had Lion King, west
Side story, west Side story, right, So I learned early
on in my musical theater slash opera slash regional theater world,
I was like, Okay, Cedric, the kids love your little
soulful R and B sound, so work on that. And
(20:26):
pretty much all through my non union days, my regional
theater days, I played only African American. So I did
the Smokey Joe's Coming, I did the Five Guys Name,
I was in the Harlem Ensemble in Return Nuna. Okay.
I think it's because also by the time, there wasn't
(20:48):
much unless it was west Side. And I will say this,
I've never been castling west Side other than in high school.
I've never in my life being considered for a West
Side story professionally in New York's that I've been here
a minute. And to me, that's crazy because I'm actually
Puerto Rican and and and my family is actually from
the area where Lincoln Center is currently at. You know,
(21:10):
but I was always looked past or looked over for
an Italian person or someone that looked fair skin. But
we're gonna get into listen. You could be Italian too,
and it's great, but it's it's our actual people are
not being represented in that. That's another car we might
we will, but um so yes. So musical theater Opperland,
(21:31):
I was like, Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna get in
with this baritone, sultry R and B and I'm gonna
give you a couple of high us a couple of
riffs here and there. So so I knew that already
with musical theater, and then in the Heights kind of
started happening, and then I was like, oh a Latino
sho you know, not a next show. And then but
then with TV film, I first of all, I was
(21:53):
told to cut my hair, so I hadn't you know,
I had like a curly look. I had kind of
like a mini fro, I was told to top off
my hair, and I believe it was because casting was
confused not only what to do with me ethnically, but
they felt that if I had a buzz cuts or
or I had a Baldi, let's say I looked more Latino.
And at that time I was only going in for
(22:15):
these like rough could personas, which is also not in
my essence. At that time with casting, it was only
what was available as a Latino man was you know,
these very generic mainly violent and um evil bad people.
(22:37):
So that was my experience for a lot of the
beginning of my TV film World I. I was going
in a lot of this one show one network, and
that's fairly popular that people love. I don't know, I don't,
I won't say, but but you know, it's it's one
of these really these hit shows that's been around for
And the casting director was like, man, I just she
(23:00):
had tattooed. I wish she had scars because I love you,
but just you know, I don't I'm not believing it.
And I was like, cool, that was experienced. And then
kind of after having that moment, that kind of stopped,
like I think people stopped looking for me or stopped
asking for me because maybe they were just like, he's
not it. I don't know what happened, but kind of
everything kind of stopped for a while for me. And
(23:22):
I also changed representation, and so I'll just skip to
from when I started to now. It's such a vast
difference because especially with this whole like racial reckoning and
moment that we've had and all kinds of communities being
like we're not being represented. I will say that I've
(23:43):
auditioned the most of my life. Now I've I've worked
the most as an artist, and I think it's because
now they do want to see Alfred Latinos in the screen.
Alfred Latinos are now behind the table as creatives, you know,
and not only that, you know, as a gay man,
as an openly gay man. Those opportunities are now like
just flooding in, and that wasn't there when I started.
(24:06):
They didn't want to see black Latinos, they didn't want
to see LGBTQ stories, or if they did, there was
only room for two and the A list people in
Hollywood we're getting, or the A list people in New York.
Because this is something that I went through personally, you know,
after changing representation. I think something that I had realized
was the person that I was with before was not
actually portraying me in that light, you know, it was
(24:30):
almost So do you think that's something with representation? I
think in that world, is that something that's changing as well, right,
so like agents are being forced to look at the reality. Yeah,
I think it's representation, It's it's several things. I think that.
Um first, I think myself, my own self, love, identity,
(24:50):
all that kind of just kind of got in sync
with the moment. I think back then, I didn't really
know what my type was. I didn't really know who
said drink was, and I think I was kind of
trying to become this thing that I thought the industry
wanted me to be. So there's this reckoning moment for you, right,
there's this moment of hold on, I need to know
(25:11):
who I am before about here telling people who I
am exactly. Yeah, I tell that to young people. It
takes a moment and time to figure out who you are.
But once you you you get into the essence of
who you are, it shows and you work, and it
shows in your auditions, and it shows how you promote
yourself on social media because that's a big part of
(25:32):
our industry now and are how we get work and whatever.
I wasn't aware of my blackness as a Latino to
really going into TV film casting like I was like wait, yeah,
I was like wait, why am I not going I
kept going in for African American and again, and if
I was going in for Latino, it was only like
these thugs. You weren't like, you weren't out here like
(25:56):
you know, yeah, and and and it was I really
I wasn't aware of that. I wasn't aware of of
I guess you know. In theater, yes, I was like,
oh you know I can. I can sing soul fully.
I can give you urban an urban sound as well
as an opera. And you were going in for all
these black per se Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um, but for real,
(26:21):
like I think again, TV film casting, I was. I
was made aware of my look. I was made aware
of my hair texture. I was made more conscious of
my African features and as to why that might have
been limiting the opportunities that were given to me to
kind of play to exactly so in so many years
(26:46):
sitting down sitting here and watching non Latino people play
Latino because they had quote unquote the look, these these
Eurocentric features that we're seen as beautiful and as value
and seen as Okay, this is going to make us money,
this is this is what America is ready for. The
(27:08):
problem is also, you know, in our Latin side as well,
the blackness of who we are, even in the Latin
aspect of things is he didn't really see how the
blackness was affecting the way people were purturing you were
seeing you until TV film, until that Actually then you
got to see it clearly. It was a little bit
of that, And then it got to a point in
(27:29):
musical theater where yes, then people all of a sudden
after in the Heights, all of a sudden, Honestly, before
in the Heights, I know so many actors that had
Latino last names. There were Smith's and frank and and
and and Henderson, and all of a sudden, all these
people changed their last name to all of a sudden
(27:50):
Latino was in. After that was that it wasn't in
And I'm like, I'm Dominican. They're like, oh, I know
what that is. That wasn't it isn't that musical It's
Heights Written by Lin Manuil. Yes, yes, yes, you know,
the father of all his time, you know, you know, no, no,
we love um no, we love him. But it's it's
(28:11):
hilarious that the shift that happened also with musical theaters
and then people started writing all these Latino shows, shows
and and there was a little bit more representation. But
so along with that moment of of not being casting
certain things and going in for the avidas I'm Broadway,
going in for the West Side stories regionally and I'm
Broadway and all this stuff and not getting casts and
(28:32):
seeing non Latinos be casting these roles, you know, that
started messing with my psyche, started messing with like myself value,
and that along with the non quality auditions that I
was getting from TV film, I was like, wait a minute,
this is because I look a certain way. And it's
also because these worlds aren't don't realize that there are
(28:53):
black Latinos and in every single Latin x Latino Latino
Latin country in this world, like black people exists in
every country and black people speak Spanish. Do you think
the reason for all of this is that there is
a lack of US Latinos who are our experiences are
going to be different. Do you feel that we're allowing
(29:14):
Latinos to tell our stories in Hollywood and Broadway and
TV and film and all of these aspects, especially with
what happened recently with the In the Heights movie, all
those people being called out and Lynn coming out and
apologizing and realizing, you know, the shortcomings. And I think
(29:35):
that really with that moment, I think Hollywood and especially
theater has really been called out on the lack of
black and Indigenous representation in these Latin X narratives. I
think people realize, like, oh, this is your experience of
how you see this thing. But hey, let's like broaden
(29:58):
our lens a little bit, and you know, why don't
we just go to Washington Heights and take a walk
right now? You know what I'm saying. And I think
that's the thing, like being able to being open to
have that conversation. That's where we make changes together, you know. Yeah.
And it's also because the Afro Latinox community is a
huge movement now of wanting to be seen, you know,
(30:21):
of wanting these casting, these these writers, these producers to
also include us in these stories. But when casting uh
a Latin X movie play, whatever, Traditionally, they've they've gone
with people who look like j Lo, Mark Anthony, Ricky Martin, Samahayak,
you know. And that's the way it's been and in
(30:41):
a weird way, Latinos have all been like, yeah, I'm
okay with that. Isn't that weird? It's so weird? Or
and what it is? It's like not that it's okay,
but it's more of like not realizing it's a product,
that's what it is. It's that's the biggest It's like
these blindfolds that we didn't don't even realize are on us.
(31:02):
And then we're like, hold on, did I see one
brown person in this movie, in this Latin film? No,
I didn't, Like wait a second. That takes time to
even process. So this movement that's been kind of stirring
and the kettle popped within the heights because people are
like dah, no more, no more, because it's being led
(31:23):
really by Afro Latin X women really pushing this whole
thing of like we are here, Where where are we?
Why aren't we in commercials? Why aren't we why aren't
we on Where are the Afro Latin X um news anchors?
You know? Where? Where are we in you know, because
you go I was just in Mexico a couple of
(31:44):
months ago. There are no indigenous or black people in
any of the advertisement. When you go to Menico, it's wild.
Is a bunch of European looking people. It's crazy, and
then you walk out that's the majority of what you see.
(32:11):
There's an obvious increase of visibility that we need to
um instill and um yeah, and speaking more about that,
I know that you and your partner Um Pierre have
something called amin A Reeken. Can you give us a
little and that's something that you're doing to bring up
the affro Latino experience. Can we hear more about that?
(32:33):
Domina Reecan? Yeah. So I wrote a poem and Pierre
wanted to film it, and we filmed this like experimental
piece literally the week that the pandemic happened, and um
we shot it on Tuesday and the shutdown happened that
Wednesday or Thursday, and we were kind of in this
weird place of what do we do next? And once
(32:55):
we put the film together and started promoting it, um,
there was so much positive feedback and we're like, Okay,
this is a thing, and so out of that other
projects came and we started a production company UM with
this idea of we want to tell more Afro Latin
X stories, we want to tell more LGBTQ plus stories,
(33:16):
and we want those stories to be told by us,
and also wanting to have people of color on both
sides of the camera. We came into it kind of
what the experience we've had as actors in New York
City and seeing how limited the roles that we were
going in for and and and the quality of the
work we're going in for it, and so UM kind
(33:36):
of starting this production company with the idea of we
want to hire our friends. Are amazing talented friends that
are around us that are mainly POC and queer, and
a bunch of talented women who are not getting opportunities.
How can we bring all this together and start a
production company and start to create work. And let's create
work that's then going to inspire young people, that's gonna
(33:58):
inspire people to then create their own work, and and
the whole what's underlying everything is that we just want
to We want our images and our stories to be
out there. We want visibility because we didn't have that
growing up. I did see people that look like me
growing up as leading men as as UM in romantic
um UM relationships and experiences, you know, and we were
(34:23):
just so hungry to kind of change the narrative and
kind of in control of that, and we used the
perfect time of having nothing to create something. And so yeah,
we've filmed about three or four shorts. We want one
of a couple of awards, and UM have been UM
(34:44):
hired to collaborate with other companies to create their own
work and it's all been kind of this thing where
we keep telling these Afro Latin X, these queer stories,
these stories about women and having that representation as well
as in in front but also behind the camera. I
think it's amazing the work that you guys are doing
(35:04):
and UM, the fact that you were able to lift
something like this coming from the pandemic when we were struggling,
and you created an outlet for you know, all people
of color and the lgbt K community and such to
just connect with something and also provide an outlet. And
I think that that's how we increase this visibility of
(35:26):
our community of lifting each other up. And that's what
I love about your production company. It's such a beautiful
example of not just talking the talk, putting the work
up and really lifting everybody else around you as well. Um,
I think that's the that's the goal at the end
of the day, right yeah, and I think in years
to come, you know, the the goal is to be
(35:47):
an empire, you know, to be a media empire. And
where we're really um spearheading these conversations and these stories
and these narratives that for so long we're being told
by people outside of these communities. Right, It's about time.
It's about time, and we just you know, what's what's
(36:09):
motivating us is really want inspired people. We want people
to see themselves in our work and and see themselves
as beautiful and invaluable and um and important. Well, I'm
inspired by you guys in your work. How are you
feeling You've had this incredible journey from opera to theater
(36:30):
to TV film to this new world of being your
own CEO. How are you feeling about the industry as
a whole right now? Is it better as a whole
for everyone? No, there's a lot of work that needs
to happen. I think a lot of people are putting
a little band needs on everything right now. We're hiring
you know, African Americans misposition in that position, and oh
(36:52):
we'll have seven black plays. I'm probably trying to like
make it UH look really good visually right now, to
make it seem like, all, we fixed it, but we
love you guys exactly. So yeah, there's work that needs
to be done. But on an individual personal um no,
(37:14):
I think I'm completely inspired. I've auditioned and they called
in for so many Afro Latin X roles that prior
to the pandemic never happened in the same same never
I'm with you. I literally was like the next day
I woke up all of a sudden people saw me
as Afro Latino finally. Yeah, so I feel like people
want to tell our stories. I've been in for so
(37:35):
many and have booked so many um lgbt Q plus
UH roles and campaigns and commercially to like, I booked
so much during and post pandemic, and prior to that,
people we are not interested in me at all, and
something shifted, and so I'm inspired for people that look
like us. I'm inspired for future young people who are
(37:58):
in college right now. They're going to get out future
Black Columbians, Black Dominicans just from everywhere, Indigenous, gay, lesbian, trans,
trans I mean that whole community has i mean leaps
and bounds. And so I'm so inspired and I'm so excited,
um because I right now, honestly, I'm overwhelmed with the
amount of work and auditions that are coming my work, Cedric, Cedric,
(38:23):
I'm tired, and I'm like, all right, see, y'all just
can't get enough of me now, Okay, okay, Darrel, It's crazy.
It's I've never been this busy in my life artistically,
creatively ever. And I'm here for. I mean, I'm here
for I'm feeling the support, I'm feeling the love. But
I also hear you, Cedric. I'm just hoping that this
is not a fad. I'm hoping that this is something
(38:45):
that sticks. And I cannot wait to continue seeing the
things that you and I do in this industry. And
my dear, if people want to follow you or know
about the minute weekend, can you let him know this
is your plug time. My handle ct C E D
(39:06):
D y N y C dominer Waking Productions is at
the miner rek In Productions. Go to those social media
handles and and find me find us and and Pierre's
Pierre Lito to ours p I E R R l
I t O and he's doing some amazing things. Oh yeah,
we're gonna have to We're gonna have to revisit this
is going to have to be a part to later
(39:28):
on for for you guys, stay tuned. Cedric, my dear,
thank you so much for spending time with me. It
is always so good to see you, so good to
hear that you are doing well. Cedric's desire to improve
is always accompanied by commitment and discipline. His patients, talent,
and perseverance are testimony to the personal and professional growth
(39:50):
that occur when things are done with passion, versatility, being
open to listening to the universe, and a willingness to
change our keys to his success in this world be
Water a Velante. Mon Anita is a production of Sonato
in partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael Kuda podcast Network.
(40:14):
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I
heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.
Popular Podcasts
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!