Today we’d like to introduce you to Andi Méndez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Puerto Rico, and ever since I was a little girl, I remember putting on talent shows for my family and friends. If I wasn’t dancing, I was pretending to be a witch to scare my friends or playing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to prove how “cool” I was that it didn’t scare me. As my mom would say, I’ve always been “dramatica!”
It was so easy being creative as a young girl but so hard to be understood. I was always the only one of my friends who was into the arts, so I was always considered the “crazy one.” I loved being labeled the “crazy one” until I became a teenager and I realized how alone I actually felt and how misunderstood I was. I saw the world in a completely different way, going through life based on my “feelings” instead of my logic
Coming from a family of teachers, bankers, and engineers, I was very confused. I studied Arts in Communication (which is another way of saying Filmmaking) and Acting at the University of Puerto Rico, and little by little I began to meet other “freaks” like me… but I still felt like an outcast. Hispanic culture teaches us that you have to find that “one” thing that you’re good at and make good money.
It also teaches us that women, specifically, have a defined role in our society. A role I never felt comfortable with. Fast forward to 2015, and I’m moving to LA. The land of the “freaks”! All of a sudden… having a pixie cut wasn’t considered bold, it was normal, having an over the top, absurd personality was an asset. I slowly began to feel more accepted.
I got my Masters Degree in Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy, and in 2016 my “adult” life began. HELLO, QUARTER LIFE CRISIS! It is now 2019, and I am such a different person. I finally have the courage to call myself an artist without feeling judged.
I realized that I can do whatever the hell I want even if it’s more than one thing. I am a dancer, an actor, a singer, and a filmmaker. I don’t have to choose one. I have also learned to love myself for who I am, which has been my greatest accomplishment since moving from my beautiful island. Don’t get me wrong, I love my beaches and my people, and I will always be grateful for my humble upbringing, but it’s my turn now to find my path in life.
With learning to love myself came the courage to venture into new aspects of creating that has gotten me more work as a choreographer and a filmmaker, and I am hella excited for what’s next. This is only the beginning.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I grew up scared of everything, don’t ask me why I don’t know. So I have to challenge myself daily to be able to do the things that I want. This is definitely my biggest obstacle. After finishing my Master’s Degree and starting to audition for Managers and Agents, I was confronted with the reality of what being Latina means in the US.
When asked where I was born, there is always a surprise in their faces that I am a Hispanic woman. “But you don’t have an accent?” “Sorry but we’re looking for a little more color in our roster.” “Can you speak in a Mexican accent?” I guess we could call this obstacle “Being put in a bubble.”
Fortunately, this obstacle only made me hungry to prove myself and have my voice and the voice of my fellow Hispanics be heard.
5 Feet Tall – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am, but I am proud to announce that I have started a YouTube channel with my Dominican sister, Ines de Los Santos, called 5 Feet Tall. We intend to put out content that other Hispanics, specifically Caribbean women can identify with. There aren’t a lot of TV Shows that depict the life of a Hispanic islander, and we wanted to answer all these questions that some of our friends had. Especially with Puerto Rico being a US territory which not everyone is aware of.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our new YouTube channel. I never saw myself creating videos for YouTube. I was always terrified of putting myself out there. I say “myself” because, with acting, I always felt some sort of distance from being “me.” I am portraying someone or something… a feeling.
With a YouTube channel, I have to be 100% myself. Especially if I want to inspire other Puertorican girls to be who they are without feeling judged. Every time we’re about to hit “record” my heart stops a little bit. “Am I going to make a fool of myself?” “Will people like it?” Who cares!?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned has been not to care about what others think and doing what feels right to me. Growing up I didn’t have anyone to look up to on TV. We’re hoping that this channel is a stepping stone to creating more things that are Hispanic and Female-centered. Creating the heroes we wished we had growing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2UF3_cmyfrNLBkrDXaAudQ?view_as=subscriber
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andi_mendez/ https://www.instagram.com/5_feet.tall/
Image Credit:
New York Film Academy, Paola Hernandez, Andre Forrest, Karin Schneider, Chris Xu, Ines De Los Santos
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