Meet Ela Castillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ela Castillo.

Ela, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story is a bit on the complex side. In my early years, I was raised by my grandmother in a small village (that has grown so much since!) called Boca de Yuma, which is all the way over in the Dominican Republic. I miss it very much. I grew up torn between my life in Boca de Yuma and the United States because, at age seven, my twin and I began living with our mom in the U.S. Our mom moved us around a lot, ironically, in search of stability — school in the U.S., holidays and summers in Boca de Yuma.— It was a tough kind of living for any kid. I was the shy, terribly quiet new kid afraid of messing up because my mom had enough on her plate as a single mother. I craved friends and sleepovers and parties and gossiping about boys. Instead, I attended ten different schools by the time I finished all 12 grades. It’s all a blur now. I couldn’t point out the kids I went to school with if you paid me $1 million per kid! Except for my best friend of course who I’m so grateful for. But because of this disconnect between me and the places I lived in the U.S., I continue to identify very much with Boca de Yuma and my life there. I see myself as a Dominican girl from a small town blessed with the opportunity to live her dreams after all my mom sacrificed for us. I desperately want to pay it forward. I want to retire her and my grandmother. I want to prove to my siblings (and myself!) that we’re not invisible or inconsequential. We matter. Our perspectives absolutely matter and have a seat at the table of conversations for impact, change, and opportunity.

I joined the military after a semester-long stint at the University of New Haven. I enlisted for six years after a scholarship fell through with UNH’s ROTC program. During that time I learned the grave power that comes with handling a gun, I understood the weight of responsibility of being a leader, and I realized that anything I put my mind to, I could accomplish – that’s why I chose to part ways and began to pursue a career in acting.

For a long time, acting, I thought, was for other types of people. What types of people? I wasn’t sure. Just, anyone but me. Growing up fatherless, constantly uprooted, and with little to no sense of direction made me seek stability like that of the military. Acting, on the other hand, stirred up feelings of abandonment, low self-image, low self-worth, low self-confidence. I mean, acting was like flying to the moon – just not what someone like me could ever do for a living. And I was deathly afraid of people! Joining the military was ten times less intimidating. Also, TV shows and movies were the only examples I’d seen of happy endings where dreams came true if you worked hard enough, but, most of those characters (specifically the leads who drive the story) did not share my background or complexion, and so… acting was plain and simply for other types of people. That is, until I saw Kerry Washington storm the halls of Olivia Pope and Associates. I remember my heart going into overdrive when I saw the Scandal promos. I could finally see it. I could finally believe that maybe, just maybe, if I applied myself like I had in the military, I might have a praying chance in this acting thing. I could be an actress. I could tell stories for a living. I could invade people’s hearts for a living. I could dive deep into emotions and crazy life tales and fully express all the things that make life worth living.

That’s how I found myself driving cross-country from North Dakota (where I was stationed), sleeping in motels, running out of savings, hoping and praying that what little money I had left would be enough to secure an apartment. And hoping and praying I actually had some acting chops in me to actually be accepted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I was such a mess. It was such a gamble. I cried right after the audition was over. Just broke down in front of who would eventually become one of my teachers. I spent the next two years spiraling from elation to mortification to tears and back to elation until I graduated. I’m telling you, a total mess!

I then chose to do a 1-year stint in a screenwriting intensive at New York Film Academy where I discovered my second passion in storytelling. All the while, wrapping up the last three years of my enlistment. After my military contract was up, I went overseas to Spain and earned an MFA in Acting at the Institute of Arts Barcelona. Fortunately, the military’s GI Bill program covered my college expenses.

As I was falling in love with the arts, I slowly but surely pieced together some self-confidence and self-worth. My self-image has improved significantly. I speak now! Send prayers if you get me talking because I won’t stop. I was so quiet for so long (which is actually why I chose acting as an elective while in high school and where I got the bug) that, now I don’t how to stop.

As I said, complex. But so worth it! I’m filled with gratitude and excitement for what’s still to come. I have an up-coming boxing film in pre-production, I’m steadily building my management team, casting opportunities are rampant despite the pandemic, and I have so many collaborations where I’m straddling acting, screenwriting, producing, and directing.

As Celia Cruz once sang, “La vida es un carnaval y hay que vivirla!”

Has it been a smooth road?
Oh no! But what road is? Have you noticed construction never seems to stop? We’re all a work in progress. And for there to be work to do, there must be bumps on the road to smooth out.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m most proud of the growth spurt in just six years since coming to LA. I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends and mentors. My producing partner and I are gearing up for a Kickstarter or IndieGoGo campaign for the boxing film I mentioned earlier. I’m co-writing a social-political horror ala Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” but with two women as the leads. I’m collaborating with one of my mentor from the New York Film Academy on an independent social commentary. (I volun-told him to be my mentor). I’ve also danced in a poetry piece in the name of racial equality with my dear friend and mentor, Jamie Nichols. Just so much coming up. It’s a blessing.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is definitely the entertainment hub. Of course, there are other markets like New York and Atlanta worth checking out. It really depends on your overall goal and what resources you have or can get your hands on. I’d suggest consulting with someone that has genuine experience in your field and has achieved visible results or credibility. So many people will tell you what to do but not actually be a testimony to what they are attesting to, if you know what I mean. I say listen to those that suggest instead of dictate. I believe that those that suggest carry wisdom. They know their way is not the only way. It’s just the way that happened to work for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.com/elacastillo
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: elacastillo_soy

Image Credit:
George Simian, Stas-Vera Photography, Sheldon Botler, and Lisa Vlasenko

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