Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Cassandra Martinez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy Cassandra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in San Antonio, Texas to a freaking amazing single mother. She gave me such a fantastic childhood, splitting our time in Mexico and Texas. Growing up, I was your stereotypical child performing every day like I had a residency in Vegas and my mom was front and center. I was eight when I first fell in love with acting, singing and dancing and was part of a program in Mexico called S.E.T.
During my entire school career, I learned to play the violin and even became concertmistress in high school and was in absolute shock when we got to perform in Carnegie Hall. I was in the pep squad, dance team, my school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. I joined my college’s choir, became a host, anchor and Entertainment Director of the TV Department, as well as a DJ for the radio department. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with a concentration in Production and a minor in Theatre.
I interned at KABB FOX 29 in the news and lifestyle and entertainment departments and then worked there for about a year as a production assistant and even did segments as the resident health nut on LIVE TV! I got married and moved to LA where the first year, as everyone always says, was an…experience! I couldn’t seem to find anything but at the end of that year, I started booking production assistant jobs in commercials, tv shows and even stood in for Shania Twain! *Cue “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”!*
Shortly after that, I joined AfterBuzz TV Networks and continued building my reel. I’ve appeared on Hollywood Junket, Popcorn Talk, Book Circle Online, Red Carpet Report, Screen Junkies, Collider, Geek Bomb, Clevver, The Trendy, Hollywood First Look Features, Sideshow Collectibles and Hollyscoop. I was accepted into the NBCUniversal/ABFF Hosting Workshop and have taken drama and comedy intensives at Margie Haber Studio, Warner Loughlin and Second City and taken improv classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
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?
Most definitely not and I feel like most people in life have had some major speedbumps. If life was sunshine and rainbows, how would we grow as people, you know?
I was a teenager when my mom was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, and I lost her while I was still a teenager. I took a week to plan her funeral and everything that needed to be done and was back in college taking acting classes that following Monday. Growing up, my mom always instilled in me the importance of going for your dreams and perseverance, she worked three jobs at a time for most of my life. She was also a goofball and I’d to think that her ability to keep positivity in dark times has been passed down to me. It’s unbelievably difficult to not have her around for all of my biggest life moments like being the first from my family to graduate from college to me getting married. It’s rough not being able to show her all the wonderful things I’ve been able to do because of her. Heck, even the tough things I’ve survived, like my first year in LA with my husband.
I will always remember how in the first few months of marriage, my husband and I used Olive Garden gift cards we got as wedding presents to have one meal at 2pm and we’d drink crap tons of water to feel full and then take breadsticks and eat them for dinner and breakfast the next day. We stayed with friends in Riverside for the first month (bless them) after we got married and weren’t getting paid yet from my husband’s job. It was nuts but nothing says marriage and welcome to LA like dealing with things like that. You know? I also will never look at Olive Garden breadsticks the same way. Thank you for being delicious.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an entertainment host, producer, editor and actor and I’ve finally started taking singing lessons as well, something I’ve been wanting to do since choir in college!
I specialize in mostly geeky content that spans from talking about the MCU (Scarlet Witch is AMAZING) and Robert Pattinson being The Batman (I AM SOO EXCITED!), to geeking out over Guillermo Del Toro’s (I LOVE HIM SO MUCH) horror movies and more! I love horror and even have my own LIVE horror show I stream on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook simultaneously. It’s called Horror Hangout with Amy and airs at 2pm PT on Saturdays!
I currently work for Geek Bomb, Hollyscoop, Hollywood First Look Features and Sideshow Collectibles. I talk about the latest celebrity news and inject my commentary by being myself on Hollyscoop. I talk about geeky things on Geek Bomb and Sideshow Collectibles. On Hollywood First Look Features, I talk to fantastic people in the film industry at red carpets and film junkets!
I have been taking acting classes for about a year now and have been in shorts and a feature film! I would love to continue working more in front of the camera in this aspect because it helps me breathe and be the person I like being.
When it comes to hosting, I think what sets me apart from others is that I love talking with people and my personality and excitement for things really show in my work. I don’t put on a show, instead I just act like I do in real life, while still being professional.
I am proud that especially this year, I’ve been able to use my social media platform to bring more awareness to mental health, to voice the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, to educate those that aren’t Mexican about how freaking awesome we are and so much more. It’s a learning experience trying to balance both the creative fun “look-at-this-cool-photo-of-me” side of Instagram with the “hey-the-world-needs-our-help-let’s-do-something” side and I am growing so much as a human by doing that.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This is such a difficult question but I would have to say working at the SAG Awards for the last three years. I grew up watching awards shows with my mom and having dreams of attending one day. We’d make a whole event of it with a fancy meal from HEB (grocery store in Texas) and I’d get so excited seeing my favorite movie stars getting recognized for their work!
To be in the same space as so many people that have worked hard for their dreams and created such amazing films and shows is an absolute honor that I don’t take lightly. I’ve been able to see so many behind the scenes moments that never make air. From people congratulating each other after getting their actor (award) to cheering during someone’s speech, to singing and crying while it hits them they’ve won to just the moments where big stars are catching up with their other big star friends. This is part of their job and they get to do what they love for a living. Those are all “pinch me” moments to the nth degree.
My mom always told me to go for my dreams and to not cut myself short and as I feel as we get older, we think “well, I need to find a reasonable job that will give me benefits and is safe” instead of doing what makes our heart happy. Working at the SAG Awards is a yearly reminder that I can do what makes my heart happy. This girl from San Antonio, Texas (and everyone reading this), can do the BIG thing. We can make our wildest dreams come true.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amycassandramtz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyCassandraMtz
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/amycassandramtz
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8560433/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Image Credit:
Personal photo: Brittany Bravo
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