Rising Stars: Meet Gloria Laino of Sierra Madre

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Laino.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started for me in the small town of Guánica, Puerto Rico, the town that helped create who I am today.

When I was 4, living in New York with my mother, one of my relatives suggested to her that I move to Puerto Rico to live with my grandfather and two aunts. My mom was a single mother of four, with a challenging life in New York City. So she agreed, and off I went.

I missed my mom and sibs, but the decision to send me to live in Puerto Rico worked. It was the 1950’s, a beautiful and peaceful time in Guánica. One of my fondest memories is of an uncle who moved in with us and used to play his violin every evening after supper. It was magical.

My great grandfather was Italian, from the Calabria region, who resettled in Puerto Rico, where he became a merchant of herbs and medicinals, which he taught to my grandfather. My grandfather used this knowledge to advise and treat his townspeople neighbors at all hours on what to take to treat their health problems.

One of my aunts in our house was a seamstress. Women would come over to get measured for their dresses, or to select the styles and fashions my aunt would create, sometimes helping my aunt with hemming or embroidery.

I was mesmerized by everyone’s stories, especially those of my grandfather. I was a curious kid, and this was the start of my own passion for storytelling.

Back then, our home in Guánica was one of the first to have a television set. I remember watching Gun Smoke, and wanting to get inside the screen to perform with the actors.

When I was around 8, I already knew I wanted to be a performer. I would set up a stage in our backyard and invite over some of the neighborhood kids and direct them to perform with me the stories I’d created.

Every summer and each Christmas, I’d return to New York City to see my mom and my sibs, who lived in the theater district on Broadway. I’d sneak out and watch actors go into theaters for their rehearsals. I was captivated. I wanted to go with them just to watch them and learn.

Then came middle school and high school in Guánica. One of my happiest school memories was when my Spanish teacher congratulated my grandfather for guiding me to be able to write an excellent essay interpreting Don Quixote. I vividly recall discussing Don Quixote beforehand with my grandfather, to shape my ideas on what I was going to write. This was a beautiful bonding experience between us.

My desire to become an actor was always my passion, as my friends in Guánica remind me to this day.

Determined to excel, I worked hard in school to learn every subject. I graduated Summa Cum Laude, which earned me a full scholarship at the University of Puerto Rico. My grandfather hoped I’d study medicine, so in order not to disappoint him I majored in Occupational Therapy, which would open the door if I wished to continue on to the School of Medicine. This way I would fulfill my grandfather’s desire to have a doctor in the family. But my heart wasn’t in it… not at all.

While I was attending college, I was selected to represent Guánica in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant. The day before the event, I was involved in a car accident that prevented me from participating. However, even as a young adult, I understood that when one door closes, another door opens. This incident helped shape the way I look at life, that rather than dwell on what doesn’t work out, I should focus on the new opportunities that always come up to help pursue my dreams.

Soon after graduating from the University of Puerto Rico, I married my first husband, a Jordanian, and we went to live in his home country. That’s where I had my first two kids. I learned how to speak Arabic there, so as not to miss anything! Living in Jordan was a happy chapter of my young adult life. The kindness of the people, the laughter, the food, and the culture, taught me how to approach life and how to have a positive outlook no matter what adversities came my way.

After I returned to the States, nearly all the jobs in my evolving career path were people-oriented. People fascinate me, and I love to help others thrive and succeed.

In my heart, I was always looking for ways to connect to my dream of performing. Not being able to attend or afford acting classes, I would read books about it.

Once a friend convinced me that we should consult with a psychic. I was hesitant, but we did it. Although my friend and I were guarded about how much we revealed to the psychic, I was struck by the psychic’s prediction of what lay ahead for me. She said she saw me on set, surrounded by lights. I laughed but really I knew that the psychic’s prediction was exactly on the money, and it was just a matter of time before it all came true.

I moved to Miami, now as a single mom with twin boys. I knew I had to pursue my acting career no matter the difficulties life put in front of me. Now or never.

In Miami, my brother Albert and his wife Sandra were very supportive. I found jobs that allowed me to attend acting school, go to auditions and perform in live theater productions. Because of my tight budget, I wound up driving old cars that would often break down, and then I’d have to take the bus to pick up my kids from Albert and Sandra’s, or I’d have to walk to church in the scorching Miami heat.

But nothing deterred me from pursuing my dream. Not the heat, or my constant concern not knowing if I would have enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month.

I was going to pursue my dream of becoming an actor and that was that. I joined the prestigious Prometeo Theater Acting School.

And then it started happening. My career began on stage, where a single line in a play seen by a casting director got me a role on the spot as a principal in a TV show. I landed an agent, who jokingly called me “the booking machine.”

But even though I was booking acting jobs, I still had to continue to provide for my children. Their well-being was always a priority.

I never lost sight of my goal, because early on I understood that when God gives you a gift, you should not ignore it. You owe it to yourself to use it.

I knew always that my career success would require a move to Los Angeles, to the heart of the film and TV industry. And since I’ve always been very practical, I recognized that I needed to treat my acting not just as a passion but also as a business.

My sister Rhina graciously paid for my SAG membership. I packed up my belongings and my twins and off we went to Los Angeles. Although I came from Miami with training and credits, it took time for casting directors in L.A. to get to know my work. I always tried to present my best work to them, and kept at it though sometimes discouraged. Eventually I started getting asked by casting directors to more and more auditions.

Finding the right representation also took a while. It’s like finding your life partner, and when you do, it feels right. My managers at Entertainment Lab and my commercial agency Ferrari Talent, are a godsend. Our collaboration works, based on trust and artistic support!

I use every audition as an opportunity to improve my skills and to perform. And since I love performing, auditions allow me just that. I continue to train, and I prepare fully for every role. I learn from listening to veteran actors speak about their craft. I study TV shows and films and I also work in student projects to support young filmmakers. This is all a constant learning process, which I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Alright, 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?
It’s not always a rosy picture when it comes to acting work in the entertainment industry. The business of casting is very complex and depends on many factors, not just the actor’s talent. Actors sometimes refer to not been selected for roles as a ‘rejection,’ and of course, this can make anyone question themselves. Am I talented enough? Did I make the right choices? Will I ever book another acting job?

Often enough, I’ve asked myself all these questions. But I know my gift, I know my talent, I’m focused on what I’m doing. Life’s an ongoing process of learning.

We actors must accept that many other people shape the final outcome of projects we’re in. Actors have to work in this framework in order to succeed. To understand and embrace all of this, I started working with a life coach and spiritual advisor, a collaboration which truly enlightens my outlook.

To understand what goes on behind the decisions made by filmmakers, I started creating my own content. Learning different aspects of filmmaking has greatly deepened my understanding of the whole process.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a single mom I had to juggle raising my small children with making room for my passion to act. I found jobs that gave me flexibility to do theater and to take acting classes at night.

Every daytime job was a means to pursue my acting goals. At the same time, the jobs I picked were always aimed at helping others along their life paths. Human Resources, interpreting at Children’s Hospital to help parents understand their kids’ health issues, being a makeup artist to make other women look their beautiful best, being of service in ways I’d learned from my grandfather and aunts while I was growing up.

My early acting jobs on T.V., film, commercials, and plays in Miami served as a foundation of what I needed to get me started working in Hollywood. All those much-appreciated early opportunities helped me to grow and develop my skills.

Then came auditions in Hollywood. I was auditioning to share the screen with the likes of Jessica Lange, Andy Garcia, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall and others. At first, I’d be anxious, but after processing it all with my life coach and spiritual advisor, I realized that if I went in to auditions prepared as best as I could, and not be fixated on the outcome, everything would work out.

A recurring role as an insane asylum lunatic in the award-winning series American Horror Story: Asylum, catapulted my career to more film and T.V. bookings: from an Algerian martyr, to a nosy mother-in-law, to an Alzheimer’s patient, and more.

Another career boost came from my role as the Baron’s Familiar, an Old World human assistant to a vampire, in the hit series, What We Do In The Shadows.

Some of my soon-to-be-released projects are a guest star role alongside Colin Farrell in the Apple TV series Sugar, and a role in the feature film How to Rob a Bank directed by David Leitch.

Theater, however, has always been my first love. Making a character role come alive for an audience is a very special and intense creative experience. To feel an audience connecting to the story I’m telling is thrilling. I’ve performed multiple lead and supporting roles across the board, from classical and contemporary Spanish plays to modern drama and more.

Screenwriting has become another passion. Mostly self-taught, I’ve learned by studying the work of leading experts like Robert McKee, and gaining improved ideas from script doctors with whom I consult.

A project I’m proudest of has been my screenplay adaptation of the book “En el Barrio de Los Mangos,” a collaborative effort between me and the author Leonel Menéndez, of a coming-of-age story based on a young boy’s life experiences during the Cuban revolution.

Inspired by hearing of a friend’s childhood tragedy that happened in my hometown of Guánica, I wrote and directed the screenplay Diez Segundos, casting many townspeople in supporting roles. Diez Segundos earned Best Original Screenplay Award, and awards in multiple other categories including the Grand Prize Best Narrative Short. Diez Segundos is my gift to the people of my hometown, who helped shape who I have become today.

My truest masterpiece is bringing to this world my children: Lara, Ali, Lawrence and Francis and my grandkids Marwan and Makram. Now that’s a real work of art! Also having my husband Jonathan at my side, who shares my life fully. I’m blessed to have family and friends who so generously give back the love I’ve shared with them. I know my grandfather would be proud of me too!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @glorialaino
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gloria.l.kennedy