OITNB’s Jackie Cruz: Confidence Is The New Black
At 17, Actress and Singer Jackie Cruz was in a near fatal car accident. “I woke up two weeks later with a tube down my throat, not really knowing what happened,” says Cruz. “I was told that I was in a coma for 72 hours, my lung collapsed. It was the end of the world. I didn’t think I could do anything I wanted to do. ” That fear proved to be completely wrong, Cruz is now one of the star’s of the wildly successful show Orange Is The New Black. However, before she found success Cruz survived countless hurdles in addition to her accident, a bad crowd and a tough living situation. Instead of failing, 11 years later, she’s persevered.
One of the reasons for the binge-worthy program’s popularity, is that it embraces women that don’t fit a cookie cutter image. “I’m part of a show that [doesn’t have] your typical Hollywood beauties I grew up watching,” says Cruz. “There are all these different types of women – all different sizes and colors. I just feel really lucky to be a part of it. It doesn’t have to do with whether I’m pretty or not. It just has to do with being talented.”
Yahoo Beauty: You were in a near-fatal car accident a few years back. What happened?
Jackie Cruz: My friend that was driving was racing our friend on the way to a Wango Tango concert. She was speeding, and she hit the curb. I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt. I went out the window. It was pretty awful.
How did you get through that experience?
My mom, she gave me a lot of hope that I would get better soon. After four, five, six months of rehab, she was so happy. It taught me that what’s inside is the most important part, not what was on the outside.
How did it affect you immediately, and in the long term?
I don’t want to play victim or anything. It’s actually something that’s made me stronger. I don’t regret anything. I think everything happens for a reason. Maybe I was going through the wrong stage in my life, hanging out with the wrong people. That was just a warning to wake up and get out of that lane that I was in. I had 30 staples in my head. They shaved all my hair – my hair was below my butt in high school. I had crooked eyes, a crooked face. I couldn’t smile. It was very hard. I was about to graduate high school. I had to miss my graduation and my prom – all the important things kids go through at the end of high school. I moved out when I was 17. I was being a little rebel.
Another obstacle you faced was being homeless for sometime. How did that happen and how did you overcome that?
I don’t want to say I was homeless for six months, or anything. I was literally living from couch to couch from my friends. I moved out when I was 17, and I couldn’t do it. I asked my mom if I could come back and she said, “You wanted to be an adult so go be an adult.” She felt really guilty after my accident. Sometimes I couldn’t find a friend who could give a couch, so I’d stay in the car. And then I had the car accident. It wasn’t a long time I was homeless, I was just looking for a place to live. I found a place to live. It was really grimy in Koreatown. It was an awful place, but it was all I could afford at the time. Before that, we were just living in the car.
Has your past helped you prepare for your OINTB role?
I felt that everything I went through was a lesson. Now being a part of a show, I was asked to go in with no makeup. I was like, “Oh my gosh. No make up?” There were two lines, and I gave it my heart. I guess they saw something. That’s how it happened!
Who from the cast has taught you the most?
I could say working on Orange Is The New Black is my big break, but most of us we’ve been working actors for a long time. I’ve learned so much from Uzo Aduba and also Selenis Leyva, who is someone I get to work with a lot. We feed off each other, but I learn so much from her. I tell her all the time like I’m taking a master class. I feel really lucky.
You’ve come a long way – singing now, and filming the show. What else are you working on?
I have a few independent films that I’m hopefully going to do this fall or early January. One is called Cleveland and the other is called Golden Boys. Right now I’m filming until December. Music wise, I’m working on an EP right now and I’m releasing a Selena cover in July. I did a cover for the 20th anniversary of her death.
What are your beauty staples?
I do a lot of facials with my girlfriends – hydrating facials. The first step is being nice and clear – no pimples or anything. I have to wear makeup on set: the eyeliner, the powder. My face is very sensitive. There’s this line called RMS Beauty. That’s what I use every day. I use this bronzer – it’s a cream and coconut oil based. It’s organic. This other thing called “un” cover up – you could sleep in it! I’m tomboyish. I’m too tired to wash my face at night. I fell in love with the living luminizer. It makes your skin dewy and look fresh. I don’t leave the house without lipstick. I’m obsessed with MAC.
What makes you feel confident, and what makes you feel beautiful?
It was a long time before I felt it myself. It’s not even about what I look like. It’s about how you feel. Lately, I’ve been feeling confident because of the success of Orange, and people telling me they love my work, and people recognizing me. What makes me feel beautiful is being a good person – helping someone and making people laugh. Literally walking down the street, people smile. That makes me feel confident. Making people happy and smile.
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