Exclusive: And Just Like That 's Sandy Tejada Gives 411 on Making it in Hollywood as an Afro-Latina

Afro-Latina actress Sandy Tejada is living the American Dream.

The Dominican American actress is a star on the rise, appearing in projects such as The Deuce with James Franco, FBI and the film Angelfish.

Tejada grew up in New York City with a single mother who always encouraged her to pursue acting and her dreams—something she carries with her to this day despite her mother's passing when she was 14 years old.

"She would encourage us to be active and to play roles, basically to just escape from the life that we were living," she tells People Chica. "Just watching other people succeed gave us hope of being someone in the future."

The actress is honoring her mother's legacy with her most recent appearance on the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That on HBO Max, where she opens the pilot episode as the hostess of one of New York City's most prominent restaurants.

Susan Bowlus

In an exclusive interview with People Chica, Tejada gives insight into what it takes to survive in Hollywood as an Afro-Latina and how her mother's faith has been her driving force to keep pushing forward.

What was it like to join the iconic Sex and the City franchise and having your first line in the entire series be with Sarah Jessica Parker? What does that feel like?

It's a feeling I can't describe to [be able to] represent women, little girls, Latinas [and] Afro-Latinas. I still haven't really processed this opportunity. I'm just lucky to be in this creative world where I have the best job ever. I'm doing what I love, and I've achieved the American Dream just by working with Sarah Jessica Parker because it was a show that I watched my entire life.

[Sarah Jessica Parker] encouraged me [and] gave me compliments—[she] and the director, they were just pushing for me. I honestly thought that my scene was cut because I heard my voice in the trailer and I didn't see myself. I was like, "Oh my God, I can't believe this happening," because it's the biggest fear of an actor, and it happens all the time.

Jose Perez / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images

Did you get to interact with any of the other leading ladies while you were shooting the pilot?

We didn't get personal. I was [very] into [the] character I was playing; the hostess of this very popular restaurant. The girls are just super sweet. They had my chair next to theirs, and they even shook my hand. There was about maybe a hundred extras, so it took a while, but she [Parker] just kept telling me, "You're doing a great job, just keep doing it just like that. You're making my life easier." And I just wanted to cry. You could tell how much this show has just evolved and changed, to have an Afro-Latina open the show, it's huge.

There have been a lot of progressive changes in Hollywood that have allowed for there to be more inclusivity in terms of casting choices. How do you feel your role in And Just Like That is helping usher in more change?

I think that more shows will start adding diversity. They're going to make some changes in Hollywood, and I do believe that this is just the beginning. We're nowhere near where we should be, but I feel like it comes from the writer's room. There are not enough writers writing Latin stories. We've gotten there with music, but I just feel like with Hollywood, there has to be more people in the writing rooms.

Sandy Tejada

How do you think writers can help portray Latinos and Afro-Latinos not as a monolith, but as they are with all of their diversity in looks and cultural differences?

I just think that it comes from the writers and the producers. How can we write stories for Latinos in different shades so that people understand that we all don't look alike? [That] we come in different flavors? It can start with people that do have a name, and then they can start taking up roles that are for Latinos and have their team push for it.

What is something you have learned throughout your career that you're doing differently now?

It takes a lot of hard work, persistence and dedication to do anything despite whatever obstacles come your way. I guess I made it a long time ago just being the first generation to graduate from college, coming from an immigrant mother who didn't know a word of English. I include my mom in my every day because had it not been for her good morals, values and beliefs...I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I've never had a mentor. I've been on my own alone since 14, and just figuring out life through trial and error, and I'm still figuring it out with this whole audition process. I know that my confidence has grown a lot, especially with the auditioning process throughout this pandemic, because everything has changed. We have to be our own production. When I'm auditioning, I'm taking a look at the role and not thinking of what they want to see, but how can I make my character come to life?

Susan Bowlus

What are some tips that you could give to other Latinas and Afro-Latinas that are trying to break into acting and still haven't had an opportunity?

The best advice that I could give someone is, working hard, being dedicated and being persistent, but also to get a little, you have to give a little. You can't just say, "I want to be an actress, I want to be a model," but you're not doing anything [to work] towards it. It's not going to come to you, you have to go out there and invest.

You have to do your research. [I could audition anywhere between] 50 to 100 [times], and then I get a role. So that's what people don't see behind the scenes. It takes a lot of mental strength, and you have to love it, or you won't survive. You have to just find a way to keep working harder and keep going and growing and building. I always encourage people to do their research before making any type of commitment or signing a contract. I would tell anyone out there, especially Latinos, we need more of you.