EP 114: Jessica Marie Garcia, Actress

Today my guest on the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is actress Jessica Marie Garcia.

Jessica is best known for her roles of Jasmine in the Netflix hit On My Block, Willow in Liv and Maddie, and Becky in The Middle, as well as recurring roles on Diary of a Future President, How to Get Away with Murder, American Princess, Starter Pack, Hacking High School, Huge, and more. She is a member of the all-female ensemble cast of BETCH: A Sketch Show on Hulu, and her feature film Avenge The Crows was released on iTunes, where she plays Peaches starring alongside Danny Trejo and Lou Diamond Phillips.

This is Jessica’s second time on the podcast—our last interview was almost exactly four years ago today.

Our conversation covers a wide range, and includes how she got started, audition advice, the role of training in her success, challenges she’s had, thoughts on social media, the importance of seeing people who look like you in film and TV, and much, much more. We also laugh a lot!

Listen to the first 10 minutes here for free, or become a Friend of the Podcast for access to the full interview, as well as access to the entire collection of over 100 other inspiring and educational episodes designed to help you succeed in the entertainment industry.

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Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

• “What we do is very, very vulnerable.”
• “Growing up I didn’t realize how much of my own story wasn’t being told.”
• “I feel like I came out of the womb reciting a Shakespearean monologue.”
• “A lot of actors don’t understand that agents and managers work for you.”
• “The 1st year of living in LA was the hardest year of my life. And I would never take that year back.”
• “I’m a damn good waiter.”
• “You have to get 100 ‘NO’s’ before you get a ‘YES.’”
• “Representation matters. When you don’t see yourself represented, you don’t necessarily think you can do this.”
• “I just kind of refused to believe that I couldn’t do what I want to do.”
• “I knew if I waited in line long enough, it would happen for me.”
• “Nothing worth it is ever easy.”
• “Everyone has a process... but Stanislavski worked great for me.”
• “Once I started owning my power & knowing my worth, I feel like the world has opened up many doors for me.”
• “If you really want to do this, I would encourage you to learn every facet of this industry.”

Follow Jessica HERE:

Twitter: @JessMarieGarcia

Instagram: @jess_m_garcia

Jessica’s advice—to learn everything about the industry that you can if you really want to do this—comes from experience. The more you understand about how this industry really works—and just as importantly, does NOT work—the better your odds of success.

If you are ready to build an acting career safely and successfully—for yourself or for your kid—invest in a one-on-one consultation with me. I can save you years of frustration and help you create a detailed action plan.