Diary of a Future President’ Cast On How the Series Inspires Young Audiences

Diary of a Future President premiered its second season on August 18 on Disney Plus. The main character of the story is Elena Cañero-Reed (Tess Romero), a Cuban-American girl who seeks inclusion of people and justice for all. The first season of “Diary of a future president” was so well received that, in addition to the second, Disney Plus has already confirmed a third.

We got a chance to speak to the cast and creator of Diary of a Future President. 

“I hope that young people watching are walking away with a message and feeling inspired. There’s a lot of sweet moments in the show and a lot of nice messages of growing up and tackling different issues,” says Tess Romero. “It also has a good nostalgic feel for older people.”

The Cuban actress, Selenis Leyva, whom many of us remember for playing Gloria in Orange is the New Black (Netflix), is also part of the cast of the Disney series as Gabi, Elena’s mother. Her character has an approach that has never been seen before in Disney’s children’s stories. 

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Selenis shared with us that her character, Gabi, is very similar to her own personal life. 

“My own life as a single mother raising this amazing daughter that I have and then finding a relationship were very parallel,” she shared. “I found myself sometimes repeating the same lines that I would tell my TV daughter to my real daughter. Which is quite funny to me.”

The storyline of this series is not far from the reality of many modern families. One subject they make sure to talk about is LGBTQ inclusion. In the series, Gabi is also the mother of a boy named Bobby (Charlie Bushnell) who is discovering his sexual orientation.

“I love that they’re tackling this issue and I love that they’re tackling it, including the family. Here, you’re inviting the narrative of the family. Which is exactly what [my sister] Marisol and I did with our book. Inviting the family unit into the conversation to show people that you don’t always have to turn your back on your kid. You can be loving and you can be supportive,” Selenis says.

For the creator of the series, Ilana Peña, creating something “honest and authentic” was a top priority. 

Check out the full interview with the cast of Diary of a Future President.

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