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Colombian Artist Loren Escandón Showing the Humanity of Our Latino Stories to Vast Audiences
Loren Escandón is the ultimate triple threat. As an actress, filmmaker, and producer, her passion for storytelling comes from early stages in her life and the example her mother set at home for her. Her journey in the arts has brought her to be part of productions in the caliber of Gentefied (Netflix), Selena: The Series (Netflix), S.W.A.T. (CBS) and now Casa Grande (Freevee).
“Her example of resilience, her vision of introducing the arts into my life as a way to escape social challenges, her unconditional love for my father and me, and our mental health issues, all those elements are part of my experience as a black Latina artist,” Loren Shares with LATV Network.
Get to know this Colombian artist who is striving for more significant opportunities for her Latino peers in the film industry.
- Tell us a bit about your AfroLatina upbringing
I grew up in Cali – Colombia. My parents were an interracial couple, so for the longest time, it felt like that was the way things worked. Until I stepped out into the world or turned the TV on, and I wouldn’t see that anywhere else. My awareness grew, and I started noticing my mother’s difficulties with society and how that affected my father and our small family, which changed my perception of pretty much everything. My mother was a domestic child slave, and her experience of life has colored my entire existence.
- What’s the most gratifying part of being in the acting industry?
The most gratifying part is to mirror someone else’s experience and perspective, give voice to people that might feel unheard, or expand the perception of “the other.” Acting is the opportunity to give life to so many stories. To explore so many parts that live dormant within me, and I get to awaken those aspects of me and allow them to play for some time while connecting most intimately with strangers that have no equal. To me, acting is an artistic expression and exploration; The industry is an intricate part that creates the playground for stories to be seen, and the gratification the industry brings to the process is the power of sharing with massive audiences.
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- How have your different projects helped find inclusion for the Latino community?
I think about this all the time, and I have more control over my influence on the matter as a writer/director. In my production model, I must have the most diverse team of collaborators possible, in front and behind the camera, not only for the Latinx/e community but also for all underrepresented groups in the industry. It is important to understand we are not the only community struggling to find spaces for representation. We are many and need to create a community as a whole to succeed. I appreciate that my latest projects have gathered over 95% of BIPOC and LGBTQ talent and created the space for self-identified women to be heads of departments. Los Patines and The Last Store, except for one character, are entirely female cast, with AfroLatinas in the lead. That is my way of going about helping. And I am striving for more significant opportunities to keep spreading that model. We need to keep hiring our peers until we are more than just a box the industry checks.
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- How have you seen diversity and representation of Latinas in your industry change over the years?
The industry is moving in the right direction to open up spaces for Latinx/e stories and having meaningful conversations about the fairness of a representation that portrays us not as a homogeneous group but with the diversity of our multi-racial and multi-cultural realities.
Talking about female characters in particular, we have seen slow changes moving away from perceptual stereotypes of Latinas being over-sexualized and reduced to sad sketches of the “ornamental” counterpart of a male role, which looks promising in many ways. Still, not enough stories are being told from our lenses, not just the Latinx/e perspective but the female (self-identified as such) Latinx/e view. And there is a special place for Afro-Latinx stories that need more attention overall in the conversation and as part of developing new stories.
- Tell us about the biggest struggles/obstacles in your career and how you overcame them.
I think in terms of challenges and redirections instead. Challenges have resulted from expectations or beliefs about the group I represent throughout my career or me. At the beginning of my transition from theater to tv and film, I was convinced by people in the industry that my accent was an obstacle. And I believed it. I spent excessive amounts in coaches to reduce my accent until I understood that physiologically I wouldn’t be able because I learned the language as a mature adult, and my muscles would not get there. I struggle with the idea of my hair because when curly, casting wouldn’t exactly know how to place me, and like that, many other things that had nothing to do with my talent, craft, or creativity. It took a minute, but I redirected all that into accepting who I am and understanding that the stories I can portray are universal and not defined by those elements but by my life experience and humanity, and all those factual characteristics about me, are my superpower, what sets me apart, what connects me to people, which at the end is the most essential part of the job. And I decided to write and direct to create stories that reflect realities that are familiar to people like me.
- What makes you passionate about your work?
My belief that storytelling and fair representation are educational tools that can change hearts, perceptions, ways of thinking, and the world. That’s the fire that keeps me going.
“My pride as a black woman of Afro-descend Latinx roots artist is showing the commonality of our humanity to vast audiences.” — Loren Escandón
- The biggest lesson you’ve learned and can share with up-and-coming artists and younger Latinas
Don’t wait for opportunities; create your own and share with others what you have learned during that journey. Once you open a door, keep it open for the ones behind you. And please be mindful of the stories you decide to collaborate on because they will always be part of your bio.
- Future goals/projects that we can stay tuned for?
I am super excited about the premiere of Casa Grande on Freevee, May 1st, as I mentioned before, and for everyone to get to know Ximena Morales and all the beautiful characters we crafted for the story.
I am preparing to shoot a film in Colombia called Gris, an exploration of identity and race from the lens of a first grader; We are in the pre-production phase and looking for support and collaborators. And, last year I embarked on a journey with a bunch of female artists to create a vital film after the overturn of Roe v Wade called Give Me An A, where I had the honor to collaborate with Gina Torres and Jason George; it’s doing the festival circuit, and soon it will be available to the public. I honestly can’t wait.
I have a few things happening I will share soon enough.
- Tell us more about your character Ximena Morales in Casa Grande? What can we expect from her throughout the series?
Ximena, I genuinely love her. That woman is pure fire, kindness, and heart. You can expect her to be there for the people she loves and to defend the life she has built with sweat and tears like a mama bear. I really hope the audience can connect with her essence because my main goal while crafting and creating Ximena was to bring pride to all the women out there, fighting for a better life for themselves and their communities, despite the adverse circumstances.
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- What makes you most proud of representing your Latina roots at work?
First, roots are an essential concept that has been changing in my case, over time and with the various moves in my life. My roots became Latinx/e when I moved to the US; before that, my roots were Colombian, with all the colors, races, and rhythms implied. Once here, the influence of so many of my Latinx/e community friends started enriching my roots to a broader concept. With that in mind, my pride as a black woman of Afro-descend Latinx roots artist is showing the commonality of our humanity to vast audiences. Paving the way for our stories to walk away from the pre-conceived stereotypes of who we are, especially in the case of my Afro-Latinx community. And to use my life experience as a canvas to paint vulnerable characters that build bridges for others to understand and connect with our realities and circumstances.
Loren’s newest project, Casa Grande, where she plays Ximena Morales premieres May 1st on Freevee. Here last piece as a director, The Last Store, part of the anthology Give Me An A, is touring the festival circuit, with its latest screening being in Brazil at Fantaspoa International Film Festival.
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