Gina Rodriguez: Certified Latina Bad-Ass

Jane Villanueva, better known as Gina Rodriguez to her friends and family (and of course, her fan base), is a Latina actress you must be watching out for. Critics are even calling her the Latina Meryl Streep. If you've seen any of Gina’s work, you can see why critics are making the comparison. Gina definitely depicts all of her roles extremely well and makes you feel like you can connect with her whether she’s playing the role of a best friend, mom, daughter, employee, etc.

Credit: Marie Claire

Gina Rodriguez is an American actress of Puerto Rican descent best known for her role as Jane Villanueva on the CW’s hit series Jane the Virgin. She was actually nominated for her first Golden Globe Award in 2015 for the role of Jane Villanueva, and ended up winning the award for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. Not only was this a big win for Rodriguez, but a historical one as well—as she became the second Latina ever to take home the award. As Rodriguez accepted the award, she said “This award is so much more than myself. It represents a culture that wants to be seen as heroes.”

Backstage, Rodriguez went onto saying, “First and foremost, the nomination alone was a win for me because it allowed Latinos to see themselves in a beautiful light.” It’s important to note Rodriguez was the only Latina nominated for a Golden Globe in 2015. Talk about a bad-ass Latina.

So, what can possibly make Gina even more amazing? I mean, she already kills her lead role as Jane in the comedy-drama and any other role she lands. Well, did I mention Gina is a huge activist? She not only stands for immigration reform, but also women’s rights. More specifically, she embraces, uplifts, and empowers women of color killing the game.

Gina launched a diversity movement for Latino actors in wake of Oscars backlash back in 2016. She began to highlight various Latino members of the television and film industry, especially Latinas in Hollywood on her Instagram page. She posts photos of these women with a caption describing their work followed by a hashtag she created called, #MovementMondays. What Gina is doing is something that needs to be done more often on mainstream media. Light isn’t shed as much on Latino actors, primarily Latina actors. And when the mainstream media does talk about Latinas in Hollywood, it’s usually to talk about their sexuality, “accents,” and/or voluptuous curves—rather than shedding light on their actual craft.

Not only does Gina love to support her female counterparts in Hollywood, but is also very big on showing her fans what self-love, self-confidence, and self-acceptance is. She wants her fans to know that learning to love the body you’re in, will bring you great joy and happiness, but overall self-confidence. Gina often shares heartfelt messages to her fans on social media but also in her interviews and speeches. If what getting the message across is what she wants to accomplish, sis is sure doing it the right way.

Moreover, Gina recently shared this photo on her Instagram page, showing off her new title as director for Jane the Virgin. As a fan and feminist, I can't express how happy I am for her latest achievement. The actress is always showing devoted love and support to her colleagues, Latino community, and fans--so this is our appreciation piece for this amazing Latina female role model.