Keyla Monterroso Mejia on diversity in Hollywood: ‘I think there is a long way to go’

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia about starring in Netflix’s new series “Freeridge,” and pushing for more diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
5:15 | 02/02/23

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Transcript for Keyla Monterroso Mejia on diversity in Hollywood: ‘I think there is a long way to go’
 OF LIFE TO EXPERIENCE IT FOR ONE DAY. FOR EVERYONE WHO MISSES ON MY BLOCK NETFLIX'S NEW SERIES, FREE RANGE, IS COMING TO SAVE THE DAY. THE SPINOFF FOLLOWS FOUR TEENAGE FRIENDS AT THE FICTIONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES WITH DEALING WITH FAMILY ISSUES, SIBLING RIVALRY, AND ROMANTIC TENSIONS. THEY MUST ALSO DEAL WITH THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT THE UNLEASHED OCCURS AFTER OPENING A MYSTERIOUS BOX THAT THEY GOT FROM A YARD SALE WHICH BRINGS UNFORESEEN MISFORTUNE INTO THEIR LIVES. AND IT UNLEASHES THEM ON A SERIES OF UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURES. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. >> SO, WE BOUGHT THIS CURSED BOX. NOW WE ARE CURSED BECAUSE OF I? >> YOU MUST BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOMETHING. >> I DO SENSE A DARK ENERGY AROUND YOU. >> THAT IS JUST -- >> NO, ALL OF YOU. >> JOINING US NOW IS -- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU, I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE. >> WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU. TALK TO US ABOUT FREE, WHICH IT PICKS UP WHERE ON MY BLOCK LEFT OFF? >> NOT COMPLETELY, IT IS THE SAME WORLD BUT THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHOWS. AND THERE ARE RELIEF ON EASTER EGGS AND THERE BUT IT IS A NEW ADVENTURE. >> SAME NEIGHBORHOOD? >> YES, SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK THAT THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE SHOW, IT HAS THE SAME ESSENCE THAT YOU GET FROM ON MY BLOCK, IT IS THE SAME THING THAT YOU GET FROM WATCHING FREE REIGN. THEY'RE BOTH FUNNY, HEARTFELT, VERY SWEET, EASY TO WATCH. I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT. >> TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, AND WHAT IS IN STORE FOR HER IN THIS SEASON. >> OH MY GOSH, GLORIA GOES THROUGH A LOT. SHE IS A VERY STRONG, INDEPENDENT KID, AND SHE SHOULDERS A LOT OF THE BURDEN. SHE IS SORT OF LIKE THE MOM IN THE GROUP AND SHE IS IN EVERYONE'S BUSINESS. SO IT IS A REALLY FUN ADVENTURE FOR HER. >> TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE, THE IDEA IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE AT A YARD SALE, YOU GET THIS MYSTERIOUS BOX, YOU OPEN IT, AND THE CURSE COMES OUT. >> I WILL TELL YOU, THE CURSE CREATES PROBLEMS ON TOP OF PROBLEMS. THINGS THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT. BUT IT IS REALLY FUN, I GUESS, TO SORT OF BE AN ADVENTURE TO WATCH. THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH ARE NOT THE BEST. BUT IT CREATES A REALLY GOOD DYNAMIC. AND I THINK AT THE END OF IT YOU REALLY GET TO LEARN WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE AND THESE REALLY WONDERFUL LESSONS ALONG THE WAY. >> ALL RIGHT, THIS IS A PRETTY HIGH DISTINCTION THAT YOU ARE GIVEN FROM GQ RECENTLY. THEY CALLED YOU A COMEDY SECRET WEAPON. THAT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT. SO, YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF A NUMBER OF VERY SUCCESSFUL SHOW, INCLUDING LARRY DAVIDS CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, WHERE YOU ACTUALLY PLAY AN ACTRESS WHO IS NOT A VERY TALENTED ACTRESS. WE WANT TO TAKE A CLIP, A LOOK AT THAT. >> I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT DAVID BOY. >> LARRY. >> YEAH, THAT IS HIS NAME, LARRY DAVID. >> WHAT ABOUT HIM? >> I FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BEING SEDUCTIVE RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE TALKING TO YOUR MOTHER. >> ARE WE NOT CLOSE? >> IN REAL LIFE, DO YOU EVER TALKED YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT? >> NO, I DON'T SEDUCE MY MOM, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? >> THE TRICK, WHEN YOU ARE A GREAT ACTRESS, HOW DO YOU PLAY A TERRIBLE ONE? >> I WAS NOT THINKING THAT I WAS BAD. I DIDN'T GO IN THERE THINKING I WILL BE A BAD ACTRESS. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOOD. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS THE BEST. AND THE WAY THAT I APPROACHED IT I WAS LIKE, I'M THE BEST, AND NOBODY COULD GIVE ME ANY DIRECTION. NOBODY COULD DO IT BETTER THAN I CAN. AND I THINK THAT THE THINGS THAT I DID WEAR A BIT EXTREME. BUT IT WORKED. AND THE BIG NOTE OVERALL WAS OBVIOUSLY LIKE TO GO BIGGER, GO FIGURE, YOU CAN'T GO TO BIG, AND I THINK THAT I REALLY GOT TO LET LOOSE, AND GO AS BIG AS I COULD. >> IF YOU WERE ABLE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERFECT ROLE, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? >> SOMETHING WHERE LIKE, WHERE I'M A CHEF, OR TRY DIFFERENT JOBS, I WOULD LOVE A SHOW WHERE I COULD MAYBE TRY SOME EXTREME JOBS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO CLEAN WINDOWS, THERE IS LIKE 30 FEET, I WOULD LOVE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL. >> DO YOU SING? >> NOT AT ALL. >> BECAUSE YOU STARTED GETTING INTO A LITTLE FALSETTO. >> I WISH. I WISH. I COULDN'T. IT IS NOT IN THE CARDS FOR ME. >> ALL RIGHT, HERE WE ARE, THE FIRST DAY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, INTENDED TO CELEBRATE BLACK CULTURE. I AM CURIOUS, AS AN ACTRESS, WHERE YOU THINK THAT THE CULTURE IS AS FAR AS LATINO REPRESENTATION? >> I THINK THAT WE HAVE DEFINITELY MADE SOME STRIDES BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO AND JUST THE REASON THAT I AM HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO OPEN THESE DOORS. . I HAVE A REGULAR FACE AND >> A BEAUTIFUL FACE. >> AND I AM FIVE FEET, IT'S JUST, I AM WHO I AM. AND THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO GET MORE A PRESENTATION TO FIGHT TO OPEN THESE DOORS ARE THE REASON THAT I AM HERE. I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF MAYBE PUSHING THAT NARRATIVE FORWARD AND GETTING SOMEWHERE INCLUSION. SO I THINK THAT WE ARE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT DEFINITELY HAVE MORE TO GO. >> SO PROUD OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WE DECIDED TO KEEP WATCHING YOUR STAR ARISE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING. WE WANT TO LET HER

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