Today we’d like to introduce you to Analisa Velez.
Hi Analisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wow!! Where I started to where I am today? That timeline would look insane. Lol.
I have always been a child who loves to create and perform for people. I remember making dance routines with my cousins during holidays and hosting talent shows as a middle schooler. I loved the shiny lights. I loved hearing the mic through the speakers. Listening to laughs while on stage, or feeling the complete silence when I was enthralled in a character.
The shift of taking it serious began once I auditioned for Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee. I was accepted as a theater student and that is honestly where I received the best training of my life. I had this brilliant British teacher that would feed me Chekhov and Ibsen to read and perform for class, and at the time I didn’t understand what a gift this was as a young Latina actress. She was the person that understood how to push past talent, stretch and grow me as an artist. She was a coach. My God what a light. The best coaches push you even when you want to give up. So grateful she was that for me.
During my years at Florida State University, as a BFA Acting student, I quickly recognized that I had to create opportunities if I want to stay fit in this field, ready to go at any moment. I joined the Black Actors Guild and started my own guerrilla theater company called Raw Love. We would create street theater performances to raise funds and awareness for causes and natural disasters that were currently happening. This type of grind helped me once I got out of school. I already knew how to self produce and create opportunities as an actress.
NEWWW YOORRKKK NEEWW YOORKK, OH HOW I LOVE HER. HA! wELP! After college I immediately moved my sunny tanned skin to NY, and that’s where I grew guts:) lol. Oh boy, the amount of auditions and readings of new plays in development, commercial auditions and EPA’s that I went too. Although, I was really lucky in college because of my of professor, Scott Hudson, well actually he was never a teacher of mine but he graciously introduced me to a world of artist that I only had the privilege of reading when I studied the works of Stephen Adly Guirgis. Hudson had told me about a summer intensive with Labyrinth Theater Company, and that set me up with a network of mentors and fellow artist that wanted to create. So I kind of had a built in community once I arrived. Lucky me. – I think back on the artist that were so kind to linking me to resources that they KNEW would change my life. I’m grateful to you all if your reading this.
I created shows like School4Legends, at the iconic Cherry Lane Theater, then I worked personal shows through IG called Mirror Talks and also Lisa Lesson for YouTube. Got an opportunity to write a play for a festival and that’s when I debuted my first pages for ‘Ain’t No Such Thing As Free Pizza’, even started a theater festival with some friends called The Block Fest, and put up my play ‘The Lovelies’. Many beautiful memories made in that big city. Iconic moments in my life that shaped me as an artist.
Then.. COVID. I swear to you this was the only reason I left NY. When I moved back to Florida, I felt a mourning for my lover, art. It was a like a piece of me had died too since everything was closed, no plays, no rehearsals, life had stopped, and the BLM movement was in full swing. The world had changed and everything on the media was so sad. Can’t believe we have lived through something like this. But it reframed my mind in how I thought about art. It gave me an opportunity to let ideas come to me again. And that is gold.
Cut to year two in COVID, I’m outside freestyling over a beat and I realize I created a full song. Called up my father and told him about it, (he’s a brilliant musician, passionate that man) and he responds with “You got a cousin in Puerto Rico that does music!” Two weeks later I’m in Puerto Rico filming a music video in a mansion. HAHAHA! Life is so funny. So I start taking this music thing seriously. I wanted to honor the craft properly, so I learned to play the piano. This is very random, but essential to the plot;) I’m taking voice lessons as well, in and out of studios. It was crazy. I loved it. Then I get an audition from my manager at the time that STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS! You ever see something and just know it was made for you? Ya. I read the breakdown for the character and knew in my heart that my life was about to change.
5 zoom auditions later and I’m in Atlanta preparing for my role as Raquel Navarro, an up and coming singer on the reboot of ‘The Game’ for Paramount+ as a series regular. BIG LEAGUES. Can’t tell you how many times I cried on set from being happy. My makeup friend would have to do touchups. lol. Good times. It was the coolest experience. My character worked at local lounge, where she would sing and play the piano. So I was literally on set and then would have to go to the studio to make the music for the episodes. My worlds collided and I was so grateful. All the OG’s on set would pass down knowledge and look out for me. It was special.
Currently I’m in production for my own project that I’ve been developing for about 8 years, ya 8. Lol And now I have the team of a lifetime ready to execute and bring the world our magic. And guess where it’s filming? NEWWW YORRK NEWW YOORKK!
I guess what I’m trying to say is, there are up and downs, but keep doing the thing you love because it’s like water, you need it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Everything in life has struggles, right? The amount of rejection you can get as an actress is incredible, but at the same time, if you are getting rejected that means you’re actually getting auditions which means you are closer than you think. So ya, struggles, but I chose this career. It comes in waves, and when the big waves come you have to ride it for all it’s got.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an actress first, but definitely a multi-hyphenate, which means you can do many things: act, write, sing, songwrite.
A mentor of mine told me “Stay in line, you’ll get your turn.” And he’s right, this is what sets me apart. I stay in line but I also create. I love this so much. I genuinely want to do it till the day that I die. Honestly I’ll probably be assembling a whole show if I ever get put into a old folks home. Watch out I might cast you! Ha!
I’m also really proud of my support system. So many people say “I made it here all on my own.” and it’s baloney. Nobody talks about how important the support system is as an artist because of the months/years of “no’s”. I’m proud of my mom, sister, pops, family, friends, that believe in me, even seasons feel stagnant. They continue to pour love into me. They buy the tickets for EVERY SHOW. They like comment, subscribe EVERYTHING! Hello!! You can’t pay for that! I’m blessed that it exists in my life. It’s probably what has saved me from quitting. I have had some phone calls that kept me in the game:)
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’m so proud of you! Know someone in this world is counting on you saying yes to your dreams, because it gives them guts to follow theirs. Thank you for reading this. If it could help someone else, pass it along. Peace and blessings to you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @analisavelez
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@analisavelezmusic
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/analisamusic
