61 Latina And Hispanic Actresses Who Are Changing Hollywood For The Better In 2023
The entertainment industry still lacks a lot of authentic representation, but these women are paving the way.
This will come as no surprise, but let's put it out there anyway: Latina and Hispanic actresses have been leaving their mark on Hollywood for decades. From Dolores del Río, who put Latina actresses on the map with her first roles in 1920s silent films, to Jenna Ortega, the Disney actress turned scream queen, there's always been a Latina and/or Hispanic actress leading the way for those who come after them.
And yet Hollywood still hasn't caught up to the fact that, while there are so many talented Hispanic and Latinx actors, they remain underrepresented in film and television. Latinx actors held just 2.3 percent of top theatrical film acting roles in 2022, according to the 2023 UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report. Angered by the disproportionate amount of Latinx folks in the industry, more than 270 Latinx showrunners, creators, and television and feature writers wrote an open letter to Hollywood in October 2020, calling for systemic change, noting: "We refuse to be filtered through a White perspective."
"As we come to the end of Hispanic Heritage Month in the midst of a global pandemic and continued racial injustice, many of us in the Latinx community have found it difficult to celebrate," the letter stated. "Inspired by the activism of the Black and Indigenous communities, many of whom also identify as Latinx, we stand in solidarity with our fellow Black, Native and Indigenous writers, co-signing their WGAW Open Letters and echoing their demands for systemic change in our industry."
Three years later, some progress has been made, but more work needs to be done to ensure Latinx and Hispanic artists have equal representation, and support, in Hollywood as their non-Latinx counterparts. Even when Latinx folks get the opportunity to share their stories in film and TV series, such as Netflix’s Wednesday, HBO Max’s Gordita Chronicles, and the upcoming Snow White starring Rachel Zegler, they often lack the championing of Hollywood executives to stay on air for more than a few seasons, or even air at all.
But this may be the year that meaningful change happens in Hollywood. Many Latina and Hispanic actresses are not only doing the work to benefit their own communities, but they are also participating in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike to fight for equal pay and treatment for all actors and screenwriters.
To learn more about these trailblazers and change-makers, check out this list of 61 talented Latina and Hispanic actresses who make your (film and television) world go 'round—and make sure to support their next project.
Caroline Shannon-Karasik is a writer and mental health advocate based in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to Women's Health, her work has appeared in several print and online publications, including The Cut, Tonic, Narratively, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and DAME. She is currently writing a collection of essays.
Naydeline Mejia is an assistant editor at Women’s Health, where she covers sex, relationships, and lifestyle for WomensHealthMag.com and the print magazine. She is a proud graduate of Baruch College and has more than two years of experience writing and editing lifestyle content. When she’s not writing, you can find her thrift-shopping, binge-watching whatever reality dating show is trending at the moment, and spending countless hours scrolling through Pinterest.
Olivia Evans (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. Her work has previously appeared in The Cut and Teen Vogue. She loves covering topics where culture and wellness intersect. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, running, and watching rom-coms.
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