Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The Get Down only came out last Friday and it already looks like it’s spawned its first breakout star. Herizen Guardiola oozes innocent sex appeal and hits all the high notes into the rafters as Mylene Cruz, a tenacious church girl who dreams of being a disco diva.
The Get Down marks Guardiola’s first big acting role and it’s already garnered her legions of fans. (For reference, she had about 3,000 Instagram followers last Friday and now she has 21.5K and counting…) So where did she come from? How did she get the part? Is she really singing? And is she ready for the big time? We’re glad you asked. Here’s the lowdown on The Get Down‘s Herizen Guardiola.
Who is Herizen Guardiola in The Get Down?
As we said up top, Guardiola plays Mylene Cruz. She’s the female lead of The Get Down, an ambitious “good girl” who is willing to bend the rules in pursuit of fame and glory. She’s got a voice like an angel and a penchant for disco songs. However, her father is a man of God and wants her to stick to hymns. She’s also Ezekiel’s main muse and love interest.
How did Herizen Guardiola nab the part?
As part of a normal audition process! The former model told InStyle magazine that it was one of her very first forays into auditioning for film & TV.
Adding to the moment? She got the call while hiking at the Hollywood sign. Talk about good karma.
Where is Herizen Guardiola from?
Guardiola is a half-Cuban, half-Jamaican Miami native. She told Vogue that her father is a reggae musician who was raised Cuban Catholic. Her mother is a Baptist-turned-Buddhist nutritionist and yoga instructor. Guardiola herself is a vegetarian.
So she sang for the audition. Does that mean she can really sing? Is she really singing in The Get Down?
Yup! Her Instagram is full of videos of her singing to fans and she appears on the show’s official soundtrack (which is only available to stream on iTunes).
If she sings in real life, does that mean she also wants to be a disco queen — like her character?
Actually, no. In stark contrast to the “princess-like” Mylene, Guardiola considers herself a “tomboy.” She told Vogue that she prepped for her role by immersing herself in disco. She listened to and researched Donna Summer, Cher, and Diana Ross. Of Donna Summer, she said: “She’s majestic in the way she moves and glides across the stage, and she just has this sexiness about her that I had to cultivate. I watched her documentary and a lot of her videos on YouTube. ‘Love to Love You Baby’ was one of the songs I would play in my trailer when I was getting ready to put on a big dance number.”
Was she really a model?
Yup. The multi-talented performer broke into the business because of her looks, but is now asserting herself as a singer and actress. She’s also already being dubbed a budding fashion icon. You can check out her bohemian-chic style on her Instagram.
Um…her hair looks different in a lot of these photos.
Yes, that would be her gorgeous natural hair texture. She told Vogue that she was happy to have her “crazy, curly hair.” She also revealed in the same interview that she wore a wig throughout most of The Get Down. Yes, this is a wig. It’s a good wig, but it’s a wig.
Is she ready to be a big star in real life?
I would say so. She revealed to Complex that she spent her time at the Met Ball chatting with her favorite stars. She had the courage to chat with Jennifer Hudson, childhood crush Jared Leto, and even Beyoncé: “I was like, ‘Hey Beyoncé, you look great. Slay girl!’ And she was like, ‘Oh, you look good too, girl!'” Her Get Down co-star Justice Smith was reportedly too shy to talk to anyone at the big fashion event.
Anything else I should know?
You can follow her here on Instagram and catch her out on The Get Down. Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix and Part 2 comes out next year.
[Watch The Get Down on Netflix]
[Photos: Netflix]
