WORDS Eduardo
Cabral
PHOTOGRAPHY Montana U.S.A.
Out of this Planeta
Puerto Rican actress
Wanda Rovira hits Hollywood with a good dose of Boricua style.
You
acted in 12 Hours. Is it true that it’s the largest grossing
Puerto Rican film?
Yes, so far it has been the biggest. When it was released in Puerto Rico,
it was in theatres for 16 weeks, and people liked it so much they had
to bring it back. We were competing with a lot of huge movies from Hollywood
and people really liked it. Now we have a major release scheduled for
Los Angeles and New York, and it’ll be released throughout the United
States.
Why do you think
it has been so successful?
Because it is real, it’s about life. People see themselves through
the movie, through the characters. It’s about love, it’s about
sex, it’s about emotions, things that are related to us in life.
And I think people like to see those real things. You cry, you laugh,
you feel sad through the movie. But once you finish watching the movie
you think of your friends, your family, and you think of yourself. I think
that’s why people like it.
Sounds like it
covers a lot of different areas?
It’s about homosexuality, sex. It’s about life, love, having
fun, and it’s about God. It’s about everything. It’s five
stories in 12 hours.
Where in
Puerto Rico are you from?
I was actually born in Brooklyn. My parents
are from Puerto Rico, but since I was five years old I have lived in Puerto
Rico. I’m from the north side of Puerto Rico, Vega Alta. I’m
100% puertoriqueña. I was born in Brooklyn, but my heart is in
Puerto Rico.
Are Puerto Rican
men more aggressive than other American men?
Yeah I think so, I think they are more aggressive. I think it’s
the blood. It’s the culture. But everybody has a heart, so to me
everybody is the same.
What about Puerto
Rican women, what would you say is unique about them?
Well, we are very giving in general, both Puerto Rican women and men.
But women, I don’t know, a lot of people say that we are the most
beautiful women. I think it’s the energy. We have a good energy.
We are very colorful and it’s because we’re born in a tropical
place…it’s the flavor, it’s the blood, the energy of life
that we have inside us.
Who would you say are the two most popular or loved persons in Puerto
Rico?
Ricky Martin is our main star.
So he’s bigger
then Tito Trinidad?
We have major artists in different fields. Tito Trinidad, we love
him, but he’s retired already. We have Ricky in pop music, we have
Marc Anthony in salsa music—and he’s an actor also. We have
Rita Moreno, we have Benicio Del Toro. We have a lot of people. Even our
governor. She’s female, the first female governor in the history
of Puerto Rico.
But Ricky Martin is
known around the world. He has been living the vida loca and shaking his
bon bon. If you go to Africa or any place in the world people will know
Ricky Martin. They may not know Tito Trinidad because they don’t
like boxing.
Chupacabras is said to be from Puerto Rico. Do you think he exists?
Everybody has a different view. I just heard the other day in the
news that there are Chupacabras in other countries. I don’t know.
I believe in everything. This world is so wonderful, God is so wonderful.
I think it’s people from other planets. What is a Chupacabra? They
get cabras, rabbits, rats. They get everything. And the way their victims
die, without any blood and the holes. I think they’re people from
other planets. Because nobody has seen them and they have been killing
animals for years, and they’re always in the same area.
Why do you think
they’re picking on the Latin American countries?
Maybe they want our blood! Maybe they want Latino blood, since we
are so popular now. You know Latino this, Latino that. They think they
have to be in. [laughs] No, I don’t know…I guess it’s a
weird subject, and everybody has a different view. I think here in Los
Angeles it’s too open…
It’s probably
too smoggy for Chupacabras.
Yeah, I think they like the country. Every time you hear the stories
it happens in the countryside and mountains.
Do you think Chupacabras
wears boxers or briefs?
Both. Because every Chupacabras is different each would have a different
style…Actually, I don’t think they wear any, I think they’re
naked.
Okay,
on to a different topic. How would you define sexiness?
Sexiness comes from your heart. Everybody is sexy. You have to be
very confident. I am sexy, the way I walk, the way I express myself. To
me everybody is sexy, you just have to be confident in life and you have
to express yourself.
How do you conquer
a man’s heart?
I try to be myself. I love to talk, I’m very expressive. I’m
very friendly. I just want men to see the real Wanda through my heart.
I’ll use my eyes and my body language. When you like somebody your
body language says a lot of things. I will never go up to a guy, that
is not me. I think you have to start with friendship.
What do you do
when a guy comes on too strong?
If they talk to me and I don’t like the way they talk to me I
just don’t pay any attention. Because if they’re like, “talk
to me,” I don’t like it when people come to me in that way,
it’s too aggressive. But I will never fight with a guy, and I will
never punch him because he says something to me. I’ll just keep going.
Of course if he touches me, grabs me, and tries to do something, I will
defend myself.
Not everybody knows
how to express themselves…like here people stop me a lot in the street
and say things. Everybody is different, everybody has different views,
and everybody has a different way of saying things. I just smile and keep
walking.
What do you think
of one-night-stands?
I don’t want to judge anybody. You don’t know what things
may happen to you in life. But I have to take care of myself. I take good
care of myself. If you don’t know someone, you don’t know if
he’s going to do something bad to you. I think the most important
thing you have in life is yourself, so you have to take care of yourself
as much as you can. I think I would have to go out with someone more than
once before I go to bed with them. Sometimes men look so innocent and
so handsome, but you never know. Everybody knows what is good for them,
so you decide what is good for you and what is not.
What would you be doing if you weren’t acting?
Acting [laughs]. I’ve been performing all my life. I used to
be a beauty queen, I used to dance. I do sports, I paint. I love to travel.
I love to see other cultures, other countries… but I would love to
be focused on kids. I think people have to work on improving the self-esteem
of kids. Life goes by so fast and we forget about them. We forget about
when we were kids and we felt so lonely and we were so afraid to tell
our parents…I would love to work with kids, to make them more secure
in life, to tell them to follow their dreams. I would teach them not to
let anybody, even a friend, stop you in life.
I’ve heard
you like candy. What’s your favorite candy?
Sweet and sour. I always say I’m sweet and sour. I love everything
except coconut with chocolate. I love coconut, but not in candy. I love
gum, lollipops, caramels. I love sugar.
What words of advice
do you have for Latino men?
Be yourself. Sometimes guys try to be too strong. Be strong, be macho,
but be sincere in life. Don’t pretend, because then things aren’t
going to be the way you expect. Have fun, but have priorities in life.
Go for it and work. And don’t be lazy, help us women around the house!
OPEN YOUR EYES
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