Danielle Larracuente Opens Up About Her Role in Jennifer Lopez’s ‘This Is Me…Now: A Love Story,’ Her Son’s Breakout in ‘Griselda,’ and More

What were the steps that helped you get to this stage of your life and where you are now? “I would definitely say that I have a really good role model like my mom. She is a retired cop and then went back to school at a late age and became a lawyer. I had that instilled in me, if I really wanted something,  to never give up and keep going. I think that’s a big thing that really helped me get where I’m at. But also being an actor, especially in 2024, breaking down these barriers and being the first of many for a lot of things, I think is what has kept me going even in the hard times. I still get a bunch of no’s to one yes, and just learning how to just keep compartmentalizing, keep going, keep pushing and learning that there’s only one me in the world, right?  I don’t have to change anything. It’s just that it was not the right opportunity for me.”

Your son was in Netflix’s new ‘Griselda’ series. How does it feel for you to see your son following your footsteps and wanting to be an actor? “Oh my god, I couldn’t stop crying all over the place. When I think the biggest moment for me is when I took him to the red carpet for Griselda. I was so nervous.Cameras, he’s seven years old, and he did the role when he was five. I’m like, oh my god, don’t be scared. It’s okay. Put your hand in your  pocket. And he’s like Mom,“ I got this.” He went in front of the red carpet,and he’s like this with his thumb. That’s it. That was his move the whole night. And I was like, alright!  Like, he’s telling me  to sit down. He has the most freaking confidence. I think the biggest takeaway is that I just kind of followed him.I was a child actor as well, and that’s how my career started developing, so I just do it, like, when he wants to take breaks, he takes breaks, when he wants to get back into it, he gets back into it, and, uh, we have fun, we also, he directs a lot of stuff, he makes some skits home. Oh! I played the Tooth Fairy the other day, and I was like what are we doing?And he’s like, just, just play the Tooth Fairy. Then he’s like, woke up as a kid and was like “Oh my god, I see a tooth fairy” The cast of Griselda  were so sweet to him. I couldn’t say enough about the cast. His brothers, he doesn’t have, you know, older brothers So he’s like so attached to them already. It’s so cute.”

What advice would you give other Latinas wanting to be an actress, work in this industry that you feel that they should know?  Or something that no one ever told you that you found out now that you’re a working actress? “I’d say the biggest thing for me is just being yourself authentically. I think when I first got into the business again, because I took a long break after being a child and then I got back into it as an adult, I found myself trying to fit more of these boxes. Oh, you want somebody with this hair, or you want short hair, or you want, oh, you want my name to be different, or I can do that accent. And I was like, this is not working because we’re so special, right? We’re so different. And that’s what I love about the Latino community is that with all our different cultures, we’re all so different. Even, like, me meeting another Puerto Rican. We’re different, you know? And I think that’s what you have to bring to the table.

“I would give them the advice to be themselves. Study. Work hard. Don’t  take no for an answer. Keep going, but be yourself. And that’s what’s going to get to the point.”

Are there any other future projects that you’re allowed to share at least with me or Contrast that we can expect from you soon? “Yeah, I just finished an indie film. It’s a rom com, that’s coming out. Really excited. My first lead. That’s going to be really fun. Check out for that.You guys can also follow my social media. I always put up updates and let everyone know what’s going on.”

What is your dream project, movie or something you would really love to do in your career? And we’re going to manifest that it will happen. I think what’s really big and where I’m at right now is I want to keep pushing the barrier. I  don’t want to be stuck with any type of box. I want to be a nurse. I want to be a lawyer. I want to be a scientist. I want to be, you know, the struggling mom or in Bridgerton. I’m all about pushing the envelope and  I feel like for so long, especially our community, we get put into these roles and they can’t see outside of that.  I’m like, as much as I can do, as much as I can push the envelope, so the girl behind me, it’s a little easier for her.”

Both Larracuente and Lopez are Puerto Rican and from New York in which this was Unforgettable experience. Larracuente stated: “It was huge. It was definitely like, Oh my God, all right, I could check this off my list. You know, something that, you know, I did this in my career. I was able to act alongside my idol, which is, you can’t ask for more, right?”