EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – El Paso has found itself another artist making waves, with local actress Melissa Diaz celebrating the release of her biggest project yet, “Ruthless.”
Diaz stars alongside experienced actor Dermot Malroney in this action-thriller about a high-school wrestling coach (Malroney) who’s trying to rescue one of his students (Diaz) who was kidnapped by a group of human traffickers. The film was released in December of last year, and is now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
You can watch a trailer for “Ruthless” by clicking here.
Diaz’s dream of being part of the cinema world ignited in her childhood with her love for movies, and when she began making her own movies with neighbors on her tiny flip-camera. But that dream fired up when she began doing musical theater while at Franklin High School.
“I remember the first time I ever went to a rehearsal; it was musical theater. And I heard everyone around me sing, dance, acting. I had chills on my body. And I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
Since then, her journey has taken her to different places and had her make substantial risks in pursuit of that dream.
Diaz moved to Mexico City after high school after being admitted to CEA Televisa, the most prestigious acting school in the country. But she would leave early and move out to Los Angeles in 2022, with the hope of breaking into the Hollywood industry much sooner.
So far, her time in Los Angeles has had her searching every opportunity and doing countless auditions, where she’s learned to appreciate the good and bad days, and the reward of being an aspiring actor.
“They’re probably not going to call you for the first truly like 100 auditions. But that is the hustle of the actor knocking on doors and staying persistent,” Diaz said. “Talking to someone who’s in the business and you made a connection, just little affirmations of you working towards your goal. I think that’s kind of what feeds the soul for the artists.”
As her young career begins to evolve, Diaz believes her background has been key to her success so far, and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.
“Having lived in Mexico City and now living in L.A., I feel so blessed and lucky to have been born in a border city that celebrates both Mexican and American culture, that’s so diverse. And to be able to be bilingual has given me a huge perspective and has opened the doors for me and the characters I can play,” she said.
For her next project, Diaz will embark on her first feature film in Spanish, which is expected to be released sometime this year or in 2025.
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