Meet Mireya Olmos | Silver Model, Actor, Influencer, & ProAge Encourager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mireya Olmos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mireya, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

Good question. 

My OWN favorite quote that I live by is: “take one day at time, one task/challenge a time, and celebrate each and every victory, however small, at a time.”

I’m naturally a multi-tasker who juggles many projects at once; it’s a double-edged sword. Recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to take one task at a time and complete it with excellence, however big or small. I get true satisfaction from completing at least one item at a time from my ongoing perpetual “to-do” list!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

When I have moments of stillness and pondering, I still can’t believe that I am a model and an actor. I’m honored to work in an industry that allows me to represent many demographics: Latinas, beauty over 50, plus size women, and women of color. Let me start by saying that I’m the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants; I was brought to California as an infant. I grew up in East Los Angeles, graduated High School, and only had one year of university because I left to get married after I found out I was pregnant with our son; I was only 18.

I was a stay-at-home mom for 2 years, then worked at the phone company, previously known as Pacific Bell, now AT&T as a bill collector. In between that time to now, I’ve had several vocations, the longest being an executive church secretary for 14 years. In 1999 I attended Tri-Cities R.O.P., which gave me invaluable computer and internet skills, which I still use today.

I have always been a creative person throughout my life. However, it has only been in my current career I have nurtured more of my creativity side with the help of my computer skills. I love creating social media content, taking pictures, creating stories, and learning new skills that will benefit me in my career. For example, I take 98% of my own headshots; I’ve learned lighting, posing, and editing along the way.

I’m a firm believer in “learning never stops,” especially in the entertainment industry. It is not cheap, there’s a lot of money that I invest in myself. I have taken posing classes with Coco Rocha in New York, commercial acting classes with Line Runner Tapes with Kaz Santana, Diane Christiansen Acting Academy, Anthony Meindl Acting Workshops, Casting Director Workshops with Vicki Goggin and Angela Mickey, TVI Reels Showcase Class with Alan Nusbaum, and so much more!

So how did I get here? Was I scouted? Did I go looking for it? NO. Like I mentioned before, God had a plan for me.

I was 50 pounds heavier and was dying my hair from the age of 24 until one month of turning 42. Gray is hereditary in my family, both sides. I remember my first gray hair glistening in the sun when I was 7 years old; I thought it was kind of cool! Seventeen years later, not so cool. I was a very young mom with salt and pepper hair, with two children under the age of five. I was embarrassed, ashamed of my hair, and did not want to look “old.”

What I once considered a curse is now a blessing!

Moving forward, at 42 years of age, I gave myself a personal challenge to stop dying my hair for twelve months. I was having to touch up my roots every ten days; I HATED IT. I was 50 pounds heavier, I felt ugly and invisible. As women in general, we still want to feel desirable at any age. As I it grew out, I started to fall in love; it was almost snowy-white! Three whole years it took to completely transform. In the interim, I lost a lot of weight for personal health reasons, and then it happened….

An acquaintance friend from church, who was a part-time stock photo photographer at the time, asked to take my picture alongside with my husband. I’ll be honest, I thought “hmmm, this is interesting, but why not?” I figured I’d get some professional couple’s pictures out of this, and get paid for a session. His stock photos were soon after gaining use and were popularly sought after; he kept asking me back. It was my husbands’ bright business-minded idea to look into an agency and cease all sessions with our said friend.  Close friends also complimented and encouraged me to go down this path as well. Mind you, I still never felt pretty, or saw myself in an attractive light. But then I thought “why not, there’s nothing to lose.” My friend, Stella Moreno, forwarded me and online entity that specialized in “entertainment education,” like: contracts, agencies, agents vs. managers, castings, self-tapes (COVID happened, 99% was all online), digitals, studio set etiquette, resumes, etc.

This was all new to me, but I went ahead and paid my monthly tuition and learned so much in 3 months; I invested in myself. Through this institution is where I had met my previous agent, Russel Frank, at ENVY Model Management. In the 2-½ years I worked consistently in commercials and print.

Some of my work includes: Starbucks, Target, Conair Hair Tools, Olaplex, Thrive Causemetics, Boom by Cindy Joseph, Jardiance, Booking.com, Virgin Hotel Las Vegas, Yoplait Yogurt, NFL Shop, and so much more!

Remember I mentioned learning?

Well, in one of my other online classes, TVI Actors Studio, with Alan Nusbaum, I met my current agent Jaime Love, from Love Talent Agency. It has been phenomenal!

The roles/castings am I most passionate about? Latinas, Beauty over 50, naturally silver haired women like myself, and of course, Plus-Size. My silver mane is my brand and I don’t take any jobs that require dying my hair; I am proud of my natural gray hair.

Friends, this is my second act, and I absolutely LOVE it; I can keep going in my career until I decide “no more.” All ages, shapes, sizes, and cultures are in needed in the entertainment industry!  I will be fifty-three in August. 

One last encouragement: If you want something, go for it! You never know until you try it. And when you do, BE ALL IN.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

That is a tough question! If my best friends were visiting and I’m an outdoors kinda’gal, I would have to say the beach, EVERY DAY. Riding our beach cruisers along the paved shore is a definite must, starting from Huntington Beach Pier, and ending at Newport State Beach, right before Balboa Island. Along the way we’d stop and enjoy a premade picnic, dip our toes into the water, sun ourselves on the warm sand, and take lots of selfies!

For good eats, there is so much out there, but street tacos are some of the best homemade Mexican fast-food there is! For example, in the city of Whittier (still LA County), on the corner of Mills and Mulberry, there’s an awesome taco stand that sells the best Al Pastor tacos, including Burritos, Mulitas, Quesadillas, and Papanchas (a Mexican baked potato with all the meats of your choice). Cold refreshing aguas frescas de Fresa, Jamaica, and Horchata help wash down those delicious tacos. And if you’re not too overstuffed, two stands over are freshly fried and sugared Churros!

Some of my favorite gardens and museums that I would highly recommend: Huntington Library and Museum in San Marino, The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, and my favorite historical landmark is The Richard Nixon Library and Museum.

Depending on the city and summertime, I always recommend the free concerts in the parks. I love taking my lawn chairs and a homemade picnic to the park and enjoy whatever music is playing outdoors!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

God knew my story before I was born, and so my shoutout and glory goes to Him first, hands down. God knew that after all my life long-long vocations, this would be something that I would truly appreciate and value in my current career, model & actor. I’ve had many vocations in my life: street sweeper, bill collector, teacher assistant, health clerk, executive secretary, office manager, and pro-bono court interpreter.

Thereafter, I give credit to my husband Robert of thirty-four and a half years. My husband has been my biggest fan and encourager since day one. My nurturing mother-in-love Eva, my favorite spunky Aunt Reyna who recently passed, my former mentor-boss Carol Huffmaster, my former vocational instructor Megan, my career guide church friend Susan Gaines, my encourager friend Stella Moreno, and last but not least, my two life-long bestfriends: Nicole Angelo, & Nicole Wilkins. Each and evert one of these women, in different stages of my life, have been mentors, encouragers, and my biggest supporters. Each one has given me golden nuggets of advice, love, and life lessons along the way.

Website: http://mireyaolmos.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bobandmireya/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/baJGzpaTldE?list=PLr5ySEoMeZfOSKeXaCkqD6yYqhqJC8Tw6

Other: Mireya’s LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/mireyaolmos

Image Credits
Thrive Causemetics Photos: Ali Mitton B&W Photo & Hair pulled back with Heavy Makeup: Matthew Tyler Priestley Ellen DeGeneres KindScience Group Photo: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros Chobani Photo: Stephanie Gonot All the rest are mine, self portraits