Meet Thalia Romina | Actor and Comedian

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

Hi Thalia, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Be yourself. Unless you suck. – Joss Whedon

I think living your most authentic truth is an ongoing process. Because in the real world, it might be what you most need, but it might also not behoove you in the long run. There’s a time and place for it. It’s up to you to know when being yourself is sucking.

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.
Ahh my art. Anytime I think of it like that, it makes me feel a bit pretentious. I chose to enter a creative world that uplifts you and humbles you at the same time. But the truth is I would be miserable doing anything else. Choosing something just because you’re good at it isn’t enough. Choosing it in the pursuit of happiness is imperative. Definitely wasn’t easy. I have immense privilege; I was born and raised in NYC, the capital of what I wanna do. I am educated, grew up with two parents who would not leave me on the street if I fell into financial necessity. To not acknowledge that in my process would be wrong. That being said, it’s not about it not being easy. It is still not easy. I am a working actor and comedian, but not a famous one, and therefore not a successful one in many eyes. Overcoming the challenges comes with experience. The first time you might fail, but you’re always failing forward. For every challenge that I’ve overcome, there’s one that I’m currently failing at. I think it all goes back to radically accepting the space you’re at, with the ambition to get better. That’s a hard line to tow! I did a show recently where I did well but I was very obviously the weakest comic on the lineup. It was disheartening. I felt blessed to be playing with the big boys (most of them were in fact men) but also cursed to be representing women, a Latina woman at that and to not be able to hold my own. That will happen again and it will be uncomfortable but growth is fucking uncomfortable.

My brand and story is all about being uninhibited. I have this personal rule. If someone is threatened by you for no reason, they either want to fuck you or they want to be you. And 9/10 times, it’s both. Yes this is beyond sexual orientation. It’s about conquering someone’s energy. So don’t fucking let them get away with it.

I wanna change lives with my acting and comedy. But changing lives doesn’t have to be this monumental thing. It can be simple. It isn’t always satisfying (for the life being changed, let alone the artist trying to do the changing). I can be a misanthrope at times but I truly love people. I love getting to know their trials and tribulations. My artist brain never turns off. Anything is an opportunity to learn an internal life of someone I can copy in an acting performance, or a funny observation to make people laugh at my next comedy show.

A couple of years ago I worked on a documentary theatre piece about Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico called “Agua, Vida y Tierra”. It was the first time my parents saw a fully bilingual play that I starred in. The way it made them feel, the way they felt so seen, meant so much to me. My parents immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. They both have thick accents in English; my mother is from the Dominican Republic, my father is from Argentina. These people do not go to shows, are not exposed to a lot of art and therefore are not fans of it. But they got to see this one thing and felt a kinship with the story that was really special to me.

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?
I’m of the creed that Jesus converted water to wine, not wine to water so let’s go out and party!
I don’t live in LA but I do come here for work often, and when I come here I stay with LA natives. I love fancy things, and LA has got so many fancy stuff, but as a NYC native, some of the most interesting and exciting things to ME are hikes at Griffith or Runyon, and the quality of the sushi and mexican food. It is unmatched. Also I know it’s overpriced but I love Erewhon so much!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Anyone who hasn’t believed in me. They are the fuel to my fire. No is sometimes the best thing that one can hear. That includes my parents. Sorry Mami y Papi, I didn’t go to med school, but this is so much more fun.

Website: https://thaliaromina.com

Instagram: @therealthaliaromina

Linkedin: Thalia Romina