Although we were not in the same class year, I remember Dyana Elizondo Ortelli from our school days. Laredo schools were much smaller then and everyone seemed to know each other or one or more of their siblings. That was the case with us.
Dyana and her sister, Amparo, were wise-cracking jokesters who always kept us (silently) in stiches. While Amparo was a quieter character, it was clear, even then, that Dyana was itching for a larger audience.
I was happy to reconnect with her after many, many years for the purpose of this interview.
Margarita Araiza: What was the path from Laredo to the West Coast?
Dyana Orteli: I had two friends I had worked with on Carrascolendas in Austin, who had moved to L.A. to pursue acting. They encouraged and inspired me, so I followed, took a giant leap, and moved to L.A.
MA: At what point did it occur to you that you wanted to act?
DO: I was 12 or 13, already loving movies and wanting to perform and be an actress someday. As a teenager at Ursuline Academy, I was cast in theater productions and comedy skits. At the University of Texas, I joined Teatro Latino and was cast as the lead in Antígona Perez.
MA: What about growing up here informs your work?
DO: Everything. I’m fortunate I was raised speaking Spanish well. I was able to be cast in radio and TV commercials en español, and later in TV and films because I could deliver dialogue in English or Spanish. That’s a huge advantage.
MA: What was it like to leave the familiarity of life here?
DO: It was a big adjustment — intimidating and exciting. There was lots to discover in L.A., but getting used to driving on freeways in a huge city took patience and bravery. Learning the ropes about breaking into acting was also challenging.
MA: Talk about portraying Lupe in the famous Seinfeld episode.
DO: How lucky can a girl get? The role was a Latina hotel chambermaid, but I had a scene with two comedy giants — Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, and my scene still lives on YouTube and other platforms as one of Seinfeld fans’ favorite.
MA: Re: Coco – what is it like to be a voice and not a face?
DO: Only the luckiest actors in Hollywood get to do voice-over work, especially animation. With Coco I saw Tía Victoria on the big screen so my voice could match her personality. The director, Lee Unkrich, hand-picked me from a group of actors to voice her. You never know what they’re looking for. It’s magical how it’s all put together. I couldn’t be happier with how Coco turned out.
MA: What was the role that informed casting directors of your abilities?
DO: A theater director told me that he knew I could act when he saw me playing a Tijuana beggar woman in Born in East L.A. It was certainly a stretch, and I loved the challenge. The role that allowed me to really shine and be remembered was in Luminarias. It holds a very special place in my heart.
MA: What role has given you the greatest satisfaction?
DO: Irene in Luminarias. I had mostly played Latina maids and hookers up to that point. The brilliant Chicana writer, Evelina Fernández, gave me the opportunity to play an outrageous fashion designer who gives up sex for Lent.
Irene is a hard-core Chicana who wears the love and orgullo of her Mexican culture and heritage on her sleeve, and on her mini skirt, too. I even designed my own wardrobe.
MA: Did you become an actor by instinct and ganas, or did you study acting?
DO: I always had the instinct and ganas. When I got to L.A. I discovered Latino theater groups that were doing productions in English and Spanish. Theater was my acting school.
MA: What’s ahead?
DO: Constantly auditioning. Our industry took a big hit with our last actors’ strike, so TV and film are just starting to pick up. I still keep busy doing voice over work — radio spots for Disneyland and voices for interactive media, waiting for the next big role.
I have three independent films streaming now — The Answer to My Prayer with Luis Fonsi; a campy horror-comedy, Martinez, Margaritas, and Murder; and a gritty immigrant story, Free Dead or Alive.
MA: What is it like to visit back here when you have been away for decades?
DO: I love Laredo’s unique personality, energy, and voice. Reconnecting with old friends is always a treat. So is the amazing Mexican food. I am filled with nostalgia when I visit.
MA: Do you have any advice for young aspiring actors from Laredo?
DO: Be in theater — a great way to learn the craft. More skills make more opportunities.
I was cast in Zoot Suit, my first job in L.A., in large part because I had dance training and had done theater in Laredo. Thanks to my Laredo dance and theater teachers — Altagracia Azios García, Sylvia Flores Jones, and Sammy Johnson. Practiquen su español si quieren trabajar en el mercado hispano! Technology has made the industry more accessible. Casting opportunities are posted on-line, and you can submit via a self-tape on your smart phone. It’s a very competitive industry, so it’s important to find what you have to offer that will make you stand out from the rest.
Follow me @dyanaortelli on Facebook and Instagram. I engage with a lot of casting directors and producers, and share casting opportunities whenever I can. Como dijo Dolores Huerta, “Sí se puede!”
MA: Any other artists in your family?
DO: My mother’s older twin sisters, born in Nuevo Laredo, were known as Las Cuatitas Herrera, recording artists in Mexico and actors in both Mexican and U.S. films in the 1940’s — Luna Criolla, for example, and Down Mexico Way with Gene Autry in the U.S. My mother and her twin sister had beautiful singing voices, but they chose to raise families instead of singing careers. My oldest brother, Oscar Elizondo, was a professional dancer with the Berlin Ballet, dancing with Rudolph Nureyev at some point. My prima, Polly Peña, also from Nuevo Laredo, is a professional actress/singer in Mexico City.
