On her starring role on Deputy on Fox, she said, “I am just so thankful that my first tv show was one surrounded by such amazing people. The whole process has been one I’ll truly cherish and remember from the audition to the pilot, to our long period of filming season one in New Mexico. I’ve made so many fun memories on set and learned so much. I’m just grateful I’m getting to do what I love.”
She was drawn to that experience due to its cast and crew. “We became a family and getting to be surrounded by people of such good hearts made every day on set even better. Yara Martinez and Stephen Dorff are the sweetest TV parents ever. I learned so much from all of the fantastic leads. They’re astonishing to watch on camera and getting to be there behind the scenes for some of that was quite the experience. The set was super cool too,” she admitted.
“Our jail and hospital were connected to the place where we had lunch, so my brother and I would always walk through there and act like we were in a movie walking through an abandoned hospital (it was usually unlit on the days I would shoot) so it looked super creepy,” she explained.
On being an actress in the digital age, she said, “Like everything, I think it’s got its pros and cons. With so much information out there, it makes it interesting to research a character who maybe doesn’t have the same skill sets as you or knows more about a particular subject. You can learn accents and all sorts of really cool things. There’s also so much media out there. So much is made and published, and so there’s so much to watch. It’s good because people get the opportunity to showcase their work, and we’ve discovered pretty fantastic talent through our web.”
“It’s also harder because some people take a different approach to it, and then it becomes about followers and attention on the media,” she said. “So I think if you stay in the right lane and use what we have for good things, then we can even benefit from it. If there’s nothing we can do to go back, then we might as well make sure we’re heading in the right direction for the future.”
For young and aspiring actors, she said, “It’s a long hard journey that involves making a lot of sacrifices, so you have to love it. You deal with a lot of rejection and challenges, but at the end of the day, if you love it, none of that will matter or be highlighted. Find new ways to stay inspired and keep working hard. Watch movies and observe.”
“Observe yourself and those around you daily because as an actor, knowing more about characters in real life is going to give you more variety, explore situations, and you’ll find how easy it is to grow all by yourself as an actor that is starting out. Never lose faith and stay positive,” she said.
Jauregui listed Oscar winner Natalie Portman as her dream acting partner. “When I was younger, I was told I looked a lot like her. I was curious about who Natalie Portman was and realized I’d been watching her for years in Star Wars. I started to view more and more of her films and just grew up around her name. I love how smart she is and how she uses her platform to promote books and positive messages, I love how she’s vegan, and I love the depth she brings to every character she plays. I find she’s a fantastic role model, and if I ever met her, I would probably freak out a little too much. Or Bill Hader or Matthew Perry. I am a big comedy person and those two are just remarkable,” she elaborated.
On her definition of the word success, she explained, “I am a significant goal setter and organizer. I love journaling and setting up goal planners. To be honest, I think success is whenever you feel you’ve accomplished something you’ve been working hard for. When you set your goal, achieve it, and feel that sweet feeling of achievement. No matter how big or small I think to me, that is a success.”
She concluded about Deputy, “It has got everything. You want cops? We got ’em. Horses? Got ’em. Strong female leads? Got ’em. Badass fight scenes? Yup that too. LGBT history being made on TV? Yeah, we did that. Keep naming it, Deputy is unlike anything, and it got its unique style to it. It’s heartfelt yet action-packed. The cast is terrific. Just watch it.”
To learn more about Valeria Jauregui, follow her on Instagram.
