Actress Eileen Galindo chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about her recurring role in the series “Why Women Kill” on Paramount+, where she plays Isabel, Rita’s maid.
On being a part of “Why Women Kill,” she said, “It was truly extraordinary to collaborate with Marc Cherry and his team. They are masters at telling juicy, fun stories. And Marc just loves women. He writes gloriously fun stuff for us to play. From the creators to the actors to the entire production team it was a dream job.”
She is drawn to her character Isabel for many reasons. “I drew on the experiences of the women in my family who came to the US in mid-1800’s to create Isabel. In our case, the women in my family came to the US during Cuba’s 10 Years War following the Cigar making trade,” she said.
Galindo continued, “Life was hard, there were relentless hurricanes in Key West where they landed. Then they moved up to Tampa to create the company town of Ybor City. They didn’t speak the language and prospects were few for women outside of marriage. But by the 1940’s, when WWK takes place, they were fully integrated and did whatever they had to do to make sure the next generations would have it better than they did. That is woven throughout Isabel’s journey.”
Regarding her daily motivations as an actress, she said, “I always say that if I reach one person with my work – if one person recognizes something about themselves or is inspired – I’ve done my job. After 35 years in the business and hundred’s of productions I’m banking on a one percent return.”
On being an actress in the digital age, she said, “I have been a working actor since I was 25. I bought my first apartment in New York City at age 30 with money I earned from commercials and voiceovers. That is virtually impossible today because of streaming. We make pennies on the dollar.”
“In the ’90s, an actor could build their artistry in theatre, do a bit of film and TV and be solidly in the middle class,” she said. “The middle-class actor is a dinosaur now. There is tons of more content – but what does that mean as far as the collective experience? Television is no longer the unifying cultural experience it once was.”
“Actors and studios have to work twice as hard to promote their work in order to get the eyeballs on the work. As far as social media and platforms go, I owe much of the credit to my sister who taught me to be computer savvy back in the ’90s. I may not participate in all forms of social media – but I know the value of communicating with the fans and expressing my gratitude for their support,” she elaborated.
She opened up about life during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our family lost 4 members to COVID. I built a treehouse in my backyard in their honor with the help of a carpenter. Marc Cherry asked me to the dance and the short film ‘The Letter Room.’ I starred in opposite Oscar Isaac, and it was nominated for an Academy Award. It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.”
When asked which actors she would like to work with as her dream acting partners, she responded, “That’s tough to say. I like a lot of people’s work for different reasons. And one thing you learn as you go along the way is – you have to meet the person, see who they are. Can you collaborate? Do you have a similar aesthetic? That is what creates really special experiences. And I’m all about that.”
On her definition of success, she said, “Success is being respected for what you bring to the table. With respect comes proper compensation, opportunities, and self-worth.”
Galindo concluded about “Why Women Kill,” “Have fun with the show. There are only 10 of them so get your [vaccinated] girlfriends together, dress up, have a garden party, dish the dirt and enjoy the ride.”
