[Si] TV

It's been a helluva year for Zulay Henao. The Medellín, Colombia-born and New York-raised actress exploded onto the scene with two back-to-back big-screen hits. First it was a small role in the critically acclaimed urban thriller Illegal Tender, quickly followed by a starring role in the Jennifer Lopez-produced reggaeton drama Feel the Noise. Things will only pick-up in 2008 for this suddenly in-demand Latina, with four more projects either in-production or in-development so far. Yet, life in the fast track to stardom hasn't always been so rapid. Henao's road to Hollywood took some interesting twists and turns.  But all those experiences have shaped an actress that will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. We met the beautiful and talented Ms. Henao to discuss Latin pride, reggaeton, and the military.

Rego: Your first move from New York was not to Hollywood, but to the military.  You joined the army after high school. How did you come to that decision?
Zulay Henao: I got accepted to college but I did not want to go right away. I think that was me being a bit of a rebellious child, but we'll talk about that later! I had some friends who were in the army and they where in Germany and Korea, doing all these cool things, and I couldn't stand the thought of being stuck in college in Connecticut for four years. So after meeting with a recruiter one day, I decided it was the thing I needed to do. I was able to go to school while in the Army, so it worked out that way, too. It was hard, but I'm happy I did it that way. The military was by far the best decision I've made for myself.

Rego: Let's shift gears for a moment and talk about reggaeton. Do you remember when you were first exposed to it, and did it touch you right away?
ZH: I remember my sister introduced me to a DJ Playero mixtape, and I knew right away it was hot. A young Daddy Yankee was on that tape and it just caught fire. All my friends and everyone kind of knew we were part of something that was brewing and going to explode. We just didn't know when. But I don't think anyone had any idea how big it would get, that it was going to go out into the world and become a whole genre. I am so proud of the people who are at the forefront of it. It's all over the planet now.

Rego: Tell me about Feel the Noise. It seems like it touches on a lot of your life experiences. Did you make those connections right away?
ZH: Right away actually. The story follows the main character, who grows up in New York and then goes back to his home country. I mean... that's my life. That's a lot of Latinos' lives. So I knew I had to be a part of it. It's funny I was in New York when I heard about it, but they weren't even casting in New York only in L.A. I remember asking my manager, "How are we going to do make this happen? I have to do this movie!"

Rego: Maybe because you're new to Hollywood you've been able to kind of skirt the Latin questions, but now that the secret's out, how is it affecting you, if at all?
ZH: Yeah the secret's out! But it's not something I've been hiding. When I go into any audition it's pretty obvious I have a lot of Latin culture in me. My parents speak Spanish in my house and my grandparents still don't speak English, so it's very much a part of my life, and I'm proud of that. I want to be seen as a powerful Latin woman, because that's what the women in my family are and I want to carry that on. I don't know where it's going to lead, or who will embrace me for it or hold it against me, but I that's my heritage and that's what's going to drive me always.

Get the complete interview in the fall issue of Rego Magazine!

Photos courtesy of HM Communications