We were lucky to catch up with Camelia Iturregui Fuertes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Camelia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Believing in yourself is one thing, but having a tribe of people who believe in you is truly special. My vibrant tribe includes awesome siblings, loving grandparents, loyal friends, and an incredible mix of cousins, aunts, uncles, colleagues, former teachers, etc. However, the leaders of my tribe (or #1 fans, as they would say) are my extraordinary parents.
Even with life’s challenges and years of hard work, my parents have made it a priority to champion my artistic career and have inspired me to keep my dream alive. They’ve taught me that a dream is like a seed — you can choose to care for it and provide it with what it needs to bloom, or you can let it wither away along with its potential.
A seed can sprout in a few weeks, but a dream can take years if not a lifetime. It’s a rollercoaster of highs & lows — but if my parents have done something right, it’s teaching me to enjoy the process and be grateful for every opportunity (no matter how small it may seem). From an early age, they have ingrained this Bob Marley lyric in my mind: “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.” My parents have encouraged me to follow my soul’s compass, always staying true to myself and my roots.
Even when things seem out of reach, my parents have always held my hand and dared to jump with me. I thank them for all the love and support that have taken me this far in my career. I hope that following my dream will inspire them to pursue theirs and remind them that no dream has an expiration date.
Camelia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am an artist constantly looking at life through a kaleidoscope— learning through the colors of tears & laughter, both on & off stage.
Born and raised in the magical island of Puerto Rico, I’ve learned to savor life and live with fervency through every chapter of my story. Despite being an island girl at heart, I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity for the world and sought out opportunities outside of my country. And so, in 2018, I traded the ocean for the Hudson River to professionally pursue my acting career by studying at NYU Tisch.
Surrounded by peers who had already trained at elite high school arts programs and had access to playwrights beyond Shakespeare, I felt as if this bright Boricua girl had a lot of catching up to do. After a lot of unlearning and relearning, I regained my balance and started to center myself in my craft once again without losing my “self” in the process. Learning to find my way back to my electric persona and allowing it to dictate my artistry & daily life was one of the most valuable lessons I learned at acting school.
Soon after graduating, I stepped into my first Off-Broadway stage at Theater 71 with Frog & Peach Theatre Company and continued to perform at top NYC theaters such as St. Clement’s, The Cullum Theatre, The Actors Studio. One night, during one of my performances at The Tank, I was scouted by top Casting Director Elaine Del Valle, who saw something in me and proceeded to offer me a role in her feature film Brownsville Bred. That moment sparked momentum for my career, and shortly after, I was selected among the top Latine actors in CSA’s “Mi Gente” Global Open Call.
Most recently, I broke into Puerto Rico’s Film & TV industry—something I had been longing to do for a while— and booked the lead role in the upcoming comedy series Routrip. You can also catch me on OREO’s latest national Spanish commercial.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Being busy all the time doesn’t equal productivity, or success, for that matter. Trust me, it really doesn’t.
I grew up wanting to be a part of every club, team, and school board possible in school— and I don’t know how, but I managed to do it. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized learning an instrument or practicing yoga instead of being “Miss Extracurricular.”
“Sometimes less is more,” is what my dad frequently told me during those years (and still does). I still struggle with this “overachiever tendency”, but I’m slowly realizing that simplicity can offer valuable insight, especially for us artists. Discovering the power that lives in stillness is a blessing, and I’m making it a priority lately to practice this daily.
I’ve come to understand that being occupied with so many activities is incredibly overwhelming and deters my growth as an individual & artist. I encourage you to, day by day, take a moment to be with yourself and slow down. Whether it’s breathing, writing, or cooking, focus on nurturing your passions and your “self”— it will help you fly.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There is no better gift than bringing color to people’s lives, especially in times of grey hues. Through my art, I like to share this idea of seeing life through a kaleidoscope and bring the audience on a journey of saturated colors. It’s a privilege to be in the present moment with people and invite them to experience reality in all its splendor… For me, it’s all about lighting a fire in people and awakening feelings, consciousness, and memories that live deeply within us. There’s something cosmic about witnessing individuals have the absolute freedom to experience their emotions. Life is full of moments of tears and laughter, and sometimes there’s both.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cameliaiturreguifuertes.com
- Instagram: @dafunkcamel
Image Credits
SubUrban Photography, Maria Baranova, David Rauch Bautista, Issadora Ava, @big.dave.photography,