We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Crystal Loverro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal, appreciate you joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

As a visually impaired actor with a visible difference (being cross-eyed), I was often made fun of or told I would never get cast because my eyes were “too distracting.” I was cast in a YouTube skit written for me by my good friend, Jason Rosenblatt. In this skit, a dominatrix shows up at the wrong address. In less than a day, we had a million views. Now, we have 8 million and counting! There were thousands of comments making fun of my eyes and my condition. Instead of letting these comments get me down, we decided to call this character the cross-eyed dominatrix and embrace that visible difference. Around this time, I stopped trying to hide my cross-eyes. I started branding myself as a visually impaired actor instead of being ashamed of it. Your differences make you unique and should be highlighted, rather than hidden.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a visually impaired actor, writer, and producer. I have been acting since 2017. I started my career in Upstate NY, moved to Portland, Oregon for 3 years, and then moved to Los Angeles in 2022. I gained notoriety on YouTube and TikTok in 2021 for starring in the viral web series The Cross-Eyed Dominatrix (written & created by Jason Rosenblatt). I continue to write and produce my own content. Recently, I successfully produced and starred in a TV pilot titled Earth to Mars (also written & created by Jason Rosenblatt). Earth to Mars continues our web series, The Cross-Eyed Dominatrix, but is branded for streaming networks vs. YouTube/TikTok. I have two creative partners, Grace Bosley and Kelci Loring, and together, we make up a production company called Sweet Baby Studios. We have made several short films together that can be found on my YouTube (@CrystalLoverro) or that are currently going through the film festival circuit! I am the most proud of my success portraying the characters Mars (from The Cross-Eyed Dominatrix & Earth to Mars) and Natherielle from the short film Bloodlines, which is currently being developed into a multi-million dollar trilogy. What sets my brand apart from others is my unique ability to overcome adversity, poverty, and visual impairment. Despite my differences, I am a working actor, writer, and producer in Los Angeles. I am also skilled in martial arts (Jiu Jitsu, MMA, and Muay Thai) and combat for film. Before becoming an actor, I was a neuroscientist and EMT with the aspiration of attending medical school. Now, I only desire to play a doctor on TV. As I advance in my career, I hope to inspire other visually impaired talent and artists with unique visual differences to keep creating.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I have always been pretty active on social media. I used to post nearly every day. Then I went viral for a 45-second YouTube video about a dominatrix who shows up at the wrong address. This video made many people laugh, and the character gained a large fan base. This video was shared on my TikTok and went viral there as well. The creator, Jason Rosenblatt, created 3 more episodes because fans wanted more. You can watch all 4 episodes on my YouTube and TikTok (@CrystalLoverro). After this success, I posted on TikTok 3 times a day. I felt like a slave to the algorithm, and eventually, my videos were flagged due to their content. My reach was severely decreased, so I decided not to post on the platform anymore. I find myself much happier creating for the sake of telling a captivating story, rather than stressing about views and reach. It really killed the magic for me. My advice is, do not let an obsession with views or followers drive you mad and make you forget why you are creating in the first place.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was a kid, my mom told me the doctors said I would never ride a bike due to low muscle tone. I was often told that I was incapable of accomplishing basic tasks. I learned to ride bikes and loved biking every day after school despite being told I would never do so. I was also told I would never get cast because of my eyes, but now I get cast because of my eyes. I choose to be a warrior, not a victim. If someone tells me I cannot do something, I will do it to prove I can. I am a powerful manifestor and accomplish every goal I set for myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crystalloverro.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalloverro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrystalLoverroOfficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/CrystalLoverro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/CrystalLoverro
• Other: https://linktr.ee/CrystalLoverro

Image Credits
Jason Rosenblatt Lance Reis Portland Photographer Leonel-Ortega Valdez Sean Kara Photography