After a decade of landing in LA from the Dominican Republic, actress, producer, writer, and podcaster, Katherine Castro, single-handedly sparked Hollywood's curiosity by producing and writing her work. Instead of waiting for roles to come in, Castro's tenacity has proven that creative control will get one far. She's made her name known in the festival circuits over the last few years, beginning with "Someday," a film she wrote and starred in with actor Chris Santos. This year, Castro debuted her second film "WEAK,” which she also wrote and starred in as well as produced. The film follows the lives of two women: one woman is the anchor to the other woman suffering from depression. It is based on Castro’s personal story and stars Bridget Regan, Adam Kaufman, and Patrick Heusinger. She won the best actor award at the DTLA Film Festival in September and won first place at the Dominican Film Festival in NYC in the Dominican Diaspora competition. Castro celebrated amongst fellow Dominican talent and friends which made it even more special. She strives to represent Dominican culture in everything she does.
Despite her busy travel schedule, I had the chance to talk with her about what inspired her film “WEAK.” She also shares her thoughts on the cohesive Dominican community of creatives she’s brought together in LA.
"Having my Dominican community here truly feels like home. You feel seen, and people get you just for being you."
Congratulations on your recent win at the DTLA Film Festival and the Dominican Film Festival in NYC. How are you feeling?
Thank you so much! I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share our story. We put so much love into “WEAK.” It is a blessing to share it with an audience and have it well received.
Can you elaborate on what drew you to the role and how Bridget Regan became a part of the cast?
“WEAK” was inspired by a true story, a personal experience. In 2017, I witnessed a young woman commit suicide at a Los Angeles shooting range. That event made me question the state of my mental health and that of my loved ones. It became evident that we've all become experts in masking our pain. We've become so digitally connected and wrapped up in our world that we are, in fact, more disconnected than ever; we all miss the sometimes not-so-obvious signs that our friends, relatives, or just people around us are in pain and all they might need is someone that asks, "Are you ok?". I wanted to share my experience and perhaps start a conversation about mental health.
J.S. Mayank and I collaborated on several projects before “WEAK,” so we're creatively on the same wavelength. When casting the role of Jen, we wanted to make sure we cast the right actor. A few years ago, he had a table read for a pilot he wrote, and Bridget was one of the actors at the table read. He told me about her. I already knew of her and loved her work. We had our casting director reach out to her reps and send the script. She loved it, and luckily, we were able to work it out so that it fit her schedule.
Recently, you've been hosting a few Dominican events in LA. How did that come about?
My friend and podcast co-host, Angela Carrasco, and I had been talking about creating a space for women of color, highlighting our Caribbean culture and experience since we are both Dominican. A space where we can feel a sense of community, family, and inclusion, and what that would look like. By happenstance, our good friend, comedian Sasha Merci, made a post about how much she missed the east coast and wanted to celebrate the Dominican Independence Day here in LA. We reached out to her, we came together, and El Teteo was born. Having my Dominican community here truly feels like home. You feel seen, and people get you just for being you. You are welcomed and celebrated, and with El Teteo, we want everyone around us to feel the same. Some of the most extraordinary talents in music, sports, fashion, and film have come out of DR.
What would you say drives you the most as an actor and producer? What would you like to see happen for Dominican talent in the future?
Telling real-life stories that people can connect with drives me. I'm always inspired by things happening around me. Life is so much richer and stranger than fiction. There are so many fascinating stories in everyday life. I'd love to see more representation—more of our stories being created and told by us! To see the full spectrum of who we are. Not just one side, typically the side of what or whom Hollywood thinks we are. I'd love to see more of us in a decision-maker position so we can create more opportunities for our community.
You've had an incredible modeling and acting career. What would you say is the greatest lesson that you've learned?
Don't wait or ever expect anyone to do anything for you. There's a story you want to tell? Find a way to tell that story and put it out. No one will tell that story better than you. People will catch on to you! It will be a long and challenging road, but it's the most empowering one and where you experience the most growth.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Christina Rosas Anastasiou
- Senior Editor
- Jessica Catignani
- Photography
- Stephanie Girard
- Makeup Artist
- Elie Maalouf
- Hair Stylist
- Patricia Morales
- Styling
- Alejandro Peraza
- Styling
- Thomas John Connolly
- Nails
- Millie Machado
- Retouching
- Brianna Kish
