Cuban-American actress Natasha Galano trained in the arts. Yet, launching her career in Hollywood proved highly challenging— especially as a Latina. Fortunately, Galano got access to valuable resources that led to meaningful career opportunities. Those were the programs offered by NOSOTROS, the United States’ oldest Latino arts advocacy non-profit.
“Before I started working with Nosotros in 2019, I was lost in my career. I had no one to lean on, no support system, and I felt alone in my journey as a Latina actress in Hollywood,” said Galano. “Once I became a part of Nosotros, my creative life changed, and I know it has had the same impact across the Latino creative community.”
Today, Galano serves as Nosotros’ vice chair and takes pride in the organization’s role in helping fellow Latinx people make impactful career moves. Galano isn’t the only actor that sought training from Nosotros and then stayed to make a difference within the community. Juan Paulo Munevar, Nosotros’ creative director, is also using the tools he learned via Nosotros’ programs to assist other Latinx people to jumpstart their acting careers.
“I was first in my family to attempt an acting career and had no one to guide me in navigating this mammoth of an industry. It was only until I found Nosotros and its incredible resources, tools, and welcoming community that allowed me to flourish and build a strong foundation for a successful acting career,” said Munevar. “Now, I can be part of that change. I can help level the playing field.”
Nosotros is an “actor’s organization” dedicated to elevating Latinx people in the industry and improving the on-screen presentation of Latino culture. Its main objective is to prepare and educate Latinx people and advocate for them so that they are ready to compete for roles that would otherwise not be offered to them. It was aspiring Latinx artists like Galano and Munevar and their challenges that drove Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán to found Nosotros over 53 years ago.
Ricardo Montalbán is known for an impressive list of credits over a career that lasted more than 65 years, yet he faced many obstacles along the way. His Latino heritage often led producers to typecast Montalbán in derogatory roles—the total opposite of what the loyal husband, father, and acting professional embodied. He made it his mission to enhance the image of Latinos in Hollywood by seeking to unify the industry.
“The way we change stereotypes is by not stereotyping ourselves,” shared Joel Gonzales, president of Nosotros since 2010. “We need to learn how to create stories that are, yes, meaningful, but also marketable and universal!”
To help create the new story—the true story— of the Latino culture, Montalbán gathered other Latino industry professionals—Gilbert Avila, Robert Apodaca, Luis De Cordoba, Val De Vargas, and Rodolfo Hoyos—in a Los Ángeles cafetería. They would go on to garner the support of well-known Latinx performing artists Desi Arnaz, Vicki Carr, and Anthony Quinn in their mission to change the stereotype of Latino actors in Hollywood. These individuals became the first Nosotros board. In the years since, the organization has served as a training ground and stepping stone for many big names including Edward James Olmos, Salma Hayek, and Eva Longoria.
“Ricardo Montalbán was a visionary,” said Gonzales. “He knew he couldn’t do it alone so he surrounded himself with talented people and was smart enough to know that the organization needed a home, which is what led to the theater. Without having that foresight and vision, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
The theater that Gonzales references is The Montalbán, a historic theater located near the famed intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Nosotros purchased the theater in 1999 and renamed it in honor of the organization’s founder prior to his passing in 2007. The Montalbán provides the space for performing artists to not only learn but to also put their skills into practice.
“We are so pleased with our association with Nosotros,” said Montalbán Theater Foundation president, Gilbert Smith. “There is a new generation of actors that Nosotros is mentoring. They are receiving benefits from the vision that Ricardo Montalbán had when creating Nosotros along with special talents that allow them to continue to build their acting community.”
This community is fostered through the many programs in arts, education, and networking that Nosotros offers Latinx actors in Hollywood.
Mixers held on The Montalbán Theater’s rooftop provide a great way for the Latinx creative community to network with emerging and established professionals of various roles.
“Actors, writers, casting directors, producers, and network executives come together without the ‘velvet rope’ or gatekeeping commonly encountered in the industry,” said Gonzales. “On our theater’s rooftop, Latinx professionals have a safe space to connect with others in their creative genre and create their own work. ‘Connect, collaborate, create’ is our motto and the goal for these mixers.”
Nosotros’ signature program, its Masterclass Series, allows students to hear from industry professionals who share their unfiltered personal experience on how to breakthrough in the industry and achieve career longevity. Previous mentors include Jon Huertas of the NBC hit show “This Is Us,” who guided participants on how to capitalize on their uniqueness, while Maritza Cabrera of Zero Gravity Management explained how to get and maintain quality representation. Perhaps best of all, Nosotros ensures access to these invaluable creative and business perspectives by offering the series at low or no costs to the Latinx community.
“This knowledge and industry insight is hard to come by since an elitism exists in certain programs, classes, and casting workshops,” said Galano. “That makes these opportunities unattainable for our communities, so we want to bridge that gap.”
Still, top-notch training doesn’t always mean Latinx professionals will have immediate access to career opportunities. Nosotros provides a solution to help them garner industry attention.
“Because of the very clear void of opportunities facing Latinx talent, we created a dynamic program named Ya Tu Sabes to help up-and-coming as well as established writers and actors be recognized by networks and studios for their talents,” explained Gonzales.
Nosotros presents the Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam Showcase in partnership with NBC Launch. The program attracts a diverse group of Latinx professionals from around the country to perform original works and tell their stories. Their monologues give different perspectives of the Latinx experience within universally relatable themes such as love, loss, hope, family, and female empowerment. Because of the program’s draw, many Ya Tu Sabes finalists have been called in for network and studio table readings as well as for guest star and series regular roles.
Gonzales believes the key to maintaining this success for Nosotros and its members is in upholding the foundation that Montalbán built. As the organization continues to build its presence, programs, and funding, Gonzales hopes that it will empower the Latino community in Hollywood to be its own catalyst for change, while still serving as an advocate, incubator, and celebrator.
“It all starts by planting a seed,” said Gonzales. “I hope we continue to become the modern version of what Ricardo would have wanted.”
Learn more about Nosotros and its mission to unify us all at www. nosotros.org.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Jessica Catignani
- Photography
- Meagan Shuptar
- Retouching
- Brianna Kish
- Hair & Makeup
- Keren of Sarai Beautyy for Bosso Makeup Beverly Hills
- Hair & Makeup
- Saraibeautyy & Bosso Makeup Beverly Hills
- Fashion direction
- Katie Schuppler
