As a musical artist, Jenni Rivera was a woman in a man’s world. A top selling Latin artist, who was nicknamed La Diva de la Banda for her work in the regional Mexican genre, it was her 2008 studio album Jenni which went to Number One in the United States on the Billboard top Latin albums.
Tatiana Juarez would have been just 11 years old then. Now, she’s starring as young Jenni Rivera in the movie Jenni which was released this month.
"I always knew about Jenni Rivera ever since I was a kid. Before she tragically passed, she had a reality TV show for a few years about her and her family and her kids. So I would be in night out with my mom and stay up watching like E! News and Bravo TV and all that stuff, like Real Housewives. And one of them was also the I Love Jenni Show. And so I knew her as this really outgoing, fun loving, like vocal mother who also happened to be like a singer, entrepreneur and activist. And then soon after, I was like, yeah, she was like a really cool Mexican regional Banda artist," said Juarez.
The story follows Rivera until her tragic early death in December 2012 in a plane crash. Juarez says that while Rivera’s early life was fraught with challenges, she was able to relate to her character’s family values and drive for success.
"I play Jenni as a young girl, so ages between 12 to 16 years old in the film," explains Juarez.
"I did a little bit of research and I learned that she was just like any other girl from Southern California. She went through a lot of tragic things. She got pregnant at 15 and got kicked out and a lot of things like that. But I think just approaching it from just a general human perspective that's going through a hard time really helped me. And I hope I did it justice," she said.
"I related to just her love for family and for her always wanting to be there for her siblings. Make her parents proud and sometimes specifically with her relationship with her father reminded me of my relationship with my dad. So there was a lot of similarities and things to pull from," she said.
Juarez graduated from Cal State Channel Islands and is the first generation of her family to earn a college degree - and currently works there – a job she can fit around her auditions.
"The week of my birthday, I found out that I got the role. I was actually in my office here at CSU Channel Islands. I was so excited, but I wanted to take it in. And so I sat in silence for a really long time in my office, actually, and I cried and I was just so happy. And I called my mom and she was just so excited for me," said Juarez.
And in a competitive field – with very few opportunities for Latinx actors – Juarez says she hopes this will lead to more roles for her and others.
"It's very slim pickings out there for Latinos in general, and so the fact that this came across my path was really exciting. I think it's important always to support... watch the movie, of course, you know, support Latino films in general. I think inspiring more Latinos to really follow their heart. And if you have like a creative, you know, bone in your body or any kind of inkling, just follow it because we need more representation."
You can see Tatiana Juarez starring in Jenni the movie in selected theaters and on streaming service ViX.
