Melissa Navarro, with her curled hair tucked into a bandana, performed a ska song during her audition for a Rockabilly-singing Latina character from East Los Angeles.
Using the knowledge she obtained from acting workshops and classes, Navarro sang and acted in benefit concerts and local plays growing up. She is drawn to roles that showcase her vocal abilities and connect with her own identity and character traits, Navarro said. Navarro, now a first-year theater student, plans to learn more about theater from her classes before going back to acting professionally.
Navarro’s first professional stage performance was at age 13, singing “Love is a Battlefield” for a single mothers’ charity event at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood in front of about 200 people. Since then, Navarro has shifted from vocals to theater, auditioning for roles ranging from extras on sets to protagonists in plays through the Los Angeles-based company, Dream Talent Management.
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In 2015, Navarro was cast as Sheila, a Rockabilly singer who falls in love with a transgender man, for a short film called “Whittier Boulevard.”
Navarro connects best with the roles that involve singing, she said. During casting for “Whittier Boulevard,” Navarro was prepared to leave her audition after the acting portion was over. However, Navarro was compelled by the singing aspect of the character, so she offered to sing a Save Ferris song for the casting crew to supplement her acting audition.
Navarro’s musicality often transfers into her pieces and transforms them for the better, said Devanny Torres, who played Andre in “Whittier Boulevard.”
For example, when the directors were searching for music to add into the introduction of “Whittier Boulevard,” Navarro stepped up to sing a solo number for the opening, Torres said.
Beyond searching for roles that best represent her musicality, Navarro built her acting career by playing characters that emotionally fit with her own strong-willed personality, Navarro said.
The role of Sheila provided Navarro an opportunity to connect with a character that aligned closely to Navarro’s own set of skills and character traits, Navarro said.
“Sheila is so sure of herself and very confident without being cocky,” Navarro said. “I could identify with her, since I myself am strong-willed.”
“Navarro is a self-assured actress, confident in her abilities, making her similar to Sheila from ‘Whittier Boulevard,'” Torres said.
Navarro’s sense of confidence is portrayed on and offstage, said Kennedy Zimet, an actress and friend of Navarro. Because Navarro is a self-assured individual, she can seamlessly portray bold characters such as Sheila, Zimet said.
In her high school’s production of “Argonautika,” Navarro played the strong-minded character Athena. Portraying a fierce woman protagonist on stage made Navarro feel more empowered, she said.
“Athena was a fighter, but still compassionate,” Navarro said. “That’s what I want to be.”
Because of her El Salvadorian roots, Navarro also prefers to play characters that embody depth and personality over typecast Latina roles, Navarro said. Navarro seeks to add minority representation to film, she said.
“I don’t want to just play a maid,” Navarro said. “I want roles that have real meaning to them.”
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“(Navarro’s) performance is so inspirational because it really has meaning,” Zimet said. “Off stage she is all about instilling social change and empowering people, so the role (of Sheila) really fit her.”
Navarro will continue pursuing roles available at UCLA, using the stage as a platform to portray empowered, leading women, she said. Although she is taking a temporary hiatus from professional acting to learn more about her craft, Navarro will continue seeking influential roles, Navarro said.
“I want my work to be eye-opening so that the average person who sees my performance can be moved and reminded that love is universal,” Navarro said.