Actress and singer Jackie Cruz is known for her TV roles, including the hit series Orange Is the New Black. As a singer-songwriter, praised by the likes of Billboard and NPR, Cruz has garnered over 1 million Spotify plays, producing music inspired by her own life experiences.
“Be Bad” is an ode to feminism and inclusivity, something Jackie pushes for daily, given the industry’s diversity problem. The accompanying music video depicts the creation and the Garden of Eden and gives a clear indication of Jackie’s views of feminism and gender inequality. In the beginning, “God” directs Cruz’s character Lilith and Adam on Earth below, but quickly replaces Lilith with Eve, for not being submissive enough, leaving Lilith to feel rejected and lost before reclaiming her inner power. “Be Bad” follows the release of Jackie Cruz’s debut album “Hija de Chavez,” which was inspired by the women who raised Jackie Cruz, and influenced her throughout her life.
Orange Is the New Black was a launching pad for her on-screen career, but her first love was always music. After becoming a household name, the award-winning actress independently released her first album, Hija de Chavez last year and then went on to develop her own Production Company, Unspoken Film – advocating for more representation of Latina women.
Jackie Cruz was inspired by the misrepresentation of the scope of her Latina people. She knew that shows like Orange Is the New Black helped legitimize the current wave of issue-oriented shows, nudge conversations about incarceration into pop culture, and portray women of all walks of life. She grew tired of playing the same role. She felt it was time for everyone to see more colorful Latinx on screen, and Orange Is the New Black couldn’t be the only show.
Jackie Cruz has an incredible story of how she got into acting/music.. started as a bottle service girl for years and still worked at the club her first two seasons on Orange Is the New Black. Her latest work involves starring alongside Lucy Hale in A Nice Girl Like You and NBC’s Good Girls.
Jackie Cruz social media links are
https://twitter.com/MsJackieCruz
https://www.facebook.com/JackieCruzOfficial/
Photography by Wylda Bayrón
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