Canadian singer-songwriter and actress Martina Ortiz Luis has been captivating audiences across the country since the age of 4. In 2016, Martina became the first-ever official anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and remains a sought-after artist in the music industry, after performing for CTV’s Canada’s Walk of Fame awards night. As an actress, she is best known for her recurring portrayal of Rachel Valdez in Syfy’s People’s Choice Award-winning series, “Wynonna Earp”, and is set to play a lead role in CBC Gem’s upcoming musical series, “Topline”, premiering this year. Her original song, “These Days”, is now streaming globally and her new single, “What U Waitin’ For”, is on general release. We caught up with Martina to discuss her career, projects, and more!
Martina, thanks for taking the time to speak to us about your work. You’ve been entertaining audiences since the tender age of four. How and when did you decide to fully embrace a career in arts?
I’m so excited for this! Thank you so much for having me!
I’ve always known I wanted to be a performer. As you said, I started performing at a really young age and I’ve been doing this for pretty much my whole life. I think the moment I really decided to jump in with both feet was when I booked a role in Wynonna Earp in 2020. I was a student at the University of Toronto for classical voice performance at the time and the show was set to film out in Calgary for a few months. However, I was also just starting my second semester of my first year, so I tried asking the University if I could somehow do my classes online (this was pre-world-shutting-down, so this was not really a “thing” yet) or be a part-time student. They said I wouldn’t be able to do that, which I thought was reasonable. The classical music program is a very intense practical, technical, academic program, so it made sense that that was not going to be doable. At that moment I really had to decide between continuing my studies or doing this new, scary thing and, ultimately, I decided to do the new, scary thing. This was my first time booking a recurring role, filming on the other side of the country, in a completely different time zone. It was exciting! I figured school would still be there if I ever wanted to go back but taking on this opportunity would be immersing myself in a whole new learning environment.
Who has been the most influential in your career and why?
There are so many artists I love who inspire me: Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson. Artists who are all-around incredible vocalists, performers, and writers. Some of my current favorites are Doja Cat, Jessie Reyez, Chloe x Halle, and Arkells. In terms of actors, Emma Watson, Andrew Garfield, and Zendaya are people I really look up to right now, especially having grown up watching their shows since I was a little kid.
You are the official anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Please share with us how this opportunity came about.
Back in the summer of 2016, the Leafs were heading into their Centennial Season and their president, Mr. Brendan Shanahan, wanted to rebrand the organization by bringing in a new tradition. Part of that tradition would be to have an official anthem singer. They promoted the opportunity on socials and TV, and a family friend who came across it suggested I try out. I went through multiple rounds of auditioning and, a couple of weeks later, I got the call that I got the gig. At 15, I became the first-ever, official anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
You’re known for your recurring role as Rachel Valdez in Syfy’s People’s Choice Award-winning series, “Wynonna Earp”. Please share how you got the role, your expectations, and your experience working on the set of the award-winning series?
I auditioned for the show back in December 2019. I didn’t hear back until almost a month later, so I was a little disheartened. But I started auditioning for countless roles when I was 15 and being in this industry you learn to just let go of those things and go on with whatever’s next, so I honestly just kind of forgot about it. I was in the classical voice program at UofT at the time, and I vividly remember sitting in Walter Hall watching other students in my program perform their pieces when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I slowly and subtly took it out of my pocket and saw an email notification. And suddenly, this whole dramatic, slo-mo scene unfolded right in front of me. With operatic singing in the background, I read the email, which told me they wanted me to come in for a callback. (When I tell you, it took every fiber of my being to not scream in the middle of this auditorium, I’m not kidding). From there, everything just happened so quickly. The email came to me on a Tuesday, on Thursday I went in for the callback, on Saturday evening they called me to tell me I booked it, and on Sunday they flew me out to Calgary, less than 24 hours after that call. I didn’t really know what to expect and, to be completely honest, I was so scared. This was a huge leap out of my comfort zone. As a young, rookie actor, it was a little intimidating to be joining the fourth season of an already-popular series, with a remarkable, close-knit cast that has been working together for years, and an established fandom. Thankfully, everyone was kind enough to welcome me with open arms and really guided me throughout the whole process. They were all amazing mentors and people to lean on for support. No egos, all love. And, of course, the fans of the show, our extended family, the Earpers. I cannot thank them enough for their kind messages, their warmth, and their support. I’m super excited that the world is finally opening up again because I’ll be traveling a bit this year to guest at a few Wynonna Earp fan conventions around the world including in Columbus, Glasgow, and Milan! I’m so stoked to finally meet Earpers in person and see some of the other cast members, whom I’ve become friends with, again.
What has been your most memorable experience working in the industry and why?
Being chosen to sing for the Toronto Maple Leafs is probably still at the top of my list. That very first home opener—Saturday, October 15th, 2016, Leafs vs. Bruins—is still crystal clear in my head. I had never experienced that many people singing along with me, and just everything about that performance—the lights, the ice, the energy—was so beautiful. Afterward, I found out the performance was aired on NBC and my family in California got to watch me, then I went on social media and found out that NBC Sports had posted the performance on all their platforms. The entire experience was just incredibly emotional for me. Being on the ice and singing to 20,000 people is always a special feeling, even now, almost six seasons later. I genuinely feel like I’ve grown up with this team and I’ve gotten to meet so many cool people doing this gig (like Shawn Mendes!).
To date, what would you say has been your most challenging role, and why?
As I continue my career in this industry, I’ve found that each new role presents a new challenge. They’ve all been incredible learning experiences. Back when I was 14, I was in a production of Mary Poppins where I was in a lead role as Jane Banks. We rehearsed for a few months and did six shows, so doing that while also in the middle of the school year was definitely challenging. Unlike TV or film, acting on stage is basically all one-take. Memorizing two-and-a-half hours worth of lines, choreography, and music was definitely a humbling experience that prepared me for my work later on. I’ve spoken of how Wynonna Earp was a learning curve as well, and Topline, the new series I filmed for CBC Gem, was the first time I’d gotten to be a part of a musical series for TV. However, I did recently work on an action-drama series for Roku that was unlike anything I’d really done before. All the credits I previously mentioned all kind of gear towards comedy-drama. Doing this show—tonally, emotionally, and physically—was completely new to me. Sometimes I’d come and discover random bruises on my legs. It was a whole lot of fun, but reflecting on it now, that was probably the most challenging role yet.
How has the COVID pandemic impacted your work schedule?
It’s almost funny because when the first lockdown hit, it felt like the whole world finally got the opportunity to take a breather. Dolphins came back to the canals of Venice, pollution levels went down, and I finally got time to myself, probably for the first time ever in my life. All my life, with school, performances, music/dance/acting lessons, my time was always accounted for. We started filming Wynonna Earp in January 2020 and we all went home on a scheduled two-week hiatus on March 12th. In fact, I arrived back in Toronto that afternoon with plans to head directly to Scotiabank Arena to sing at that night’s Leafs game. But when my plane landed, I got the text that the game was canceled, and the season would be put on hold. Then the world shut down. For me, the pandemic started out as an opportunity to finally take a break. To look inward and to just work on myself without the stress of schedules, deadlines, commuting, and all of that external stuff. I also, finally, had the time to feel free in my creativity. I started reading and writing more, I released a few songs, and then, thankfully, Wynonna Earp was the first production in all of North America, I believe, to resume filming in the middle of the lockdown in the summer of 2020. Besides filming, what I think was most challenging for artists, was the lack of working in-person; the inability to collaborate in-person or perform in-person. Imagine writings sessions, recording sessions, or chemistry reads via Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime. Anything where playing off of someone else’s vibe is key is made very difficult virtually. Not that it’s not doable, but it’s still very different to being in-person.
As an artist, I feed off of other people’s energy. Even right now, hardly any musicians are doing in-person concerts and even auditions are being done virtually. At Scotiabank Arena, we’re still only at a 500-person maximum capacity. But, despite those challenges of the pandemic, I still feel extremely blessed that I was able to pursue many exciting opportunities and keep a steady work schedule.
You are set to play a lead role in CBC Gem’s upcoming musical series, “Topline”. Please tell us more about the series and what audiences can expect.
Topline is a new musical series that I am so grateful to have been a part of. It’s a show about family, and also showcases some fantastic local artists. Up-and-coming talent, Cyrena Fiel, plays my little sister on the show, so we got to play around with that dynamic which was super fun. I don’t want to give away too much yet, but I do want to shout out our cast and crew made up of so many incredibly talented, creative, and kind people led by Romeo Candido, our amazing showrunner and director. With this being a brand-new series with so many young (and some first-time) actors, Romeo has been such a great mentor. He really made sure our work environment was a safe and comfortable one to just try new things and play. He also saw something in me that I hadn’t even truly realized before, which, to my surprise, was an interest in directing. He let me be Shadow Director for a day and even let me direct part of a scene, which was a very inspiring and educational experience. It should be coming out sometime this year, so watch out for it on CBC Gem!
You’ve just released your latest single, “What U Waitin’ For”. We wish you the very best with it. Can you tell us a little more about the track, and how you balance your music and acting career?
The intro for this song reminds me of the old iPhone alarm sound, and I definitely hear this song as a wake-up call to do what you want, stick to your goals, and not be afraid to speak out. For the last two years, it almost feels like we’ve all been stuck at a red light, waiting for it to change, for things to get better and go back to normal. Now, the light has just turned green and we’re all excited to go, but of course, with everything we’ve endured there’s still so much uncertainty and hesitance. And like any impatient city person, sitting in traffic, honking their horn, this song says, “The light’s green!!! What are you guys waiting for?!”. 2020 and 2021 have been chaotic, difficult, and surprising, but I’m thankful for the person this past year has shaped me up to be. I’m thankful for the people who’ve made it here with me. This song is very much a song of togetherness. I brought on a choir to layer voices on this song to amplify that sense of community, inclusiveness, celebration, and excitement. We’re shouting out to the world that we’ve made it through, we’re all back together again, we’re leaving behind last year and taking what we’ve learned from it into 2022. As we sing in the song, “It’s done, and who cares, what matters is you’re here.”
As for balancing music and acting, I think they kind of go hand-in-hand. They may seem very different but, for me, they’re both outlets of expression and performance. They both keep me busy and happy. When I’m not singing at a gig, I’m auditioning for a film or TV role. When I’m not writing songs, I’m writing story or script ideas. If something in a script or portraying a certain character inspires me, I’ll write something down on my phone, because maybe it’ll be a cool writing prompt for a song later on. I like taking things I’ve learned from one world and putting it into the other. Whether that’s creative inspiration, finding confidence, or practicing vocal technique to make sure I don’t injure myself, they both kind of supplement each other.
What other projects are you working on?
Right now, I’ve mainly been focused on writing. I just released two singles, “What U Waitin’ For” and “These Days”, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal, and I recently wrapped as a regular on two TV series that will be coming out this year. As previously mentioned, I’m also going to be at some of the Wynonna Earp conventions this year: the first one being Earp-a-Palooza in Columbus, Ohio this coming April, followed by Earp Fest in Glasgow, EH Con in Toronto, and Shorty’s in Milan. Other than that, you can also catch me singing at every Toronto Maple Leafs home game on Sportsnet or CBC! And many more projects to come, so follow me on socials for updates!
Where can our readers find out more about you?
You can find me on Instagram and Facebook @martinaortizluis and Twitter @itzmartinaol. To keep up with my latest releases, make sure to follow my artist profile on Spotify: Martina Ortiz Luis!
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