Myrna Cabello has so many strings to her bow that you wonder where she gets the time to express her wonderful talent.
We are thankful that this actor, voice artist, singer-songwriter, writer, director, producer and graphic artist is here to entertain and inform us through her work.
A shining light of the Latina community, Myrna has overcome personal obstacles with determination and a truthful humanity that helps to unite us all.
Currently co-starring with Jon Hamm in APPLE TV’s Your Friends and Neighbours, Myrna sat down with Over the Shoulder to discuss her life and work.
Congratulations on your new show, playing Esperanza in Apple TV’s Your Friends and Neighbours. How did you first get involved with the project and what drew you to the role?
I was approached to do an audition. As actors we don’t ever really get a full script, we get just a little bit. All I knew was, “here’s this scene.”
I did my normal run through and how I wanted to do the audition. Then I found out that I got it. I was in three episodes this season.
There is comedy and darkness in it which I thought would be fun to do.
I think I’ve got good at looking at roles and seeing what could happen and the evolution of them, because I’m a writer too.
It’s very interesting because as a Latina myself I recognise there is a stereotype about Latinas playing maids. This one was interesting because the maids in this show are very strong.
The maids have a whole storyline of their own.
How was working alongside Jon Hamm and what was the atmosphere like on set?
It was wonderful. It was top notch and very well organized.
You come in and everybody’s a professional and it was very lovely being with these actors with such accolades. Jon Hamm is a chameleon and is such a strong actor. He has such a presence.
It was a fun environment; it was nice to be treated so well, and everybody was so happy to be there. Then We found out about Season Two going ahead while we were filming season One!
Did any director or episode offer a unique creative challenge or stood out during production?
One of the directors that I got to work with was Stephanie Laing. She was incredible and I was very excited to meet her. It was the episode where I find the dead body. I hope that’s not a spoiler!
I had a drone following me!
The camera was the drone, so it was following me. I had to move at a certain pace for the drone to follow and for the lines to all fit together as I’m walking up to the house. It was following me every little step of the way.
The drone went into the mic so you could hear it because those mics are so sensitive. It was loud!
So, I had to go back in into a studio and re-record on top of myself, which was fascinating. It’s like a whole different type of acting. You go in, you’ve already done the lines, your body’s there, you can see yourself up on the screen, and you must mouth to fit the lines in with how you said it originally.
I also had to recreate me walking, so that was my work out for that day! I was marching up and down and doing my lines so it would sound like I was physically exerting myself.
It was brilliant.
Is there a line or phrase that you said that has stuck with you till today?
Not really because there was a lot of freedom. I had the script, but I could go a little bit off it, especially because of making the timing fit.
What did stick with me was the scene opening the door and seeing what I saw.
I loved watching them having the blood all over the actor. I was fascinated by how they do that.
I don’t really see the technical side often, so it was fun to watch it all sort of happen.
What is an interesting skill that you have picked up from the roles that you have played so far in your career?
I think one skill would be getting intimate quickly, because if I was playing a mom to somebody, and I’ve never met them it’s like, how do you come in that day on set and then create that chemistry and bond straight away?
You don’t get a lot of time, but it must be real.
When the audience is watching they must feel that they’re mom and daughter, mom and son. I’ve learned how to how to do that quickly.
You are a celebrated musician as well as actor. Do you approach them in the same way creatively or completely different?
When I first started really performing on stage as a singer and songwriter, I felt naked. I felt like I was out there by myself, and it was just me.
Whereas in acting, I have lines. I have a character. I have somebody.
As a musician I can’t hide behind a character, so if I get rejected its me and not the role I play.
It’s a different preparation for sure. I get more nervous when I’m singing on stage. Although the same thing happens with both, where once I get through that first initial song or the first initial line, then everything kind of calms down.
What influences your music and who are your musical heroes?
I’m Mexican. When I was little, we would go to Mexico a lot and I would listen to a lot of the Spanish singers. Amanda Miguel is a big favourite as is Daniela Romo.
In the United States, I fell in love with Olivia Newton-John, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Nicks.
Stevie Nicks is an incredible songwriter. Sting too has influenced me in my writing.
You have recently been recovering from Bell’s Palsy. Has it effected your art and how is the recovery going?
My Bell’s palsy happened years ago. I was lucky to recover fully.
It was a huge thing for me, because as it came on, I shifted more towards music because I could sing.
Even though I was paralyzed, I could sing. Singing, you don’t have to enunciate, but in a voice over or in in acting you must be able to speak the words fully. I was blessed to have recovered fully.
I was told by a friend whose mom had had it, that it it’s possible to recur.
I notice when I am very tired or I’ve overexerted myself, sometimes I’ll feel like my right side of my face may get a little more relaxed and my tongue won’t enunciate as well.
That illness was a big shift for me, because when everything came back, I just stepped back into everything with more passion.
We all got to start somewhere; can you tell me your “Oh My God Moment’?
Career wise, I think when I got “What We Do in The Shadows.” That was an “Oh My God moment.” Getting a recurring role on that and having such a beautiful character who was the mom to Guillermo was, oh my god!
That was a big moment for me.
Another big moment in my life was my brother passing. He was my best friend and cheerleader. He was an amazing human. He was one of those type of people that would give his shirt off his back for you and do anything for people.
He passed away during COVID. It was very sudden and unexpected.
That moment made me feel like we just don’t know in life. You must reach out to your loved ones and just love them.
How did you feel being voted one of the top 100 influential Latinas in Austin Texas’s history?
I was so honoured when they told me. When I got the call, they said they had this huge induction for all of us.
They did bios and pictures and everything. It was beautiful to meet other Latinas that I hadn’t met and talk to them and speak to them about their experiences.
There were writers, teachers and wonderful women from all spectrums.
I ended up writing a song for them that I sang that day.
It’s called “Voces Latinas”, which is Latina voices.
What are you watching now?
I got sucked into a documentary called, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
It was on Netflix and is now on Apple TV. It just sucked me in because this family and the events happened here in The States.
It is a good show.
You were honoured with your own day on the 18th of May, can you tell me a bit about that?
I was so blessed.
When I moved more towards singing and writing songs with my husband I was playing at a little festival and this gentleman named Clay Shorkey saw me.
I knew that he was involved in music and things like the Texas Music Museum and was involved with other artists. He approached me and told me he loved my voice, and he wanted to interview me and get to know everything about me. He was also influential in getting me into the Texas Music Museum.
I then met Raul Alvarez, who was a City of Austin Council Member, and he was influential in me getting my day and presented me my certificate on the day of the ceremony.
The city of Austin does this for artists and actively celebrates people.
My name got passed along, and then they nominated me for this. It was a great honour.
Are there any future projects that you have lined up?
There is a movie that I just finished shooting in New Jersey. It has some very big names attached who are fantastic.
It’s a horror/psychological thriller and it was a role that is not like me at all.
Very different. I got two great scenes.
It’s just physically not me, but it’s a great role. I felt like I really stretched myself as an actor.
It’s fun to get roles that are so unlike you, so to embody that and to be able to do it is so rewarding.
Myrna Cabello is a testament to the fact that with resilience, determination and talent you can achieve your dreams in whatever field you are interested in.
The fact that Myrna is involved in so many different artistic endeavours means that there will be future opportunities for Over the Shoulder to check in with her to find out what she is up to.
We certainly hope so!