Landon Buford
Lucy Bermudez is an actor and proud native New Yorker. Her interest in the performance arts started at a young age, prompting her to enroll in dance classes to study ballet, point, and modern dance for six years. Always wanting to pursue acting, she next enrolled at HB Studios in New York City and is continuing to study her craft between jobs. Lucy appears in the coming-of-age romance “Angelfish,” which premiered at New York City’s historic United Palace and now available on iTunes, Amazon, Fandango Now, Vudu, and Xbox. We caught up with Lucy to discuss the new film, her New York upbringing, and the all-Latin cast, and more.
Courtesy of Lucy Bermudez
You play a character by the name of Rosa in the film “Angelfish.” Can you tell us about your role in the film?
I play Eva’s cousin, Rosa. She’s the kind of cousin who runs around getting into all kinds of trouble, but manages to hide it from her family. She’s a saint on the outside, but a whole lot of trouble secretly. Eva, played by Princess Nokia, considers Rose to be her arch-nemesis throughout the film.
Why do you feel this role fits your personality?
I like my privacy, too, so I can relate to wanting to keep experiences to myself. Especially since – these days – we can share everything digitally to so many strangers on social media. There are moments in life that you want to keep for yourself, internally, which makes them more sacred and more memorable in my opinion.
Can you tell us what the vibe was like on set?
I loved working with an all-Latino cast. It’s a rare opportunity that I never had before this project. It was really cool to understand each other culturally and switch languages in the dialogue without missing a beat. Spanglish is a very real thing, especially for first-generation American kids. So it was awesome to be in sync that way. Just knowing that we’re in tune with our culture – despite being raised in the States – and seeing the importance of being fluent in our native tongue, was memorable.
You also had the opportunity to work with Peter Lee, who directed the movie. What was that experience like?
Peter was great. He really trusted us and let us improvise. There’s a scene where the family is kind of badgering my character about something. That conversation was created on the spot. Everyone was bouncing off one another, and it was exactly like a real family. I think you can really feel my reaction to it because I wasn’t expecting it. Or at least I hope the audience can tell!
The film takes place in the Bronx in the 90s. What was it like making a film that is dated back to almost 20-plus years?
It was fun. I was born in the nineties, so that decade is nostalgic for me, filled with memories from my childhood. It was cool to place myself at that time but as a young adult. To be honest, being on set as an actor can feel like you aren’t in the present-day sometimes. You can lose track of time, being away from your phone and not living as yourself in those moments. So it didn’t feel very foreign to me.
How do you think you were able to improve your own craft during the making of this project?
I was actually very nervous, but I learned to be flexible. Once I accepted my nervousness, I was able to run with the decisions I made as an actor and accept the unknown.
What inspired you to pursue a career as an actress?
It was something I always wanted to try. Growing up, I had a mom who was very supportive of my creative outlets. I did ballet for six years, then pointe, and was enrolled in tap and modern dance too. I’m really grateful for her investing in me that way because it taught me never to be afraid to try something new, to be bold, and live my truth regardless of society’s expectations.
Who were some of the people you studied growing up?
Growing up, I loved, and still, do, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci. I think it’s my 90s upbringing and all the mob movies from that time. To me, watching those films as a kid was the epitome of film. Later on, I got into Carmen Miranda, Katherine Hepburn, Gene Kelly, and Rita Moreno, who learned voiced Carmen Sandiego. I think she’s amazing!
Who would you eventually like to work with in the future?
I love a great narrative, so someone who has an amazing story to share and would want me to bring it to life. I’d be honored to help them tell it.
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
Yes! But I’m told to keep it under wraps for now. Please stay tuned, though.
