BB Exclusive: Valery Ortiz Talks “Gabby Duran and the Unsittables” and her New Children’s Book

“Gabby Duran and the Unsittables” is already one of the hottest shows on Disney Channel and with a second season just around the corner it is only going to get hotter.

We had the chance to sit down and talk to one of the stars of the show, Valery Ortiz. Ortiz plays Gabby’s strong mom, Dina. During our chat with the star, we talked Ortiz’s bond with Kylie Cantrall (Gabby), her new children’s book, Hola!, Hello!, what’s to come for Dina this Season, the Holidays and so much more. You can check out the interview below.

Tell us a little about your show, “Gabby Duran and the Unsittables” and your character, Dina?
“Gabby Duran is about a brave and smart girl that moves to a new town because her mom, Dina, gets a new on air reporting job. She has a hard time adjusting to the new school and making new friends until she snags a job as a babysitter. Little does Dina know, she’s babysitting aliens!!!”

How did you come to be a part of the show?
“Originally the role of Dina was recurring. I went into the audition excited but to be honest, I didn’t think I would get it because I couldn’t see me as the mom of a teenager. Over the weekend they changed the role to a series regular, that meant having to re-locate to Vancouver, and I found out everyone else thought I could play a teens mom! Haha!! And that was that! I found out I booked the role around 6pm on a Tuesday and I was on a plane to Vancouver early Wednesday morning to film the pilot.”

Your relationship with your on-screen daughter, Kylie Cantrall, is fantastic on the show. Was that something that came naturally or was that something you and Kylie had to create?
“It just came pretty natural! Kylie is such a talented young actress so even starting from our ‘chemistry test’ audition, which is when you audition with another actor they are considering or already has the part, everything just flowed! After seeing her picture, all of my family and friends were like, ‘that can totally be your daughter!’”.

You can check out the rest of our interview below the jump. “Gabby Duran and the Unsittables” is currently airing its first season on the Disney Channel.

Photo credit: Storm Santos

What can we expect from Dina as the series progresses?
“Dina is juggling her new job and her family as best she can. Being away from her family and the lack of exciting news start getting to her. I love watching her navigate her every day life with her career. The Durans have a such a sweet bond and you’ll get to watch as Dina balances it all with the help of her smart and caring girls. I love that the writers made Dina perfectly-imperfect and kept the reality that us adults are doing the best we can too!”

How has this show differed from other shows you have worked on?
“This show is completely different than any other show I’ve worked on, on so many different levels. Working on a cast of mostly kids is new territory. I love the way the kids keep things so fresh and new. They are incredibly talented and keep me on my toes in a way adults just cant. You never know what they’ll do/say next. That in and of itself is so entertaining! I can’t wait to continue to watch these young stars on Gabby Duran flourish. They amaze me.

I really do miss having the adult bonds like I did on my other shows and the unpredictable character arch’s. ‘South of Nowhere’ and ‘Hit the Floor‘ are so special to me and the friendships I gained on them are for life.”

You are gearing up to release your first children’s book, “Hola! Hello!”! Can you tell us a little bit about the new book?
“Yes! I’m so excited! Coquí is about a tiny tree frog that lives in the rainforest in Puerto Rico. Coquí doesn’t ‘ribbit’ like other frogs so he teaches readers the importance in being yourself. The story is bilingual so the kids get to learn some words in Spanish too!”

What made you decide to write a children’s book?
“I love kids and I want to leave a little legacy for my future children. My culture is so important to me that I wanted to write something that would keep it alive. Spanish was my first language and unfortunately I speak better English now. I’m almost obsessed with not letting the most amazing traditions my parents showed us growing up – stop with me! I want my kids, my friends kids, your kids, all the kids to be proud of who they are – whatever that means to them. It’s everything!”

Do you have any plans to release another book down the road?
“Yes! There’s already two other books that are part of my ¡Hola! Hello! Series, starring the Coqui, that are written and another one called, ‘¡Sana! ¡Sana!’, that I will release after that. This is definitely just the beginning!”

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and the Holidays right behind that, do you have any Holiday traditions you are looking forward to?
“Eating! Haha!! Just kidding, kind of.