Exclusive: Rising Actress Savannah Nicole Ruiz Opens Up About Acting, Books, & Her Comedy Gordita Chronicles

BeautifuBallad had the wonderful opportunity to chat with rising actress, Savannah Nicole Ruiz. The starlet currently stars on HBO Max’s comedy, Gordita Chronicles, as Emilia, and BB had the chance to catch up with her while she was back home and enjoying her summer.

On what inspired her to become an actress:
“I have an Aunt Samantha who used to babysit me. She’s 10 years older than me and she has always been the coolest person that I know and everything she was, I wanted to be, right? So she, one day was like, ‘I want to be an actress.’ And of course I was also like, ‘Well, yeah, sure, I want to be an actress too.’ From then I started taking classes in elementary school and I found out that it was actually really fun for me and freeing. And something that I was good at because being able to do something like that in school, besides Math. So, I have something to feel I was good at. And that really kept me going. So throughout elementary school, I took classes. In the middle school, I was doing musicals and plays and then high school, I did a little bit, but it got cut short because of the pandemic. And in the middle of the pandemic is when I signed with my manager, and I started auditioning for their TV shows and movies. And eventually, I auditioned for Gordita Chronicles, and I got it. So that’s the whole journey.

On what prompted her to take the risk and pursue acting:
“Well, I’d never had a plan B. This was my plan and thankfully, it worked out because I have no idea what I would be doing if it wasn’t. It’s scary to take the risk and it’s also hard to get yourself out there. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of time and hard work but I’m very grateful that I did and I’m grateful for such a good support system. My parents, they put in a lot of their time as well with this. Just indulging me in all those school performances that I did that really helped me get comfortable performing in front of other people.”

On landing a role on America Fererra’s Gentefied:
“It was really exciting, and it was such a small, little part but I was ecstatic. I auditioned and at the time I was auditioning for a lot of things, so I didn’t really think anything of it. You kind of have to set it and forget it when you do these things. And then I don’t remember how soon after, but it was very soon that my mom woke me up at 5:00 AM and she was like, ‘Okay, this weekend, you’re going to fly out and you’re going to go film this part for the show you just auditioned for.’ And I was like, ‘You’re joking, right?’ Like, I was waiting for someone to tell me that this was a prank but apparently it wasn’t. And I flew out with my dad for the week in LA to film that little part.”

On her feelings when she walked onto set:
“I was really scared until I got onto set and I saw that this is definitely what I want to do. I feel like that day filming for Gentefied really solidified the fact that I knew that this was something I wanted to do.”

On what else she learned from that experience:
“It was a very good environment. I had such a small part, but even in that, I got to play around and bring a little bit of myself into it. And the director was really kind and my co-star was really kind and the whole experience was basically everything I had dreamed of. That’s when I knew like, ‘Okay, maybe it’s not too good to be true.’ I definitely want to continue doing this. And then soon after, I thought by total coincidence, but it felt like, I booked Gordita.”

On what drew her to audition for Gordita Chronicles:
“First of all, it was hilarious. Sometimes you read scripts and you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I really want to do this.’ But I’ll audition for it anyway. But this one, I was like, ‘Mom, read this script. It’s so funny.’ And I was like, ‘I really hope I get this one’” But like I said, sit and forget it, you can’t dwell on it too much because you might just end up disappointed. And then a week later, I found out that they wanted to screen test me and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this was the one that I wanted.’ It was great, it was like everything falling into place.”

On her reaction when she found out she landed the part of Emilia:
“I cried and after I got off the call with my team, I called my mom, I called my aunt, I called everyone in my family and we all just cried together. It was such a full circle moment, especially for like little Savannah, who had always dreamed of this.”

On what she used from her own life to develop Emilia:
“My little brother was a big part of getting me into character. That sibling dynamic between Emilia and Cucu is very similar to the dynamic between me and my brother in real life. We really butt heads but underneath all the petty drama, you can see that we really love each other. And whenever I had to be annoyed or snap into that older sister role, I would just pretend I was talking to my little brother. So I definitely relate to Emilia in that sense.”

On working with Olivia Goncalves, who plays Emilia’s sister Cucu:
“I got so lucky with her and with the rest of the cast, but she’s the best, she’s such a great team partner. That’s half the battle, half of the battle is who you’re working with and she’s amazing. We’re best friends, like real sisters in real life. We’re not afraid to go all the way when we’re doing a scene. It’s really the most fun and she’s so funny. One time on set, I had to turn around and face the wall so that we wouldn’t start laughing when we looked at each other while we were filming.”

On when she finally got around to meeting her Gordita Chronicles castmates:
“We got to meet each other a week or two before filming. I did a read through with the family on one of the first days that I flew out and I was just like, ‘This is amazing. This is so much fun.’ Because they’re all such good actors. And you could tell that the chemistry and everything was there from the beginning. And I think that really also translates when you watch the show.”

On what she learned from her fellow castmates:
“I’m constantly looking up to them because they’re so talented. And one thing that really sticks with me is their comedic timing. And they also are not afraid to say a line a million different ways and every time it’s so good. So I’m always looking up to them for the comedy especially because they’re funny.”

On filming in Puerto Rico:
“Paradise. It was amazing. First of all, the people are so nice, they’re like my own family so it was always a party. They were playing music in the makeup trailer in between takes. The vibes were always positive and that’s what you need, especially when people are stressed out because there’s a lot of work to do. But they always kept the fun, that’s what made this job so fun was the people. And also if you had a long day at work, you could literally just go home and lay down on the beach. It was literally paradise.”

On whether or not she was able to tour Puerto Rico in between filming:
“On the weekends, I went a lot of places with my family. We went to the rain forest, El Yunque National Forest, and we also did a tour of Puerto Rico. We had the time to explore as well as working. We found that cushion in time.”

On the hardest things about shooting Gordita Chronicles:
“There was one day where the schedule got flipped around because we were supposed to film an outdoor scene and it was pouring rain outside. So they flipped the schedule and I end up having to do a scene that I hadn’t memorized the night before. So it was just an hour of me in my trailer, trying to cram these lines into my brain but I got it done, thankfully. And I think that was the most stressful time, but it really is my fault because I should have been prepared but I think that was probably the hardest.”

On the most memorable thing about filming:
“I would say the people that I worked with in front of and behind the camera. Like I said, they’re all like my family and they’re all so kind and so nice. And going into Hollywood, not knowing what to expect, it’s like a sweet relief to be surrounded by such talented and kind people who you can tell really care about everyone.”

On where she hope to see Emilia in season two, if announced:
“I hope to see her a little bit more confident in herself. You can see throughout the first season how she searches for other people’s validation which is a flaw, but it’s very relatable to me. And I feel like a lot of other people that watch it can relate. And over the first season, you can see how she sort of breaks out of her shell and realizes that maybe the people that go to school with her, aren’t the most important people in the world. I would just love to see her evolve further in the second season.”

On what she learned from her experience filming Gordita Chronicles:
“I definitely learned that there isn’t as much pressure as you would expect. I grew up doing plays and musicals and it’s very vigorous to have to remember two hours’ worth of material and to do it all in one take and to not mess it up because you’re performing in front of a live audience. But this was totally different, you were allowed to mess up and you were allowed to play around with it. Basically, you have second chances with lines and stuff like that, I was surprised that it was a lot easier than the previous types of acting that I’d done before.”

On whether she would return to the stage:
“Of course! Though, not yet because I’m very much into this film aspect of acting but in the future for sure. I definitely want to get back on stage.”

On whether she prefers filming acting or stage acting:
“I’m going to say right now film is my favorite just because it’s like a dream come true and I’m still kind of rebelling in that. But I have such a love for both forms of acting and I’ll do whatever the opportunity is presented to me.”

On potentially dabbling a bit more in roles behind the camera:
“I would definitely love to try directing whether it’s film or on the stage. It’s really interesting to see it from a different side.”

On how she got involved with helping on kids with a production of Mary Poppins Jr.:
“The company that I worked with, Drama Kids International, was the first acting class I had ever taken in elementary school and I wasn’t doing anything other than school. And I was like, ‘I would love to volunteer for that.’ And it was such a fun time. Those kids are so talented. And like I said, just being on the other side of it, being backstage in the wings and helping with costumes and character work. It was really cool, and I wanted to help out with a company that I knew I loved.”

On whether she has any dream roles:
“Not specifically, but I would love to do something dramatic, anything dramatic. I feel like my whole life, I’ve really been in that comedy box. I would like to get out of my comfort zone at some point and do a little bit of a drama, maybe movie or show. I don’t know, I’ll take anything. I’ll be a tree in the background.”

On who she would love to work with in the future:
“I love Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway and basically all those musical actors and those two are my favorites. Me and my mom’s favorite actors, it would be like a dream come true to work with them.”

On whether or not her younger self would believe that her dream had come true:
“She definitely hoped for it, but she has her doubt throughout her whole life. There’s a part of you that’s like, ‘I have to do this.’ And then a part of you that’s like, ‘Maybe it’s not realistic or maybe it’s not possible for you.’ But the fact that it was possible for me, I wish I could just tell a little Savannah to hang tight because it’s going to happen soon.”

On what she likes to do in her free time:
“I love to read, I know that’s probably like a very nerdy answer. But I love reading. In school, I’ve thrived in English over Math and Science. I’ve never been good at that kind of stuff, but I love to read. And like I said, volunteering with anything stage related, those are what I’ve been doing lately besides school because it’s summer now, thankfully.”

On her recent book recommendations:
“Yes, actually I just read this book called, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and it was really good. It was like a murder mystery, and I really enjoyed it.”

On what she is up to now:
“I’m still auditioning. I mean, I would love to do a movie. I feel like that’s what I really want to do next.”

Gordita Chronicles is out on HBO Max now!

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Photo Credit: Rowan Daly