Meet Marjorie Murillo

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marjorie Murillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Marjorie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being a Latin American women, more specifically a Salvadoran women, there are many times I have found myself in a room albeit an audition room or a rehearsal room where I am the only person that looks like me. When I was younger this was definitely a thing that bothered and discouraged me especially when it came to auditioning. The limited amount of roles written for Latinx people meant that I often found myself auditioning for roles traditionally played by white actors. Walking into the room, I often felt a mix of anxiety and disappointment if I was one of very few women of color auditioning. “Will they even consider me?” is a thought that often persisted in my head. And then if I were to get cast that thought was often replaced by “Was I the diversity pick?” or “Am I actually good enough for this or was I just cast because of my skin color?” Over the years after having worked with some amazing directors and after years of training to refine my skills as an actor these discouraging voices have definitely quieted down. I’m not saying they are gone entirely but nowadays when I walk into an audition or rehearsal room where I am the only person who looks like me I take a deep breath and remind myself that I am more than just my skin color, that I have worked hard to become the actor that I am and that I AM good enough to be here. Also, that I am honored to represent my community and to BE the representation my younger self was always looking for in this industry.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am an extremely proud Salvadoran-American actress, singer, dancer, etc. from the NYC/NJ area (grew up in Washington Heights then moved to New Jersey). Ever since I was a little girl, performing was always something that never failed to bring me joy, whether it was performing in school talents shows or even just creating stories and playing pretend with my sister in our room. I wish I could tell you EXACTLY when it was my love of performing and specifically acting began but honestly I don’t remember. All I can say is that the happiest moments of my childhood were spent voice acting for my dolls in mini movies I would shoot from my old digital camera or recreating scenes from my favorite Disney movies for my parents to watch. Performing gave me an outlet to express my creativity and imagination and that love is something that only grew with time.
Of course, a life in the performing arts hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for me. Growing up, my family didn’t have the means to send me to dance classes or singing lessons or the infamous “theatre camp,” things that seemed to be a common thread amongst a lot of my peers. Instead, they worked hard and long hours to be able to put food on the table and support my sister and I through school. While at first I was jealous of the “head start” others were able to get, I realized that this challenge only motivated me more and made me even more determined to do whatever I needed to do to reach my goals. I am not ashamed to say that I was a proud student of Youtube Academy and have probably watched every “how to sing/dance/act” video on the World Wide Web. The hours I spent teaching myself to become a better performer as well as the hours I spent in rehearsal for my school’s plays and musicals are what eventually helped me get accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for Acting which is where I was finally able to receive formal acting training and become the actor I am now. Tisch not only gave me an incredible foundation for my acting; however, but it also introduced me to some of my best friends as well as present day artistic collaborators.
Company della Luna, a NYC based theatre company which I co-founded alongside Edoardo Tesio, Olivia Amicangioli, Bridget Spencer, and Tomoka Takahashi, was born out of our time together at the Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU. We all immediately connected on a personal as well as artistic level and decided to take this shared love of theatre and storytelling and take it to a professional level. Since 2021 we have created several original shows in which we take stories about profound every day human emotions and put them in the context of these extravagant worlds full of maximalism and pop music. Most recently, we successfully took our show “Love’s Concordia Bar,” cowritten by myself and Edoardo Tesio with original music by Olivia Amicangioli, to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
As for what’s next for me…I’m not entirely sure to be honest. But that’s ok! It’s what’s exciting about a life in the performing arts, you never know what’s going to come your way until it does, but what I know for sure is that I’m ready for it no matter what it is. For now I’ll keep doing what I do best, learning and growing as a performer and finding new and creative ways to tell my story and the stories that matter to me. 🙂

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

There have been many qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that have been very impactful to my journey but if I had to pinpoint three they would be
1. A Willingness to Explore and Try New Things: As an actor you are often cast in roles that might require you to try something you have never done before and sometimes those things can be challenging and intimidating, in my most recent role for example I played a 9 year old little girl and a 92 year old women in the same show. But it is in these moments where you grow the most. While it is easier said then done, the trick is to stop focusing on being “correct” and just have fun and experiment with new choices because more often then not a choice you thought was definitely not “correct” is the one that is going to feel the most right. Once I adopted this ideology I found myself feeling more free on stage and being able to play roles that aren’t confined to just one “type.”
2. Kindness: This one goes without saying but it is so so SO important. You would be surprised how much of a difference being kind to someone can make. Growing up my parents instilled in me an importance in kindness and humbleness which I carry with me into auditions and rehearsal rooms of course but also in my everyday life. When you are kind, people want to be around you and work with you! Also, it feels good to be kind! 😀
3. Patience: This is perhaps one of the most important qualities to have especially as a performer but it can be one of the most difficult to internalize. As cliche as it sounds, life is a marathon not a sprint! Even though it may feel like nothing is happening right now trust me when I say every little thing you do today or tomorrow or the day after will add up and help you reach the goals you eventually want to reach. Now, believe me, there are days when I feel frustrated about not hearing back right away after an audition or feeling like everyone around me is accomplishing their goals a lot faster than me. But on those days I just need to remember to take a deep breathe and know that everything I am doing is enough and that I am working as hard as I can and have faith that one day it will all pay off whether it be next month or years from now.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I come from a long line of hardworking and resilient people. My parents came to this country from El Salvador after the Civil War that left behind a wake of destruction and fear that we are only now in recent years starting to heal from. Growing up I was used to my parents working long hours to provide for our family. They always made sure that my sister and I got to have opportunities that they never got to have such as going to college and following our dreams. They never gave up despite so many odds working against them and because of that I don’t either. Every opportunity I get I make the most out of it and give 110% of myself to it. I never take anything for granted and am thankful even for the little wins in my life. It is because of my parent’s sacrifices that I was able to go to college to study acting and have the life I have now and for that I am forever grateful.
My parents also instilled in me a love for my Salvadoran culture and heritage which I show with pride wherever I go and most especially in my work. Growing up, I never saw Salvadoran actors on stage or on the big screens. Our culture, which is full of such beauty and history, had little to no representation in the performing arts industry. Like if I asked you to name a Salvadoran character on TV I bet you you probably wouldn’t be able to. It even got to a point where I started wondering if there was a place for Salvadoran actors in this industry. I realized, however, that if I wasn’t seeing any representation for us then I just had to work hard to BE that representation I wanted to see. When I was in my final year of university, for instance, created an hour long musical titled “Revivir” which was basically a love letter to El Salvador in which I used Salvadoran folktales and Latin music to tell a story very near and dear to my heart. My parents taught me to never be ashamed of where I came from and to carry it with pride and that’s exactly what I have been doing and what I will continue to do for as long as I live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.companydellalunatheater.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_marjoriemurillo/?igsh=MW4ydDZyc3g2Z21jeA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

Emmettia Henderson
Jonas Dellow
Issadora Ava
Antonio de Jesus
Riccardo Ezzu
DMLK Video