Amber Martinez has certainly started to blaze a trail for herself in the high stakes world of the entertainment industry! She has appeared in the television shows ‘NCIS,’ ‘S.W.A.T,’ ‘Animal Kingdom,’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’ (as well as many others). Martinez also possesses a unique talent that helped to land her a role in the brand new Disney+ series: ‘WandaVision.’ With even more exciting projects coming from this talented actress, it is safe to say she has quite a bright future ahead of her! Nerd Alert News was recently granted the opportunity to chat with this up and coming talent and we hope our readers are just excited as we are!
TiShea Wilson: ‘WandaVision’ premiered its first two episodes to Disney+ on January 15. Can you tell us a little bit about your role in the series?
Amber Martinez: Certainly. I was cast as a circus hula hoop performer in a unique scene. One of my odd talents for sure! I never thought that my unique circus skills would land me a role in one of the most iconic series coming to TV. I am so deeply honored to be able to work for Marvel and Disney+. When I was booked, I was given all these code names. I didn’t even know that I landed a role in ‘WandaVision,’ until I was on set and in the makeup chair. ! I was shocked! Me! This little lady from Kansas, chosen out of everyone to be in a Marvel project! I feel honored and blessed that I got to perform my circus act for a very special part of the episode. Viewers will definitely enjoy the fantasy-filled scenes!
TW: What were your days on the set of ‘WandaVision’ like?
AM: It was really fun! The cast and crew were all super friendly, easy to work with, and very professional. I really enjoyed working on this set! The AD was wonderful, and he was a pleasure to work with. It was special getting to go to the Disney Golden Oak Ranch to shoot. A dream come true! Some of the crew kept telling me that I looked like Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman in my costume. I was so flattered! You know, I love comics, and Marvel has a character named Zarda Shelton-also known as Power Princess-and I would love to play that role and bring her character to life! I had an enjoyable experience all around! I definitely want to work with everyone again, and hopefully, I will get to.
TW: How do you go about preparing for an audition and a role once you’ve gotten the job?
AM: Well, in the case of ‘WandaVision,’ I practiced my circus act repeatedly for a few hours a day, every day, leading up to my shoot date. Then, a few hours before filming while I was on set as well. I wanted my performance to be perfect. On other roles that are not special skills-based, I will go over my lines about a hundred times and memorize them in different ways. I do this until I find the one way that seems most natural to the character I am trying to embody. Then, once I find that, I study how the character may react in different situations to get a feel for the personality of the subject. I also practice my facial expressions in a mirror, and I am a big fan of the Meisner Technique, too. I watch films with similar characters in them as well, and I study the mood of the situation to further develop my character for the upcoming role I would be portraying. When preparing for an audition, I study my lines and think about how I would naturally react if I was the person in the script. If I go to an audition and I have a cold read, I clear my mind, focus solely on the character in the scene, breathe, take a moment to digest the dialogue, and try my best to deliver the scene.
TW: Can you tell us a little about your journey as an actress? What sparked your love for the art and gave you the push to pursue it professionally?
AM: Well, I started dancing at the age three and singing at age seven. I was really fond of Julie Andrews and Dame Judy Dench growing up. I told my mother that I was going to be the next Julie Andrews! I think I drove my mother absolutely mad watching ‘The Sound of Music’ over a hundred times! One time I even cut up my bedsheets, made a nun outfit, and sang the Maria song in our living room! So, I guess Julie Andrews and ‘The Sound of Music’ are responsible for sparking my love of acting. My first professional appearance was in 1998-2002 on TPS Television. I was very young, but I landed a position as a TV host. Since then, I have been working in television and movies, and I never looked back!
TW: You definitely have an impressive resume. Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on or one that you are particularly proud of?
AM: Thank you very kindly. One of my favorite projects that I worked on was ‘Senior Entourage.’ I got to work with an amazing cast full of Hollywood icons! I was so incredibly grateful to be able to work with multi-Emmy winner, Ed Asner, Mark Rydell, and the late-but fabulously talented-Helen Reddy. I mean, this was Helen Reddy’s last film before she passed, and I was able to be a part of it! So, this film was one of my favorite memories. Everyone was so kind, funny, and talented. We were all smiles and jokes during the shoot dates. Such a joy to be a part of that film.
TW: Do you have any projects or roles in the works that you can tell us about?
AM: Yes! I have my next film coming out in June or July this year called ‘Jack be Nimble.’ It’s a comedy. Also, I am booked as the female lead character and voice for a new video game that is in development. I play a police officer who hunts down dirty cops and criminals to help bring justice in a metropolis. It will be released for PlayStation and Xbox when it is finished and comes out. Hopefully by the end of this year, maybe later because of Pandemic complications. I am excited to be working with a great international company and a producer from Turkey on the project. About a month before it releases, I will be giving out more details about the game. I was told a few days ago that we also may be bringing in an international rap icon to voice and be the male lead in the game!
Nerd Alert News would like to extend our gratitude to Amber Martinez for taking the time to chat with us. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for her!
Written By: TiShea Wilson
Lynn Makes
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson