Justina Adorno Talks ‘Grand Hotel,’ Her Upcoming Role on ‘Roswell, New Mexico,’ and Vegan Snacks! [Exclusive Interview]

2019 has been a huge year for Latinx actress and animal activist, Justina Adorno.

Over the summer Adorno appeared as Yoli on the steamy series Grand Hotel. Yoli is the daughter of the show’s matriarch, Gigi, and her coming out story is one of the most important on the series.

Then this fall, The CW announced that the Puerto Rican beauty would be joining the cast of Roswell, New Mexico for Season 2! She is currently filming the sophomore offering of the ship-filled (outer space AND romantic) show. 

I recently spoke with Adorno about connecting with her Roswell, New Mexico character, Steph, how she ships, her proudest moment as Yoli, and vegan snacks. Get ready to salivate!

Adorno is tight-lipped about the details of her role as Steph on Roswell, New Mexico Season 2. But she can spare a few morsels for us thirsty fans. 

“[Steph] is sassy. She is the Head of Surgery’s daughter. She’s a smart educated girl with a little sass. And her story is developing, and I’m really excited for everyone to see Steph!” she exclaimed. 

“She is just, she’s a fighter,” Adorno said in describing what she loved about the character. “She’s one of those people who flirts, but she’s mean when she’s flirting.”

Adorno and her character differ in their flirting styles. “I’m not really like that. I don’t think I am. But who knows! It’s funny. I’m like, ‘Would you stop, Steph? Would you stop? Be nice!'”

“I’m the worst flirt. I need a guy who is actually coming forward towards me because if not I’m like ‘Ahhh? Do you like me? Do you not like me?’ You have to be aggressive with me, please! In the beginning. And then if you really want to keep me, ignore the shit out of me after. I’m like, ‘wait no, give me the attention!” she admitted. 

The female characters on Roswell, New Mexico display a variety of romantic preferences and character strengths. Adorno is happy to have been embraced by the strong team of ladies. 

“Jeanine [Mason] literally welcomed me with open arms,” she gushed. “I watched her on So You Think You Can Dance when I was younger and I was Team Jeanine”

Steph is also a woman Adorno admires. “Steph [is] a strong female on the show. And she’s very intelligent. She grew up in the medical field. She can hold her own. She’s not afraid to keep up with whoever’s around her,” the actress explained.

“[Steph] has an ease to her personality. She doesn’t feel like she has to compensate for anything. And I feel like a lot of characters on Roswell, New Mexico, especially the females, are very much like that. That drew me into the series too. I watched Season 1 and I was like, ‘oh my god, I love these characters!'”  

Adorno starred in the summer series Grand Hotel as Yoli Renna. Unsurprisingly, she is Team Yoli, just like us. 

“She was my favorite too, I’m not gonna lie. And not because I played her.”

 

Yoli’s character development impressed the starlet. In fact, Adorno was pleasantly surprised by the depth the show gave her character. 

“I was really surprised. When we first started, I thought, I hope we’re not just like the ding-dong comedic twin sisters that come in every so often and say ‘parra!’ and then leave. I mean, that’s cool and all but I want to be interesting. So whenever the writers came up to me and pitched me Yoli’s sexual exploration, I was like hell yeah! Give me all the juice; don’t put her in a box,” she said.

One particular scene on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7, “Where the Sun Don’t Shine,” brings Yoli’s story to the forefront. Adorno shared about her experience with the pivotal moment. 

“We all fear that when we’re one hundred percent our authentic selves we might not be accepted by the ones we love. And so, I guess I just pretty much pulled from that [for the scene]. And, I pulled from the fears of my own friends and family members who have gone through their own sexual journey and their fear of what their family would think. Even though they had the support of their family, their families love them no matter what, it was still kind of like, ‘but what if?'” 

“When I read the script — even right now I’m kind of getting choked up — when I read the script and [Yoli has] the realization that ‘wow, my mother just doesn’t see me at all […] it really hurt me. I felt so much empathy for her.”

There was an uncomfortable intimacy with her character that Adorno explained. “I always just kind of let myself go there with Yoli. And I felt very vulnerable. It felt like it was me. I felt like it was my story in those moments. And it was really hard for me not to cry. I was trying to speak and I couldn’t really say words. So, I appreciate it.”

“I was nervous for that scene. Just because, even though it’s not me, it’s not my story, it’s not my journey, being vulnerable in general can be heartbreaking and exhausting. Once you open that door you don’t know what else is going to come out,” she continued. “It was pretty difficult for me to be vulnerable and let that moment really land, but I was pretty proud of it.”

Adorno provides representation for underrepresented groups on television and she shared her thoughts on the topic. “Honestly, I’m so glad that my look [and] my voice is being recognized through these characters. Because, you know, I’m a real girl,” she chuckled. 

“I’m a Puerto Rican girl who was born and grew up in New York and South Carolina and I went to college. I don’t have a huge Spanish accent. I don’t even know how to speak Spanish. So, it’s important for me to tell stories of those people too because that’s my story,” Adorno said.

She explained the pressure she feels to get representation right. “I have curly hair, and I don’t have a tiny nose, and my hips are very wide. And, there is that pressure. Staying true to who I am so that other people can see that it’s okay. You don’t have to be a certain look a certain type in order to be represented or to be beautiful or in order to be considered strong,” she expressed.

She continued passionately, “It shouldn’t be about that. It should be about what you believe in. Morals [are] what is most important.”

The performer connected her thoughts on representation to her role selection. “That is what I look forward to in certain types of characters that I get to play. I want to play characters with depth. [Characters] that actually stand behind something. They’re actually going through things that most people are and are not just the pretty girl who is indecisive about which guy she wants to be with,” she stated.

Adorno doesn’t want to get passed over for those roles, though. “I’m not saying I don’t want to be [the pretty and indecisive girl]. I want to play that role! I’ve been in that position. And I think it’s important for someone who looks like me to play that role.” 

Adorno also addressed how being a “real girl” in the entertainment industry is not always easy. “There is a lot of pressure because I am not a conventional beauty type. I’ve always wondered would I be accepted or would I have to change myself in order to be in my dream industry, my dream career?”

“It’s difficult,” she admitted. “I don’t necessarily fall into the ingenue type, especially now that I’ve gained more weight.”

“There was a time when I lost weight and I was actually very unhealthy. I started getting all these auditions and I was like, ‘wow.'”

“I started getting in my head. I thought ‘wow, is this why? This is why, isn’t it? Because I lost a ton of weight,'” Adorno said. “But guess what? I’m not healthy. Yet, I’m congratulated.”

“Yoli really helped me gain my self back and owning who I am. And, if I gained a little weight, who cares? As long as I’m working on being healthy as the priority,” Adorno said. 

For Adorno, being healthy means living a vegan lifestyle. She shared her top choices of vegan snacks to munch on while watching Grand Hotel and Roswell, New Mexico. 

“Everybody’s on a guac kick. Everybody loves guac!”

Adorno even graciously gave us some recipes to consider. “I love making homemade guac with onions, cilantro, heirloom tomatoes, a little bit of jalapeno, throw some lime juice in there, Himalayan salt.”

“I usually try to stay away from chips. Sometimes I cave in, but I’m trying to do no processed foods at the moment. Taking that one day at a time, just like I did with veganism,” she continued. In lieu of chips, Adorno suggested we, “chop up some celery, some carrots, some radishes!” 

“You could chop up some sweet potatoes and bake them. And dip them in guac too, you could have a bit of a chippy feel with that salty and creamy combo, which is really yummy,” she advised.

“It’s so simple. We forget that. We’re like, oh my god, that looks so complicated. It’s like, no! You peel, you slice it, you put it in a box. That’s it.”

“Yes, it’s not as easy as opening a bag of chips, but it’s so much more rewarding and guilt-free when you make it yourself,” she admitted convincingly.

“Maybe make some bean veggie tacos, while you’re watching Roswell, New Mexico.” She added, “Smoothies are underrated as a snack. You know, people think it has to be super healthy and only in the morning! But, you can get some cacao beans, throw some cherries, blueberries, and just water and let me tell you, it’s so delicious. It tastes like a Cherry Garcia ice cream.” 

Eating animal-free is more than a healthy choice for Adorno; it’s an ethical choice as well. She discussed her journey to being animal-free in Latin culture. 

“It was difficult. It just seemed impossible because I only knew the way my family cooked things. But, oh my gosh, go figure — you can make rice and beans without any animal products. And you can have a taco with beans and mushroom or zucchini!” she said. “Animals do not have to suffer with any meal that you ingest.”

“I’ve been wanting to be animal-free since I was 15,” Adorno continued. “What it took for me was watching those gruesome videos that no one wants to watch. I don’t want to watch those. But, it’s educating yourself and it’s showing the truth of the reality of what’s happening to these animals.”

Watching the videos of animal harm helped the animal activist understand her values. “It’s not worth it to me. I look at myself as being selfish when I think about, ‘aww I can’t get a pizza.’  Well, they’re giving up their lives unwillingly so you can have that pizza. I don’t think that’s worth it.”

“Especially because you don’t have to give up your pizza. You can have it with cashew cheese, or whatever nut cheese a restaurant’s making. Or you can make it yourself,” she added.

“I think it’s so important for us to really realize what we’re putting in and on our bodies all the time.” 

The actress recognized that many people are intimidated by veganism.

“I get it. It’s facing that change. Change is uncomfortable sometimes for people. You have to change your whole lifestyle. But, along with you changing, you can do that for people in your life,” she stated. “Introduce them to your new lifestyle and those new meals you’re exploring. It doesn’t have to be something you’re doing on your own.” 

“I’ve never met a vegan who hasn’t wished they wouldn’t have gone animal-free sooner,” she offered.”It’s not an impossible thing. And I’m a foodie.”

“I am enjoying food more actually. Because I’ve struggled all my life with eating and my weight and my body, and you know, I feel less guilty about eating food than I used to because no animal is being harmed in the process.”

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Now that you’re good and hungry, you can grab a vegan snack and catch up on Yoli’s Grand Hotel journey. Get excited to watch even more of Adorno on Roswell, New Mexico Season 2, premiering March 16, 2020, at 9/8c on The CW!

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