Originally published in the June 2016 issue of LatinTRENDS Magazine
By Luis Vazquez
This is the tale of a girl from the Dominican Republic. She graduated from a fine school and chose a profession in entertainment. She had such a great talent that she became the voice of the first Latina Disney princess, Elena of Avalor.
This is just the beginning for actress Aimee Carrero, best known for her work in ABC Family’s “Young and Hungry.” For Carrero, the challenges of doing a voice-over character differ from visual acting. “As an actor, your tool is your body, your voice, everything put together,”
Carrero explained, “when one is removed, and it poses a greater challenge. You have to make the main character come to life, just using your voice. It was challenging but rewarding.”
And all this came to be as she was on vacation, where she was asked to submit a quick voice audition on tape. She returned to audition for several roles in the animated film for two months before she was made aware of what she was being considered for. “They called and said, ‘You really need to do this,’” Aimee recalled, “It wasn’t until after the long process that they revealed their plans.” When she got the job, Carrero could see the opportunity to tell the story of the under-represented through Elena, a teenager whose issues are no different than anyone has in real life.
“I get to play a character that I feel to be pretty three-dimensional. She doesn’t lead by a stereotype. She sort of leads with her own personality that is determined by her life experience, not anyone’s idea of what a Latin person is.”
Carrero has a lot on her plate these days—an upcoming marriage this August, her current series plus a spin-off. But the role of Elena may very well be the most impactful character she has ever played. “One of the best things about Elena is that she is universal. She is a Latina. She has a sister that annoys her. She is trying to gain independence from her family while still hanging onto the family dynamic. Her story is very human.” It’s like a good princess story that can be read to a little, impressionable girl— especially a Latina that now sees someone familiar in the pantheon of princesses.
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