Nathalia Ramos
Nathalia Ramos is enjoying huge success at the moment as she leads the cast in The House of Anubis - a show which has just got a second series.
The actress is currently in Liverpool filming that second series until January and I caught up with her to find out what we can expect from the new series.
- You are currently shooting the new series of House of Anubis so for anyone who hasn't seen the show yet can you tell me a little bit about it?
I play Nina, an American, who comes to an English boarding school and all this weird stuff stars to happen and she find herself pulled into this mystery.
She gets her friends involved and they have to try and discover what is going on at this strange boarding school they are all at.
Now for season two the stakes are much higher and the mystery goes even further - everything has just been accelerated and pushed to the next level; so it’s more exciting, more adventure and more mystery.
So it’s not only been fun to shoot but I am really excited to how it will all come together.
- You have touched on my next question really you are shooting the new series here in the UK at the moment so can you give us any little tips of what we can expect this time around?
Well without giving too much away (laughs) at the end of last season Nina put the Cup Of Ink together and looked like everything was resolved and she should be going back to school and everything should be back to normal.
But this is The House of Anubis and nothing is ever normal. She finds herself fighting for her life - last year it was fighting against her teachers now the stakes are much higher.
So there is more mystery and adventure and there is much more at stake so Nina is going through a lot - it really has been taken to the next level.
- You take on the role of Nina Martin in the series so what was it about the script and the character that initially drew you to the project?
At first I really related to Nina because we were both going through similar experiences last year; I moved out to England, I was on my own for the first time and I had to make new friends - kind of what Nina was going through.
So I really related to that and, at first, that is what really drew me to it - that I could come and live in a new country and have this amazing role where I could do so much.
This year it’s just been even more exciting because I have got to grow with Nina - I am now more comfortable living in England, it’s like a home away home for me, and so does she.
So she has really come into her skin and this season she is much stronger, much more opinionated and speaks her mind; last year she was a bit shy and more reserved. So it’s been really fun to grow with her.
- The show is shot in Liverpool so how do you find shooting in the UK?
It’s been such a great experience; last year was very hard for me I definitely missed home a lot and I felt a bit like a stranger. But this time around it feels like I came back to something as it was the same cast and the same crew and Liverpool has become a home away from home for me.
Of course I miss home as there are things about LA that I love but I have made a nice little home for myself out here.
- How difficult have you found being away from home for such long periods of time - how did your family feel about you moving away?
My family have always been extremely supportive, they are both in the industry so they know the ropes; it is really amazing to have that kind of support.
It’s definitely hard at times - this time it’s much longer than last time as we will be shooting for six months; that is the longest time that I have gone without seeing my parents and being at home.
So I have good days and bad days just like everyone some days I am like ‘I want my bed’ ‘I want my dog’ but I have such great friends here and the cast and crew know how to lift my spirits when I am having a bad day.
- The show sees you star alongside Brad Kavanagh, Ana Mulvoy Ten and Jade Ramsey so what is the feel like on set while you are working?
Oh my gosh it is so much fun! With a cast this big things are things are bound to happen and it’s a very exciting place to be there’s never a dull moment.
Jade comes onto set every morning at 6am and we are all half asleep while she I wide awake telling us about her dreams from the night before. And then Brad is with his camera taking behind the scenes footage.
We are all very close to the crew and we are always laughing and joking around so it’s a very fun, loving places to be!!
- As you said earlier both your parents are in the entertainment industry was it quite a natural thing to follow in their footsteps?
I think it absolutely was and I never questioned it because I knew that this is what I always wanted to do. I stated in music, both my parents are in music, and I have always been singing and writing with my dad, who is a musician.
Acting was just like a natural step from music - right now I am doing my acting but I defiantly want to pursue music in the future.
It wasn’t until I went to university that I saw other things that I may want to do as well so now I am all over the place - but I always knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
- During your career you have worked in both TV and film so how do the two compare/differ?
They are very different. I love film because you can play a character for a certain amount of time, you do your job, it’s much shorter and you move onto the next thing; that’s the great thing about it.
But at the same time the great thing about TV is you get to create a character and be that person and really develop that person over time.
So with Nina I have really been able to grow with her and see her evolve as opposed to when I played Yasmin in Bratz you only had three hours - so it wasn’t that same type of growth with the character.
I definitely do want to do film and explore different types of characters and play many different types of roles.
- You have sort of answered my next question TV somewhere were you are happy at the moment or would you like to venture more into movie work or are you quite happy with TV at the moment?
Right now I am just having a blast on House of Anubis and taking it one day at a time, I am honestly just looking forward to going home (laughs).
But down the line I definitely do want to do film and peruse my music - that will hopefully be the next step for me.
- And are there any major difference shooing in the UK comparing to shooting in the States?
Oh yeah definitely, we all kind of joke about that all of the time. I won’t say it’s better or worse either way it is just different. The crew here is much smaller, in America it’s a much bigger production, here it is a bit more intimate which is nice.
I think it is just a cultural thing and I have had to adapt to a different cultures - event though we are technically the same language we really not; especially Liverpool it is very different.
- How have you been finding the Liverpool accent?
I still struggle, I am not going to lie, I do struggle from time to time - but I feel like an honorary Scouse been around it so much. But one thing I can say about Liverpool it has some of the nicest and most friendly people that I have ever met.
- The series has been a big success so how are you coping will all of the attention that has been coming your way recently?
We are very alienated from all of that because we are in Liverpool. It’s not glamorous we come to work every day and we shoot and it’s work - I am very far from Hollywood and London and that is where all of the buzz is; in a way that is very healthy. Then I go home and I go back to uni and looking forward to a bit of normalcy.
So it’s really cool that you see a poster or an ad on TV, it’s very motivating and it keeps us going, but if I was ever to get a big head about this I have several people back home who would pout me in my place very quickly.
- How difficult are you finding juggling you university life with your professional work?
I am very fortunate where I have this job that allows me to do both and that has been such a blessing, I didn’t really want to go to university because I thought that that would interfere with my career.
My parents basically dragged me there kicking and screaming but it has changed life and it has opened so many doors for me that I can’t imagine ever not going.
And I want to inspire other kids and tell that you can follow your dreams… I have kids ask me all the time ‘I want to be an actor how do I do it?’ and the one thing that I really want to advocate it yes follow your dreams but stay in school, you don’t need to leave school as you really can do everything - I am proof that you can.
- 2011 is coming to a close so what movies and performances have you been enjoying this year?
I went to see The Railway Children in the theatre in London last weekend which really nice because I hadn’t been to the theatre in ages.
I have to admit I went with a few people from the cast to see The Lion King and it was epic, I think I cried five or six times, that was amazing (laughs).
- Finally what's next for you?
I wrap here in January and I go straight back to uni. I have scheduled it in a way where I can go to my classes in the morning and work in the afternoons so I am always looking for the next role and looking ahead.
I want to work on my music, I am actually going to be in Spain this weekend recording but I can’t say much more than that - I am very excited about that.
We will just see what is coming next but I am excited and eager and ready to go.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw