HOLLYWOOD ’ S MOST POWERFUL LATINA PUBLICISTS : JASMINE ESPADA AND BRENDA HERRERA
HOLLYWOOD ’ S MOST POWERFUL LATINA PUBLICISTS : JASMINE ESPADA AND BRENDA HERRERA
Latin Times Magazine : What inspired you to be a major Publicist for Hollywood ’ s most famous Latinos ?
Jasmin Espada : Working with actors such as Esai Morales and Ivonne Coll for as long as I have , more than inspiration is constant growth , a constant learning experience . But we also laugh a lot . You have to be able to find humor in what we do .
Brenda Herrera : It wasn ’ t something I planned , it was just something I fell into after years of experience working in entertainment , the opportunity to do publicity came to me through a publicist friend who offered me a position at the agency she worked for and I didn ’ t think twice about taking it and I ’ m glad I did because I truly love what I do and I ’ m inspired everyday by securing new clients , working on new projects and the opportunities to expand our business .
Latin Times Magazine : How does it feel to be named two of the industry ’ s leading publicists and Hollywood ’ s most powerful Latinas ?
Jasmin Espada : The Los Angeles Times recognition was very humbling . I see it as an opportunity as a Latina publicist working in Hollywood to hopefully inspire young people and lead by example . It is time we end the long running lip service from the studios about Latinos and really give our talent the roles they deserve . Our talent is ready .
Brenda Herrera : It ’ s an honor to be included in the LA Times Diverse 100 among so many talented individuals . As publicists , it ’ s our job to make our clients shine and we are just quietly in the background pulling the strings to make that happen . It ’ s a thankless job and one that many don ’ t recognize the value in what we do , so to be recognized for all our hard work is an incredible feeling !
Latin Times Magazine : Tell us one of the funniest moments you have experienced with an Actor ?
Jasmin Espada : I ’ ve had many funny moments in my career . However , this one happened many years before I became a
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publicist . While a college student I did an internship at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston during the Robert Maplethorpe exhibit . We were told Paul Newman was going to be visiting that day with his wife Joanne Woodward . I was young and clueless and completely missed them getting in . So there I was minding my own business when all of a sudden Paul Newman comes to me and says “ Honey , do you have a Kleenex ?” It was a surreal experience . From all the people there he went directly to me . It is almost like he knew I was going to be a Hollywood publicist somehow when I didn ’ t even know it myself .
Brenda Herrera : I was with Esai Morales in an elevator , and a middle-eastern man walked in . Esai knew a little Farsi that he decided to use at that moment . He said something to the man in Farsi which I did not understand and the man gave him a crazy look and ran out of the elevator . I asked Esai what he said to the man and he said he told him the first thing that came to mind and that was , “ what are you looking at ”? He didn ’ t mean to be rude , but that was the only phrase in Farsi that he could think of at that moment . When he realized that the man probably got offended , he felt terrible and tried going after him to explain and apologize but the man was already gone . So for the next half an hour , Esai made me drive around looking for the man so he could apologize to him . It was one of those times you wish you had a video camera .
Latin Times Magazine : What is your favorite Latin food and do you love Cuban Sandwiches ? Jasmin Espada : At the risk of getting my interview cut short I am a vegetarian trying very hard to become vegan , however when I did eat meat , Cuban sandwiches were a favorite .
Brenda Herrera : I love all Latin food but if I had to choose a favorite , I would have to say my mom ’ s chicken mole . I do love Cuban sandwiches especially the Cuban sandwich from Portos Cuban Bakery .
Latin Times Magazine : What Advice can you give young Latino Publicists and actors :
Jasmin Espada : If you love the art of communication I suggest you read two books . One is
Effective Public Relations by Cutlip & Center ( First edition ) and the other is How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie . Those two books summarize in beautiful precision what public relations is . If you are really passionate about becoming a publicist do an internship at Espada Herrera & Associates . You will learn a lot . I started working with Communications since I was at UMASS Boston . My first on campus job was Assistant to the Student Trustee . That gave me ( and a group of selected friends ) access to a lot of private receptions with the top brass of the University . It also taught me a lot about the world of public relations . Celebrities and VIPs alike trusted me . It was like a domino effect . Celebrities are a very specific public which requires special handling . I have always respected and honored their talent so they recognized I was there to help bring their talent to the attention of the media . I started working with Latino talent and it was a natural progression .
Brenda Herrera : I would say , just follow your heart . Don ’ t do anything for any other reason but for the love of it . If you ‘ re an actor , you should do it for the art of it not because you want to be a celebrity . We see it all the time , real actors stay out of the spotlight and work everyday at honing their craft , but wanna-be actors don ’ t want to do the work to be a great actor , they just want to be photographed on the red carpet because all they really care about is being famous .
If you ’ re a publicist starting out , ask yourself , what are you passionate about ? If your answer is Publicity , then you ’ re on the right track . It may look like a fun job ( which it can be ), but the truth is it ’ s a lot of hard work , long hours and at times , very stressful . So you really have to have thick skin and really love what you do , otherwise , you will not be successful .
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