Adriana Camposano chats about Orange Is The New Black, Chicken Girls, social media presence and more in this Exclusive Interview.
We caught up with actress Adriana Camposano to chat about her career so far, including Orange Is The New Black and Chicken Girls. Adriana portrayed ‘Lucy Diaz’ in the former and recently recurred as “Poppy” in the latter.
However, we also discuss Adriana’s status as an influencer. Namely, her substantial Instagram following. How does this impact young actors/actresses? Is having a strong social media presence crucial for young actors in today’s world?
Read on below for Adriana’s interview with Courageous Nerd. Or, check out the video version on YouTube, which is linked below.
You played ‘Lucy Diaz’ in multiple episodes of Orange Is The New Black across several seasons. Being as young as you were during your appearances, have you ever watched Orange Is The New Black?
Adriana Camposano: I was never allowed to watch the show, obviously, being so young. I watched the scenes I was in. I probably can watch it now and maybe I will someday. Maybe it will give me more of an understanding of my character. It’s kind of hard, not really knowing the whole storyline. So, hopefully.
I think I had a pretty good understanding of my family’s storyline, in that sense. I just didn’t know everything else going on. There are a lot of different plots going on all at once. I understood my situation and it was good to know. It definitely helps while playing a character to actually know what’s going on.
More recently, you played “Poppy” in Season 9 of web series Chicken Girls. How would you describe Poppy? Is she similar/different to you in real life?
Adriana Camposano: Poppy is very free-spirited, super optimistic and always there for her friends. People kind of think she’s in her own world. I don’t know if you know “Cat” from Victorious (Ariana Grande), but kind of like that. Everyone thinks she’s annoying but secretly likes her.
I would say we’re different because I don’t resemble that very much. But, I do think I’m optimistic and always there for my friends, in a different type of way.
It was fun getting to play someone a little bit different from me. I don’t know, it brings out a different side of me that I would never portray as myself. Sometimes, I get inspired by the characters I play. Poppy’s very into astrology and stuff like that. I’ve even started to learn about that stuff and found it really interesting. That’s pretty cool, seeing those similarities.
Aside from portraying “Poppy”, how would you describe your time filming Season 9 of the show? How close did you get with the other cast members?
Adriana Camposano: It was, like, my favourite time ever. I had such a blast with the whole cast and the crew members as well. They were all so amazing, welcoming and loving when I first entered the set. We all just became best friends right away. I actually went to Disney World for my birthday in October, which is a month after we filmed.
I went with the cast, that’s how close we got. It was just a really amazing experience, a different character than the ones I’d played before. So, yeah, I had a really good time. I’m looking forward to hopefully continuing Poppy’s journey.
In addition, you’re also in the upcoming Hulu pilot Olga Dies Dreaming which stars Aubrey Plaza. Who do you play in this project and what can you tell us about it?
Adriana Camposano: I really don’t know what I can say, I don’t think I can say much. But, I think I can say that I play young Audrey Plaza – Young Olga. I think we’re waiting for the show to get picked up and hopefully see what happens from there. So far, we’ve filmed the pilot episode and that’s all I really know. That’s all I can really say, I don’t know much either.
Meanwhile, you’re also the lead in Laurina, a film documentary. How would you describe this project? Where can people see it once it’s out?
Adriana Camposano: Laurina is a short film and it’s a very powerful story. It’s about a very serious topic and is very inspiring. I’m really excited for the story to be shared. It’s so important for young kids to know it’s okay to use their voice and how important it is to share your story. Especially this being such a time period where no one said anything or believed victims.
It was very powerful and I had the most amazing time filming it. I’ve learned so much. Getting to be with the cast and crew members, that whole experience was so surreal. I’m so excited for it to be shared.
As well as acting, you also have over 45 thousand Instagram followers. Being a young actor, how important is maintaining a strong social media presence/following?
Adriana Camposano: I think it’s very important. I’ve started using my voice a lot more and advocating for things I believe are right. Things I want to share… I have a platform I can use to educate people or just share my own opinions. You know, I have every right to. I think it’s super important to share all of that.
Also, just show people my life and everyday things. People are only seeing me on TV, it’s nice to see what [actors] are doing on a normal day. I like sharing that side of me, too.
Lastly, what do you hope to accomplish with the rest of 2022?
Adriana Camposano: It’s pilot season right now, so I’m just going to get ready for that. Continue to train, audition and see what happens. Hopefully, this Hulu series gets picked up and Chicken Girls continues with more seasons.
