When adults asked the young Tia Texada what she wanted to be when she grew up, she didn't hesitate - she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
"I either wanted to be a nun, or a hula dancer," she says with a giggle. "Those are the extremes I'd go to. So, I'd practice my hula, and say my prayers."
Picturing the now grown-up Texada as either a nun or a hula dancer may be tricky for the millions of viewers who watch her on Third Watch. As the tough-talking Sgt. Maritza Cruz, a member of an elite anti-crime taskforce, Texada portrays anything but the serenity of a nun or the playfulness of a hula dancer. And, that's just how she likes it.
"My character is quite intense. She's layered. And that's how we are as Latin women. We're layered and we have so much complexity. That's what makes us beautiful."
While Texada's giggle and bright smile confirm she is nothing like her tough-as-nails character, it's clear that she shares her character's multifaceted nature.
The Third Watch star began her parallel career as an actress and singer in the 1990s, earning a major break by singing on the renowned 1995 Lilith Fair tour. Her musical talent eventually led to a bit acting part as a bar room dancer in Robert Rodriguez's 1996 Dusk Till Dawn. Then, in 1998, her sultry voice earned her a larger role, as Ruby/Lupe, in the talking parrot film Paulie. That same year, Dawson Creek's fans could here Texada's sultry voice on the show's soundtrack.
Soon, Texada moved on to supporting roles in the successful motion pictures Bait and Nurse Betty. It wasn't long before Texada had the chance to combine her two loves, music and acting, on screen as one of Mariah Carey's best friends in Glitter (2001). Although Glitter wasn't a box office hit, Texada moved on to the critically acclaimed film 13 Conversations About One Thing and Phone Booth with Colin Farrell.
All of these layers aside, Texada admits that she has little in common with the characters she's played, including her recurring Third Watch part as the stern Sgt. Cruz. Her co-stars agree. "She's like the furthest thing away from Sgt. Cruz. She's like a chameleon," says Third Watch co-star Jason Wiles. "She's like this little bubbly girl, then all of sudden she's Cruz."
Not only are character's personalities quite the opposite from hers, she even looks differently in real life. "People tell me: That doesn't even look like you!" That's the way it should be, she tells us. "Most of the parts I play don't even look like me. I love it. That means I'm doing my job."
Rest assured, none of this success has gone to her head. "She's been all over the place, but she's not like an actress-y type," says one of Texada's closest friends, Corey Roskin, who met Texada eight years ago while in Yoga classes. "She's no diva."
To continue her climb up the showbiz ladder, Texada says she welcomes all offers, but would rather play characters like Sgt. Cruz who reflect Latinas today. But, as a Latina in Hollywood, strong characters don't come around often. "I pick what comes to me," she admits. "It's very difficult, and I'm not afraid to say that. I went in for a role, and I really wanted to play it, but they said I was too ethnic looking for it. I have to accept that."
The few roles that are available for Latinas "usually go to Jennifer, Salma, or Penelope" Texada explains, adding, "Box office is huge. If a role comes up, they're going to want Jennifer because she has great box office appeal. These are things that I'm learning."
But there's a bright side: "Things are starting to change. I'm seeing the changes in the scripts that are coming to me."
The busy actress, of Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, Spanish, and French descent says she caught the acting bug as a child, growing up in Louisiana. "My parents knew, from the time I was little, that acting is what I wanted to do."
After discovering theatre in school, her many talents started coming together. "I became really creative, and then I knew, and my whole family knew that I'd be very creative."
She was doing professional theatre by age 13. "I was so fortunate because my parents were so supportive. I think they wanted me to go to college. I tried. I went for a week."
At 18, she moved into a small apartment in L.A., looking for her big break. She waited tables, taught aerobics, and sold flowers, all while acting at the local theatre at night. Like so many struggling actors say, it wasn't easy. "In this business, you're selling yourself. You're not just selling a product; you're selling yourself. So, when it's rejected, you're rejected. You really have to be strong. I've had my moments that I've been very confused."
Talent and determination, along with her family's support, made her Hollywood dream come true. "When I was about to give up, they were always there to say, 'don't give up. You gotta do what you've gotta do.'"
Texada's busy schedule hasn't stopped her from spending time with her family. She talks to her parents once a week. And, though they lead different lives, Texada and her brother, a jewelry designer, remain the best of friends. When she's not on set, she's traveling the world with her brother Tomas, 32. "We're both adventurous."
Back at work, she starts at 5 a.m. and stays late. "It's long hours, but it's worth it. When people come up to you and say, 'Oh my God, I love that show,' then you know you're doing something interesting."
Texada is also staying true to her career goals, acting in major motion films such as her latest project Spartan, starring actors William H. Macy and Val Kilmer. Her role? A strict cop.
What's next? Name it. Texada also plans to work on her singing and song writing career, working on movie and TV soundtracks. Of course, as a layered artist, she will also concentrate on her acting, looking to star in the next big Hollywood film. "I think Jennifer, Salma, and Penelope have helped all Latin women because when it shows that they can sell movie tickets, then it's like, 'Well, maybe this girl can too.'"
Text by Cathy Areu Jones
