INTERVIEW: 'The 5th Wave' Star GABRIELA LOPEZ

Photo credit: Lesley Bryce

"Commit to your dreams."

This inspirational quote is the singular statement found on Gabriela Lopez's twitter bio. The rising actress (best known for the ABC TV Movie Teen Spirit) is hitting the silver screen this weekend in the highly anticipated film, The 5th Wave.

HYC caught up with Gabriela and discussed getting back into a "teenage vibe" for her role, making playlists to prepare and working with Chloe Grace Moretz.

RP: What do you love most about acting?

GL: Getting to experience what it is like in someone else's shoes. I love being able to step back and see us all as One, in humanity and developing compassion from different points of view.

RP: Who is your dream costar and why?

GL: I am going to go with Meryl Streep because she is the queen of acting and I would love to watch and learn from her. No explanation needed there.

RP: Definitely none needed. I think that's everyone's dream. What is the best advice you've ever gotten in this business and from whom did you receive it?

GL: My coach, Doug Warhit, says to always use yourself. The best characters are a marriage of the character and yourself. It propelled me into a deeper relationship with myself and to work on me and know myself more and that helped me become a better actor...which is a continuous journey since we are always evolving as humans. Business wise my agent, Gwenn Pepper, and my manager, Jered Servello, have reminded me over the years to hang in there. That I am in this for the long haul and my time is coming. That is some of the best advice that I have been told.

RP: Congratulations on The 5th Wave! Can you tell me a bit about your role and how you got involved?

GL: I play Lizbeth, Cassie Sullivan’s (Chloe Grace Moretz) best friend. She is a fun-loving, boy crazed teen. I just went through the normal auditioning process. When I got the callback, I had to fly in on a red eye. I was a bit disheveled but was put on avail soon after I left. It was such a quick process between the audition and callback, I had yet to look up The 5th Wave. When I found out it was a best selling young adult novel, my excitement amplified. And not just any best-selling young adult novel, but a really freaking good one.

RP: What was your process like while preparing for your role?

GL: I read teenage magazines and listened to music I listened to when I was 16. I did a lot of imagining of what it would be like if the world was ending or being invaded, how it would feel to not accomplish all the things I have always wanted to do. Lizbeth is like, I never get to have sex with a boy, and in my world, not getting to create all the films I want to be apart of evokes that emotion in me. It is an interesting space to play in. I also make playlists for characters I am working on. I am very passionate about music so it is easy for me to be moved by different music.

RP: Did you get to partake in any action scenes?

GL: No, I did not have any action scenes.

RP: The film has talent like Chloë Grace Moretz and Liev Schreiber during the

production. How was that experience for you as an actress?

GL: I did not get to meet Live Schreiber because we worked on different times of filming but I loved working with Chloe. It is so easy to just be present and show up in a scene when someone is a really good actor. I had a blast getting to know her and working with her.

RP: What is your favorite on set memory?

GL: I loved my whole experience filming but one time in particular, Chloe and I were improvising and ended up saying the same thing at the same time in the same way. We did that a couple times. We were like "Get out of my head!”

RP: Any other upcoming projects you'd like to mention?

GL: There are some projects coming up, but I cannot mention them just yet.

RP: To end on an inspiring note, what is your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?

GL: Live your life, follow your heart and commit to your dreams. Do not let anyone else determine your destiny. Always embrace you, all of you. Be weird and never ever give up on what makes you happy :).

RP: Thank you so much, Gabriela! I look forward to seeing the film.

GL: Thank you!

The 5th Wave rolls into theatres tomorrow. Follow Gabriel on Twitter @gabrielajlopez.