Jessica Marie Garcia Never Thought Working With Gina Rodriguez Would Be Possible

Jessica Marie Garcia is having quite the year already!

The actress is most known for her roles on Liv & Maddie and On My Block, but she’s also going to be a part of the new Disney+ series Diary of a Future President.

JJJ spoke with Jessica about her hit Netflix show, as well as her part in the new Disney+ show, where she got to work with one of her heroes, Gina Rodriguez. We also got the scoop on her red carpet looks and more.

“I have admired Gina’s career so much that I didn’t think working with her was on the realm of possibilities,” Jessica told us. “It still baffles me to think she directed me in an episode.”

Diary of a Future President premieres TODAY (January 17) on Disney+, and On My Block season three will premiere on Netflix this spring!

Click inside for Just Jared Jr’s full interview with Jessica Marie Garcia…

Just Jared Jr: How has On My Block changed your life?
Jessica Marie Garcia: It has definitely made some public outings more interesting. Haha. Our fans are incredible and all over the globe, so getting to meet them wherever I go and learn how the show has touched them has been unbelievable. This show has changed my life in so many ways, whether it’s meeting my favorite stars and finding out they are big fans of the show, or creating a new familia with this amazing cast and crew. It’s been a surreal ride so far.

JJJ: What’s your favorite part about playing Jasmine?
JMG: I love her vulnerability. That may not be the answer you’d expect with how crazy she can be publicly, but there is so much more to her than the “bigger than life” persona she puts on. She’s got a huge heart that loves hard and it can break even harder.

JJJ: What’s the hardest part about playing her?
JMG: Having to have “Jasmine energy” at 5am. Haha. But also being reminded how hard high school can be, especially for those who get labeled for just not marching to the same beat as everyone else.

JJJ: Have you pulled from real life experiences for role? Does any of your real life relate to Jasmine?
JMG: Absolutely. And I think that it scared me at first. I’ve always said the joke before I could be the joke. I was picked on for my weight, my hair, my teeth, my psoriasis – everything. But that never stopped me from finding the confidence in myself to be bright, to love out loud, and to pursue my dreams. Jasmine and I would be BFFs. We’d have necklaces and everything.

JJJ: What does it mean to you to be a part of a show like On My Block?
JMG: It’s overwhelming to think about sometimes. I wanted a show like this growing up so badly, to have someone who looked like me on the TV screen that I so desperately wished to be on. And it’s hard to aspire to be something you haven’t really seen. So just the fact that I’m on a show that celebrates friendships and families that look like mine, is so beautiful.

JJJ: What’s your favorite behind-the-scenes moment?
JMG: Oh, wow. How much time do you have? We have so much fun on and off camera that it shouldn’t really be called “work”. I have the most fun when I’m shooting a scene with the comedy genius that is BRETT GRAY! We just try so hard to make each other laugh in a scene, and it has made for some bloopers that I pray never see the light of day!

JJJ: What can we expect from season three?
JMG: It’s my favorite season! It has so many twists and turns, and then there’s loads of drama that’ll only be drowned out with laughter. It has all of the things and I hope the fans LOVE IT!

JJJ: Tell us about your Diary of a Future President character?
JMG: Her name is Camila. She’s Gabi’s paralegal and very close friend to her and the kids. She’s quick, her whit is sharp, but not as sharp as her highlighter. Makeup is always on point. Which does not help cover up the fact that she’s hiding her true self from her family. Camila has an amazing girlfriend named Danielle and she’s too scared of her “old school” thinking Mexican parents to tell them about her.

JJJ: What can we expect from the show?
JMG: It’s going to give you all the feels. This family is so beautiful and real that so many other families are going to relate to so much of what they go through. I’m again so jealous that I’m not 12 watching a little girl that looks like me balance middle school, big dreams, and family losses and victories. But I’m also so thrilled that other kids will.

JJJ: What was it like stepping back into a Disney project?
JMG: Felt like home. I had the most fun on Liv And Maddie, and owe my best friends in the whole world to that show that it’s almost like we never stopped. Disney has always been such an incredible home for me that coming back just felt so right.

JJJ: You have said Gina Rodriguez is one of your heroes, what was it like working with her?
JMG: I have admired Gina’s career so much that I didn’t think working with her was on the realm of possibilities that it still baffles me to think she directed me in an episode. Her spirit is so contagious on set that her just being there puts everyone in a great mood. I was definitely taking notes for when it’s my turn in the director’s chair someday.

JJJ: What character that you’ve played is most like your real life self?
JMG: They all have a bit of me because it’s almost impossible to not use some of yourself to mold characters, but Jasmine for sure. Guilty as charged.

JJJ: You have played an array of characters, is there something you want to do that you haven’t already done?
JMG: I want to do darker roles. Either a crazy drama where I get to spread my acting wings a bit, or I would also love to play the villain.

JJJ: If you could guest star or join the cast of any other show, which would it be?
JMG: That’s hard because there are so many incredible shows on right now. I really love Insecure and Euphoria.

JJJ: Do you have any other projects coming up?
JMG: I am currently writing a little something something that is in early development, so stay tuned please!

JJJ: You’re red carpet game is on point. How do you choose your looks?
JMG: First off, bless you for noticing. I love fashion so much and am hoping to do more in that world in the future. I also have an amazing stylist named Monica Cargile who really knows my body and wants to celebrate my curves with fun fashion instead of hiding it in boring or safe silhouettes. It’s hard out there for a curvy girl to find carpet ready clothes that don’t make you fall asleep putting it on, so I’m blessed to have found Monica who looks outside the box and then we bring it to the queen of a sewing machine, Michelle Thomas, who tailors that biatch to my body perfectly. It takes a literal village.

JJJ: What’s been your favorite one?
JMG: Oh, by farrrrrr it’s my Melissa Mercedes black see through gown that I wore for the Strangers Things season 3 premiere when I hosted the red carpet for Netflix. I never wanted to take it off. (You can check it out right here!)

JJJ: What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
JMG: Watching all the reality shows I can get my tea loving hands on, and hosting my friends over at our house. I love to cook and host little parties for my friends. I also love decorating my home or other people’s spaces. Interior design is a new love of mine.

JJJ: If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing?
JMG: Directing, writing, and producing films and TV. Everything it takes to make a film or a show is so fascinating to me and in my soul, I would have to be involved somehow. But, if it had to be out of entertainment, then I would love to be a Psychologist, because the human mind and why we are the way we are fascinates me. Or an Egyptologist, because I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt and have always loved learning about Ancient Egyptian history.