Ms. Santiago: (Regarding the controversy surrounding the use of a Cuban-American accent to portray her character on "Good Morning, Miami")That accent adds to my character, just like Megan Mullally's choice to have her voice eight octaves higher than what it normally is [on Will & Grace]. That may be misconstrued as stereotypical, but it's just a character choice. And it's funny.
Tessie: I am Cuban. I'm from Miami and I found it very funny.
Tessie: Having a comedic role is a nice change-of-pace for me.
Tessie: There was a time when people couldn't even fathom the idea of a woman fighting. Now, people love to see a woman in a position of power.
Tessie: That accent adds to my character, just like Megan Mullally's choice to have her voice eight octaves higher than what it normally is.
Tessie: Miami Cubans are going to love it that one of us is on TV.
Tessie: I have a lot of friends that are like my character, mostly relatives.
Tessie: I come from a long line of strong women, I took to the whip pretty quickly.
Tessie: That may be misconstrued as stereotypical, but it's just a character choice. And it's funny.
Tessie: We're a comedy. It's heightened reality.
Tessie: Queen of Swords was my first professional job out of college and it was a lot of fun and hard work overseas.
Tessie: When I was growing up, I was put into ballet and piano, things that were considered to be girl stuff. But now so many little girls come up to me on the set and say, ' I want my mommy to put me in fencing.'
Tessie played the character Jennifer in Michael Curtis' UPN Pilot Old School aka The Originals in the 2003-2004 US TV season. The woman who played Xena's daughter, Adrienne Wilkinson, also tried out for that role.
Tessie starred in the stage version of Love Allways in Miami in 1997.
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