“I’ll be honest. When the case was airing, I wasn’t really paying attention. I thought ‘Oh, another celebrity case.” But it did strike me how Camille Vasquez was so captivating and I did pay attention to her because I thought it was so interesting how there was a case involving two huge celebrities and the spotlight was on her.

It was all because of her professionalism and how well she was doing her job. I thought that it was beautiful that she was a Latina and how well she was performing.”

“Last year, I made a Christmas movie that will be released this December with the same production company. One of the executive producers sent me a personal email, not through my team or my agents, and I saw it in one of my best friend’s wedding in the Dominican Republic. The email read ‘Hey Melissa, we have this top secret project that I would love to see you send a tape for.’ Once I check the information and saw what the role was for, I looked at my husband in shock.

I was shocked for a few reasons. One, the case had concluded like two or three weeks before, so it was very recent, and two, if they were casting already it’s because they wanted to be the first to put something out. We were all waiting for someone to make a production, whether that’s a movie or a limited TV series, it was expected. But for it to happen that fast and for me to get the chance to play Camille Vasquez was a surprise.

The day after the wedding, my husband and I stayed at the hotel instead of hanging out by the pool with everyone else. We recorded my audition tape. This happens to every actor, we get an opportunity and we’re ready for our audition. In this case, I wasn’t ready at all. I didn’t have clothes that worked for a lawyer so I had to text all of my friends and ask if they had a blouse or something. I only had crop tops and bathing suits.

Thank God one of my friends had a blue jacket and a chiffon shirt and with that I made the tape. Two weeks later I was informed that I had the part. In July we started the shoot.”

“No, I haven’t spoken with her although I would have loved to. What I did was sit down to study any interview or appearance of her every night so I could learn her mannerisms. A lot of the film is based on the public information that’s available. In my case, with Camille, it was everything I could find online. Her tone of voice, the way she looked, the way she moved or stood up. That was my study, every night sitting in my room and watching and rewatching, trying to incorporate her mannerisms, noticing the little details like the fact that she’s always with a pen in hand. Details that make you identify her.

“No and I’m very nervous. I’ll see it with everyone else, this Friday September 30th. I’m excited but also nervous.”

“What I liked most about her and what I could identify most with as a woman was the fact that many times they tell us that we have to be quiet and soft, and that we can’t address things forcefully. I have a very strong character, something that has caused problems (laughs). I could identify with her because of that. I saw how beautiful it was that she could do be that way within her profession, which asks for that strength. It caught my attention how certain she was when speaking, how she was so sure of everything she said and wasn’t intimidated to be seen as a strong woman.

When I shared the news on my social media, I said that I thought she was an inspiring latina, and some people disagreed. But I think it’s all about perspective. To me, it’s inspiring to see a woman who’s sure of herself, someone who is rooted in her strength. I think she’s an inspiration for young women who want to be lawyers, for people that think that they can’t be strong, that they can’t say what they want to say. But you can.”

“That was a little intimidating. Most of the time, when these types of movies are out, the people that are being portrayed are already dead or they’re not around. This time, these people are alive and you know they can see the movie. I would expect her to sit down with a drink and watch the film with her family.

It was fun to stand behind the podium at court and to wear similar outfits to Camille. Once you’re in the character’s outfit, hair and makeup, something takes a hold of you. I always had a black folder with documents that helped me connect with her, which I carried to the podium and everywhere else.

When you’re there and you see the actor dressed as Johnny Depp (Mark Hapka) or the girl who plays Amber (Megan Davis), there’s certain moments where you go like ‘Oh my God,’ because they look so much like them and because of the way they’re speaking. It’s crazy but it’s also the beautiful part of being an actor and being able to share stories and embody lives that are different from ours.”

“In terms of dying my hair, no. But I had extensions in June for my friend’s wedding and I was so excited about them and I had to remove them for the film. For production, I used other extensions to make my hair more voluminous.”

“No, never. People have told me I look like Meghan Markle, I have a lot of photos that compare the two of us.

I saw a photo of myself styled as Camille and I saw that there is a resemblance. But when the trial was on the news it never crossed my mind and I think about the producer and the casting team who had that vision and now I understand it.”

I would tell her that this project was made with a lot of respect and that I hope she feels that I, as an actress, put a lot of love in trying to portray her in the most correct and just way. I would thank her for standing up so firmly and confidently in from of the world, as a Latina and as a professional.

At the end of the day, she was an example for a lot of people, a lot of women and young people, including myself.”