Eiza Gonzalez’s role in the upcoming blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong has helped reignite her love for acting.

The Mexican actress plays powerful businesswoman Maya Simmons in the sci-fi fantasy, and Eiza confessed that after years of settling for roles in Hollywood movies, she finally feels like she’s portraying an authentic character.

“I’m honoured that people think of me for projects, but I also feel like it’s exhausting to read this perpetuating cliche. And so (Godzilla) and the character felt like a woman that I could see that I would connect with,” she told WWD.

“To me, it feels like what it is to be a contemporary woman – let alone a contemporary Mexican woman. I like characters that allow women like me to be seen around the world in a different light. And I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” Eiza added.

She also shared her experiences in the movie industry as a young Mexican actress, and the former Nickelodeon star said that she’s finally got the confidence to turn down roles that simply are not right for her.

“I feel like there’s a lot of projection on me of what a Latina woman should be. I felt like I always had to be incredibly grateful for being given an opportunity and be like, ‘This is enough. I should settle for this. This is more than I would ever imagine so I should be really happy,” Eiza explained, noting that during the Covid-19 pandemic, she finally had her lightbulb moment.

“And I think that throughout quarantine, I was able to be like, it’s OK to desire more in a positive way or dream bigger or allow myself to believe that I deserve better. And I think that was something that I wasn’t really connected with when I was a little bit younger,” she shared.

– Cover Media