Jackie Cruz is known for her role as Marisol Flaca Gonzales on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black.
When Khloe and Kourtney "took" Miami in 2009, Kourtney also took some lessons in lady-on-lady love from Orange Is The New Black's Flaca.
"I kissed a girl and I liked it" plays in background
And somehow Kourtney and Jackie ended up in the same Miami art class by chance.
In an interview with Hollywood Gypsy, Cruz says she didn't audition for the role:
"I always wanted to take art classes and I always passed by this art school on Lincoln road. I decided to sign up and Kourtney was in my class. It was all very random. I thought she was really funny and we hit it off quite well."
A friendship began.
A friendship that turned romantic for at least one night of steamy television.
Jackie Cruz From ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Dropped Jaws By Putting Her Amazing Boobs On Display
Born Name Jackie Cruz
Nick Name Jackie, Jackie Chavez
Occupation Actress singer model
Born: August 8, 1986, 33 years and 11 months, Queens, New York City, United States
Sun Sign Leo
Hair Color Dark Brown
Eye Color Dark Brown
Height 5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
Measurement 37-24-36 inches (94-61-91 cm)
Bra size 34DD
Genre Pop
Instruments Vocals
Ethnicity
Jackie has Dominican Republic ancestry.
Distinctive Features
Often seen wearing a nose ring
The front fringes of Jackie hair and her signature hairstyle.
Education
Jackie studied at the Hamilton Music Academy.
Manager
The Katz Company manages Jackie Cruz.
Brand Endorsements
Jackie has endorsed the following brands –
Kiehl
Casper
DonJulio
Early life
Cruz and grew up between Los Angeles and in Santiago, Dominican Republic. She was raised by a single mother, and she speaks fluent English and Spanish. Cruz was inspired to become an entertainer at the age of seven after watching Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard.
At age 16, Cruz moved out of her mother apartment and became homeless. When she was 17, she was the victim of a car accident where she suffered a collapsed lung, fell into a coma and required brain surgery. Her song Sweet Sixteen is based on the incident.
Jackie Cruz with actress Diane Guerrero
Music career
When Cruz was in high school, she worked with will.i.am producers in a girl group called Krush Velvet, although the group never got signed to a record label. Her debut extended play, Hollywood Gypsy, was released independently in 2010.
On 7/17/17 Cruz released a music video with Mona Haydar entitled Dog. Amongst other vocals, Cruz joins Haydar in the chorus chanting He a dog. The content of the song is an attempt to raise awareness and comment on patriarchy and violence against women.
Acting career
In 2009, Cruz began making appearances on the E! television series Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami. She and Kourtney Kardashian became friends after meeting in an art class, which led to further appearances on the series. In one episode, Cruz and Kardashian were filmed kissing, an incident that Kardashian later stated she was so embarrassed by. Although Cruz initially stated that she and Kardashian remained friends following the incident, Kardashian later stated that she can never talk to Cruz again.
Cruz cites Rita Moreno as an acting influence.
Orange Is the New Black
Cruz was working as a model[8] as well as a waitress at New York City restaurant Lavo before she was cast as Marisol Flaca Gonzales on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black; and she briefly continued both previous jobs while filming the series, whose hours led to her being kind of fired from Lavo. Originally a recurring character for the first three seasons, it was announced in April 2015 that she would be promoted to series regular for the fourth season.
Personal life
In January 2016, Cruz told AfterEllen.com: I like the person whether it a woman—we don’t like to be labeled. I’m in a relationship with a man right now, but I’ve liked women in the past. So I guess we don’t want to be labeled. We don’t really talk about it, but the actions speak louder than words, am I right? So you’re seeing it. You’re living it.
As a Singer
Jackie released her first EP independently in 2010 called Hollywood Gypsy.
First Film
Jackie made her first theatrical movie appearance in the drama film 13 Steps in 2016. She played the character Izar.
First TV Show
In 2007, Jackie made her television show debut as Graciela in drama series The Shield.
Personal Trainer
Jackie trains with Michael and celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser. Her workouts are usually high on energy and are fun filled. Jackie occasionally shares pictures of her work out on Instagram. She also does interval training and incorporates dancing into her workout routine.
Jackie dislikes running in particular and even running on the treadmill. She finds it time-consuming and tedious. Her workouts are more resistance based including tic-tac abdominal exercise, donkey kicks with the help of a resistance band amongst other exercises.
Jackie Cruz Favorite Things
Artist – Elvis Presley, Etta James, Tracy Chapman, Elvis Costello, and Fiona Apple
Make-up Products – Chantecaille Le Stylo Ultra Slim Liquid Eyeliner, MAC matte lipsticks, Living Luminizer by RMS beauty
Skincare Product – Virtual Medspa by Theresa Pinson
Eatery – Sake Bar Decibel
Selena Gomez Song – Como La Flor
Jackie Cruz Facts
She is bi-lingual and can speak English and Spanish fluently.
Her celebrity crush is Johnny Depp.
Although she was born in New York, she was primarily raised in the Dominican Republic and California.
She worked as a waitress in a restaurant in New York City called “Lavo” when she was a recurring character on Orange Is the New Black. The extensive and long hours of shooting eventually got her fired.
Jackie is a TEDx speaker.
She was not a regular cast member on Orange is the New Black until the 4th season.
She decided to choose acting as her profession at the age of 7 after she saw Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard.
Jackie mother left her education to be a doctor mid-way to help Jackie relocate and pursue her dream of being an actress.
She had a car accident when her friend was trying to race with another car which left her in a coma for 72 hours.
Jackie has two pet dogs named Elvis and Picasso, who have their own Instagram pages.
She is a member of the band Crosby Street and was previously part of an all-girl band called Krush Velvet.