Jackie Cruz Biography

Fast Facts

• Inspired to become an entertainer at age 7 after watching Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard
• Her mother moved to Los Angeles from New York so she could pursue her dream
• Featured in girl group Krush Velvet during high school
• They worked with will
• i
• am's producers, but never got signed
• Released her solo debut album, Hollywood Gypsy in 2010
• Was working as a waitress at Lavo in New York City when cast as Marisol "Flaca" Gonzales on Orange Is The New Black and continued to work even after filming the series
• Launched her own web series #SoloJackie on Vivala, where she documents her passions including fashion and music
• Appears as an inspirational speaker with her own Ted Talks Speech on Cruising through Adversity and has undertaken a university tour