Interview by Marie-Pauline Cesari & Jana Letonja

Sol Romero is an actress and international recording artist from Mexico City. She’s appeared in such films as ‘Casino Royale’, ‘The Legend of Zorro’, ‘Edge of Darkness’ and most recently ‘Memory’. Sol became an instant sensation in Switzerland when she released her hit single ‘Turn It Up’ in 2015, which shot straight into the top ten on the Swiss music charts, followed immediately with the release of ‘Money Makes the World Go Round’featuring renowned rapper French Montana.

Sol you are a complete artist, from singing to performing. You started your career as a singer. Can you tell us how did it all start? 

A friend of mine knew I loved to sing and write poetry. He actually helped me compose a song called ‘I’m Missing You’. That’s pretty much how it all started.

Your single ‘Turn It Up‘ was an international hit in 2015. Did you anticipate such success? 

No, actually I didn’t. It was really out of the blue. I was so happy and very excited. And I was very grateful.

You were the double of Eva Mendes in ‘Once Upon A Time in Mexico’. Can you tell us about this experience? 

It was so fun. I think that was the one I loved the most so far, because I had no idea what I was doing. I met Johnny Depp, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and so many more. We were in San Miguel de Allende, so I knew there were a ton of parties. But I was young, so I wasn’t allowed to go to any of them. 

What inspired you to pursue an acting career after that experience and how did you make the transition from singing to acting?

I’ve always loved doing both. When I was acting, it was kind of like I knew a bunch of people that were doing the casting. And once you start working on one movie, you then get into this role where you meet the other casting directors and you ask them if they have anything new coming up. That’s pretty much how it went. Then when I got pregnant, I didn’t really have much time to do any more acting. I was in the US and nobody told me that I had to have a green card to keep working, so I kept auditioning.  

You’ve starred in ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘The Legend of Zorro’, alongside Daniel Craig and Antonio Banderas respectively. What was it like working with actors of such high caliber?

On ‘The Legend of Zorro’ I only worked with Catherine Zeta Jones. I was an extra. With ‘Casino Royale’, I was already dating Martin, the director, so it was an unusual experience because I didn’t have any friends on set and they all thought I was the odd one with dating the director.

What is your favorite film you have ever been in? 

Favorite was ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico’.

You collaborated with French Montana on ‘Money Makes the World Go Round‘ in 2015. Can you tell us about that collaboration and what do you love most about collaborating with other artists?

They always bring something new. And you don’t really know what will help you grow better as an artist until afterward. 

Your most recent single ‘Te Quiero Asi’ was released earlier this year. You produced it with the legendary producer Humberto Gatica, who is known for his work with Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. How was it working with a legend like him?

He is such a professional. I was nervous at the beginning, but after a while it turned into a lot of fun. He definitely helped me see a lot of things. The work had to be done well to ensure it was top-notch. I loved it. It was really nice. 

What inspires you when you’re writing songs?

When I’m depressed, actually. Writing makes me happy.

Sol, what’s next for you? Are you focusing more on music or more on new acting projects?

I have a few musical projects I need to finish, so I’ll definitely be working on that.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Sol Romero