All photos by Becki Smithouse Photography
Lead actress in the CW comedy-drama series, Jane the Virgin and Founder of I Can & I Will Productions, Gina Rodriguez truly fits the mold of being a WorkParty starter.
Coming from a childhood in Chicago, Gina stays humble with her success and is passionate about offering other women opportunities every chance she gets. One of our favorite quotes of the day?
"Pass the plate to your homegirl and we'll all fucking eat.”
“They talk about the boys club right, but where’s the girls club?”
As the keynote at the Fossil Pop-Up, Gina’s passion for female empowerment was contagious. When speaking on the success of Jane the Virgin, Gina mentioned, “What is so amazing about Jane the Virgin isn’t JUST that Jane is a Latina, but she’s a woman.” Growing up, Gina noticed the lack of representation in the media and looked at it as an open opportunity to show what she can do in the industry. Reflecting on the success of the recent box office hit, Black Panther, she said moments of representation so powerful like this, prove that you can never tell us that we are not profitable. You can never tell us that people do not wha
“You can never tell us that we are not profitable. You can never tell us that people do not want to see our stories.”
Gina’s recent directorial debut was a game changer. Reflecting on the many second chances that men in the entertainment industry are often provided, she knew that when her opportunity arose, it was now or never.
“I knew that when I got the opportunity to direct, I needed to come SO correct that I couldn’t be denied.”
And she did. The episode of Jane the Virgin that Gina directed did numbers.
Check out more mic drop moments from Gina at #ccxfossil below:
“I do not do anything alone. I have an amazing group of people on my team who lead me and follow me.”
“I’ve never arrived, I’m constantly a student. I’m very humbled by that.”
“I want to create art that liberates people.”
“With art, we have the ability to create tolerance and opportunity and spread love.”
“The blessing of the journey is the reminder that there are human beings trying to rise above all the hate in the world.”
“Kindness goes a long way.”
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