Actress Martha Millan On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Don’t take things personally. I felt like every rejection was an attack on me as a person, and I think it’s natural to feel that way, especially as an actor. But always remind yourself it’s the business side of things, and that in the end…tell yourself it’s their loss because the perfect role for you is just around the corner.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Martha Millan.
Multi-faceted and talented Australian-Filipino actress Martha Millan (“The OA”) stars in the main cast as ‘Fiona Da La Rosa’ in FOX’s upcoming drama series “The Cleaning Lady.” From executive producers Miranda Kwok (“The 100”), Melissa Carter (“Queen Sugar”), Michael Offer (“Homeland,” “How to Get Away with Murder”), and Shay Mitchell (“You,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and based on the 2017 Argentinian show “La Chica Que Limpia,” “The Cleaning Lady” is a thrilling and emotional driven character drama about a whip-smart Cambodian doctor (Elodie Yung) who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her ailing son. However, when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized. Instead, she becomes a cleaning lady for organized crime using her cunning and intelligence to forge her own path in the criminal world. The new FOX drama series is the first ever American TV show focusing on Filipinos. “The Cleaning Lady” airs Monday nights at 9/8c on FOX.
‘Fiona De La Rosa’ is the Filipina sister-in-law and fellow cleaning lady of ‘Thony’ (Yung) who is undocumented in the US while raising her children as a single parent. Fiona struggles dealing with the hardships of being undocumented while helping Thony in her journey to save her ailing son. Martha describes her character as “a fun, emotionally volatile and chaotic hot mess, but her journey throughout the series is one of empowerment and strength while helping Thony save her son’s life. Both women show true resilience as we follow them in their plight to give their children the best they can under extraordinary circumstances.”
Best known for her work in “The OA,” Millan has also appeared in several recurring and guest roles on “Succession,” “Entourage,” “Madam Secretary,” “Strong Medicine,” “The Third Watch,” and all three primary shows of the “Law & Order” franchise. On the silver screen, Millan has starred in THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL with Maggie Gyllenhaal and the recently released indie film THE DRUMMER alongside Danny Glover.
Born in the Philippines, Millan moved to Australia at 4 years old and grew up in Sydney. She discovered her love for acting when she decided to take acting as an elective and performed in her first play in high school as Gwendolen in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Millan attended the University of Sydney where she studied English and History before deferring a year and ending up in Los Angeles attending the LA campus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. While taking a trip to New York, she auditioned and was accepted by the original American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City where she eventually graduated. Millan has since been a true New Yorker at heart. While booking acting jobs, Millan had great success in modeling and have done endless national print and commercial work for Verizon, AT&T, Target, Clairol, Home Depot, and more, in addition to fashion/editorial work.
Alongside acting, Millan is also an acting teacher for children. She previously taught acting in extracurricular and after school programs for Brooklyn public schools until COVID hit which led her to create her own global online drama education program for children aged 10–16 years old who are based all over the world. Martha is also a world traveler and have visited a plethora of countries such as Spain, Greece, Aruba, Peru, Indonesia, Guatemala, Panama, and Mexico, to name a few. As an active and athletic child, Martha continues to stay healthy and fit by running daily and practicing high intensity training. Martha is an advocate for diversity and is proud to be starring on a series portraying Filipinos.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in the Philippines and moved to Australia when I was 4 years old. I grew up with parents of a strong and traditional immigrant work ethic and it’s something that’s been strongly instilled in both my sister and me to this day. I grew up competing in a variety of sports, mainly to channel my excess energy and anger from the racism I experienced as a child. It taught me to focus on my strengths and ignore the judgments surrounding me. I saw my parents handle many situations with grace and dignity, but never forgot the hurt they tried to hide from us. Despite it all, my parents taught us to fully embrace Australia and the sacrifices they made to give us better opportunities, without forgetting our Filipino heritage, and to this day, we are all very proud Aussie-Filipinos!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was in grade 12 about to graduate from High School, and it was during that year that I decided to take Acting as an extra elective subject. I remember playing the role of “Gwendolen” in the “Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde and I was hooked immediately.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Booking the role of “Fiona” in The Cleaning Lady. It was during pre-vaccine Covid last year, in November 2020, and I had to send in a self-tape for the role. Living in New York, there’s always noise, and that day there was a lot of construction happening along my street, so I decided to move my blue screen, selfie light, and phone into my tiny bathroom and taped the audition there with my sister. Surprisingly, I got a callback and of course, that day there was a jackhammer blaring right outside my apartment, so I had to shift everything again in the bathroom for the “live” callback with the director. During the audition, he asked where I was zooming from…(meaning which city) and I just blurted out “my bathroom.” My sister was my reader at the time and her jaw just dropped hearing my admission I was in my bathroom! Luckily, Michael Offer was amused and it actually calmed my nerves. Still, we ran into some issues, since he wanted to see me move around, and obviously, being in my tiny New York bathroom, cramped with my blue screen, I could barely move around. Michael was patiently intrigued since all he could see was my blue screen and not the teeny tiny bathroom. After all that, I got another callback for a chemistry read and this time, there was a specific request for me NOT to be in my bathroom. The gods were on my side with nothing but birds chirping the day of the chemistry read with Elodie, and I was finally able to audition in my living room…and then after weeks of waiting, I booked the role. But it all started in my bathroom!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Piggy-backing on my previous answer…Telling the director you’re in your bathroom auditioning. I learned to always make light of whatever situation you’re in, and make the best of it!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Tell us about your role on “The Cleaning Lady.”
I have a film that was recently released starring Danny Glover, called The Drummer. It was exciting working with him since for me I was a big fan of Lethal Weapon and his famous line “I’m too old for this $%*!” is currently my new mantra! I have a small role as a journalist in the film and most of my scenes are with Danny Glover, so that was incredibly exciting.
In The Cleaning Lady, I play Fiona De La Rosa, Thony’s undocumented sister-in-law. Fiona’s character deals with the hardships of being undocumented while helping Thony in her journey to save her son. Both women show true resilience as we follow them in their plight to give their children the best they can under such extraordinary circumstances. My character is a fun, emotionally volatile, and chaotic hot mess. But Fiona’s journey throughout the series is one of empowerment and strength while helping Thony save her son’s life.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I’ve been at this for a long time, and it’s only in the last year that I started enjoying my craft again. I think it’s always a challenge to balance art and commerce…especially with acting. The business side of things can really bring you down, especially when you’re not booking, and you end up not liking what you do anymore, because of the rejection. I found my imagination again, and that’s where it all boils down to. My advice is to constantly keep your eye on the prize on whatever you want, just focus on that no matter what, but find the fun in doing it. That’s the key…fun. That’s something so important to me, having fun doing what you love. I know it’s easier said than done, but everyone has their own process …
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Representation is key in this ever-evolving world. If we don’t change the imbalance we’re not evolving. The only constant thing is change, and if we don’t change with the times there are consequences to holding on to things that no longer represent who we are.
So that people can relate to the characters and stories they watch.
For a better understanding of each other and the different cultures we represent.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
How to deal with rejection…so that we can move on to the next booking! I just remember not dealing with the pain of the rejection and would end up in denial and carrying it around with me to the next audition. My advice…Go cry, punch a bag, go for a run, whatever it takes for you to express that pain so that you can get it out of your system and move on to the next audition or booking!
Don’t take things personally. I felt like every rejection was an attack on me as a person, and I think it’s natural to feel that way, especially as an actor. But always remind yourself it’s the business side of things, and that in the end…tell yourself it’s their loss because the perfect role for you is just around the corner.
To trust your first instincts as an actor. I always think that’s your only lifeline to the inner you of what you’re supposed to do at that moment. Instincts and intuition are yours and yours alone…so the choices you make will always be unique that no one else can replicate.
and 5. I’m still wishing someone would’ve told me to just have fun with it all!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I would focus on the work, make strong choices that are instinctive only to you and try to find a way to enjoy the process. It’s easier said than done, but in the last year, I’ve learned to focus on feeling good about the choices I make during my performances and having fun in the process. For me, fun is the key, I’ve spent so many years beating myself up about where I should be in my career or second-guessing the choices I made during auditions, and in the end, beating yourself up about everything will get you nowhere. Celebrate every little success you achieve no matter what it is, and be super kind to yourself in every way..”treat yo’ self!” Find a way to love what you’re doing and be proud that you’re an actor. We have the luxury to use our imagination as our job! Imagination is the key to everything, keep using that muscle, even when it comes to your dreams and aspirations and you’ll begin to trust your instincts again.
You are a person of influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I always believe to respect and find the good in everyone you meet and in your own unique way, give them all the positive energy you would want to experience from someone. This kind of energy is infectious. But also know when to walk away from those unwilling to give and receive. It’s also about respecting yourself. The bottom line is to respect and love yourself and others.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My parents, my sister, my manager, and everyone who gave me a chance. They have all seen me through personal heartbreak, hardships, and breakthroughs. Even when I gave up on myself as an actress, all of them never stopped believing in me. So I’m forever grateful for their patience, kindness, and boundless support!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I came across Neville Goddard, and what he taught resonated and affected me deeply at a time when I basically gave up on my career as an actor. His work has inspired me so much that I apply his teachings to all aspects of my life.
“Think feelingly only of the state you desire to realize. Feeling the reality of the state sought and living and acting on that conviction is the way of all seeming miracles. All changes of expression are brought about through a change of feeling. A change of feeling is a change of destiny.”
― Neville Goddard, Feeling Is The Secret
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Keanu Reeves! What can I say?… Childhood crush. His sweet-goofy humbleness, intellectual humility, and authentic kindness as a person are just so bloody appealing…how can you not want to have lunch with this person?
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m terrible with social media, all I do is retweet on Twitter and I’m finally improving my selfie-taking for my Instagram posts. I’ve never been one to share too much about my personal life in pictures, but I’m happy to share all the amazing moments I’ve had while working on The Cleaning Lady. I’m slowly learning to share other moments of my life…I’m hesitating to post this impromptu public dance session in Las Vegas during our last days of shooting…but I guess what happens in Vegas..stays in Vegas?
https://www.instagram.com/marthamillannyc/
Twitter: @millan_nyc
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
