Justina Machado takes a dramatic step forward in her career with the Lifetime movie “Switched Before Birth.” Machado is best known for her comedic roles as Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix and CBS sitcom “One Day at a Time” and Darci Factor in The CW’s “Jane the Virgin.”
Now, Machado is portraying Anna Ramirez, a woman who wishes to become a mother but struggles to conceive. Directed by Elizabeth Rohm, the film premiered on Oct. 23.
View this post on Instagram
“Switched Before Birth” follows Olivia Crawford (Skyler Samuels) and her husband Brian (Bo Yokely), who stretch themselves to financial limits after multiple failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) trials and miscarriages. While going through her latest round of IVF, Olivia meets and becomes friends with Anna Ramirez (Machado), who is struggling to have a child after years of focusing on her successful restaurants.
“I really don’t have a formula for this,” Machado said in a joint interview with her friend and the film’s director, Elizabeth Rohm. “I’m always looking at the character. And I really could relate to what she had to offer. Anna Ramirez loved everything that was going on in her life. The only thing she couldn’t deal with was what she couldn’t have. We all know what that feels like.”
When Olivia and Anna become pregnant, they both celebrate and prepare for their babies’ arrival. But Anna suffers a devastating miscarriage and struggles to move forward, while her marriage to restaurateur Gabe Ramirez (Yancey Arias) crumbles.
View this post on Instagram
When Olivia and Brian finally welcome their twins, Olivia feels her life is complete. But the couple’s world is turned upside down when they discover one of the babies is biologically Anna and Gabe’s child, who had been implanted into Olivia by mistake. Pitted against each other, Olivia will do anything to keep the baby she delivered, while Anna will stop at nothing to bring her son home.
“Justina just kills it as Anna,” said Rohm. “People don’t know how we have our miracle babies. … I think this movie will do a lot to help people understand what is possible in this modern age.”
“This powerhouse was also the director. I’ve acted with her,” said Machado pointing to her friend. “Elizabeth is a talented lady. As for me, I just dig into the script. It is so much fun to be able to be this character and truly show what she is going through.”
The actor and director might work together on another project. Rohm hinted that she and Machado may team up again to reboot the 1980s police drama “Cagney & Lacey.”
Justina Machado Co-Stars in Lifetime’s Drama ‘Switched Before Birth’ was published in collaboration with LatinHeat Entertainment.
Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Melanie Slone
The post Justina Machado Co-Stars In Lifetime’s Drama ‘Switched Before Birth’ appeared first on Zenger News.