IN CONVERSATION WITH ANA VILLAFAÑE

interview by JANA LETONJA

Ana Villafañe is entering one of the most exciting moments of her career. This June, the award-winning actress and singer makes her West End debut as Ava Gardner in Sinatra: The Musical at London's Aldwych Theatre while simultaneously releasing her first single, Suelta, and introducing herself to the London music scene in concert with Ana Villafañe: Unplugged. Known for originating the role of Gloria Estefan on Broadway in On Your Feet!, starring opposite Holland Taylor in N/A, and most recently earning acclaim for her work across stage, screen and music, she is embracing a uniquely creative chapter—one that blends performance, storytelling and personal expression.

June feels like a defining month for you-your West End debut, your first original music, a live London concert and your birthday. How are you experiencing this moment personally?

I feel unlocked. Like I’ve tapped into a version of myself that refuses to shrink anymore. Making my West End debut has been on my bucket list for so long, and moving out to London to originate this role in a brand new major musical is the dream. It feels oddly familiar because I moved to New York in the exact same context. The major difference is my relationship with myself. I’ve learned. I know how I want to meet the moment. And there’s so much I want to express. Most of my public-facing life has been embodying characters, saying and singing words that are written for me. Universal Music, our Sinatra: The Musical producers, encouraged me to put out my own music. And as a true Gemini, I wanted it all to launch at the same time. The vision is to offer multiple sides of myself at once. It’s a little chaotic in the best way. That's on brand for me.

You step into the role of Ava Gardner in Sinatra: The Musical this month. Beyond the Hollywood glamour, what fascinated you most about yourself as a woman?

Ava was revolutionary and incredibly ahead of her time. My favourite aspect of her is how she holds Frank accountable. Women in the context and time period of our show were subjected to extreme systems of patriarchy and misogyny. Ava became a product of the Hollywood machine and had to survive in a man’s world, but she refused to play the role women were expected to play. She resented being objectified and being called “the world’s most beautiful animal”. She made her own rules at a time when women had no legal agency. She was the bread-winner in their marriage. She is fully responsible for creating the Frank Sinatra we all know and now love, at a time when he was at rock bottom. He never fully recovered from her, calling her the love of his life until his death. I’m deeply inspired by her courage. In Act Two, I have a profoundly relevant scene about abortion. I feel myself carrying and fighting for the dignity of womanhood itself through Ava. Joe DiPietro, our book writer, has given me a real gift with this part.

What has surprised you most about working in London and preparing for your West End debut?

I’m falling in love with this city. What has surprised me most is how laid-back the energy is compared to New York. I think I operate in fight or flight mode a lot, so my nervous system is adjusting and slowing down. I cry a lot. Publicly at least once a week. I’ll get lost in a random part of town, discover something particularly beautiful and get swept up in the moment. When I saw the marquee and signs go up at the Aldwych for example, there I was, by myself, weeping in the middle of the street. I immediately called Tina Sinatra. I think as artists, sometimes we get caught up in the grind of it all and forget how rare it is. I won’t do that to myself anymore. I have to let myself feel every single moment.

Ava Gardner remains one of the most mythologised women in entertainment history. Did you discover anything about her that challenged your perception of her?

Ava’s humanity is what made her mesmerising. And there was so much she had to endure. The women in Hollywood were bound by their contracts and groomed by powerful men. But everyone underestimated Ava, who was too smart and independent. She was extremely close to her family and wanted to make them proud. I went to visit the town where she was born in North Carolina, and there’s now a field of sunflowers where her first home used to be. So I keep sunflowers in my flat and in my dressing room to remind me of where she came from and just how grounded she was. A woman has to know how to play the part of “the myth” when it’s needed. It’s survival. But she never lost her essence, and now it’s my job to maintain that for her. I feel that responsibility deeply.

Your first single off your debut EP, Suelta, is being released at the same time. What does this project represent for you creatively?

My music represents finally speaking for myself. I got signed the day before I turned 18 and moved to LA, where acting gave me permission to kind of disappear. But after my first Broadway show, I went to Amsterdam for a few months, and that’s when I started writing every morning. Daily, with no excuses. I realised I have a lot to say that doesn’t come from a script. I always write for myself, but too many people have told me to share it. So I started to separate the two. One notebook for internal, one notebook for external. That’s a lot of notebooks. I don’t want to look back and wonder “What if?”.

The title Suelta translates to “let go” or “release.” Why did that feel like the right statement to make at this point in your life?

The title actually has a double meaning. As a verb, first and foremost, telling someone or something to basically release their grip of me. As an adjective, it’s about that feeling of freedom when I finally walk away from something that is ultimately keeping me in my own way. It’s about making that choice. The song progresses from point A to point B and tells that story musically.

Music and acting often require different kinds of vulnerability. Is there something you can express through music that you cannot express through a character?

I think vulnerability is just my baseline. But the only major difference is that I write in my first language. My dad moved to America from El Salvador, and my mom, the daughter of Cuban exiles, was robbed of being born in her country. I think a lot of immigrants and descendants of immigrants feel like we exist in a space between. We live one hundred percent of multiple things at once. My music speaks to that because that is my experience, I’m all of it. I feel feelings in Spanish, yet I present in a kind of pop space. Musically, I was raised on every genre. It was everything from Celia Cruz and Vicente Fernandez to classic rock (Meatloaf, CCR) at home, while singing along to every word of N’SYNC and Shakira on the radio. I live for dramatic boleros and the old school “clean the house on Saturday morning“ playlists. The passion of Adele and Celine Dion, the poetry of Juan Luis Guerra and Draco Rosa. Being extra in Spanish is the best. I think the goal is to create something timeless.

You originated the role of Gloria Estefan on Broadway and have become an important voice for Latin representation in entertainment. How has your relationship with that responsibility evolved over the years?

There will never be anything more important to me than showing up authentically. I’m so proud to be Latina and would choose to be so in every lifetime. As a little girl, I never could have imagined having such big shoes to fill, which inevitably launched my career, but I got the best example in Gloria. I stand on the shoulders of absolute giants and am committed to being unapologetic in elevating my culture. The next generation does not need me shrinking myself to fit into anyone else’s idea of who we are. Especially right now. I will only get louder.

Throughout your career, you've moved effortlessly between theatre, television, film and music. Do you see yourself as an artist without borders, or do you still view those disciplines separately?

I still view them separately because they require different elements of focus from me, but each discipline does feed into the next one more and more. I think acting helps me unravel the human experience through almost radical empathy, especially when it’s a nonfictional character which tends to be my thing. Music is what I do in order to not throw my phone into the ocean and start screaming.

You're also bringing Ana Villafañe: Unplugged to London. What can audiences expect from that evening, and how different is Ana the performer from Ana the person?

I love to cross genres because I’ve never felt confined to one. I only started performing in concert recently, and it’s my ultimate playground. I actually got my degree in music and hear arrangements in my head all day. My entire life is basically underscored. Connecting with an audience as myself is new to me and still uncomfortable. It’s all kind of an experiment. I want my shows to feel like getting to go behind the curtain. It should feel like we’re having a drink and a jam session, the audience just happens to be there, seeing me in my element. It’s a little more unhinged and raw. If people want to see me acting, they can go see my work in the theatre or on screen. That’s where I transform.

Later this summer, you'll run the London 10K for Great Ormond Street Hospital, a cause that is deeply personal to you. What does that challenge mean beyond the fundraising itself?

I just ran my first marathon in January, and I plan to run the London Marathon in 2027. I’ve had severe Rheumatoid Arthritis since age seven, so running is an act of rebellion and feels like a personal victory. I’m incredibly proud to run on behalf of every child at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which was the first hospital in the UK to offer dedicated care to children. The world keeps turning while there are seriously ill children who can’t go outside and play. Having the opportunity to show up for them is an honour. This is actually what fuels me the most. Having a purpose for it all.

Looking ahead, what do you hope this next chapter of your career allows you to explore that previous chapters haven’t?

I’m shockingly not overwhelmed. I have my regular insecurities and imposter syndrome, but it feels like I’ve worked so hard to get to this point that I’m finally in flow. And ready to be surprised. It’s a fun game. Like, how present can I be in this exact moment right now, and how open can I be for whatever comes next? I want to do films. I want to continue to play great roles. I want to sing and connect with people through music. I want to never limit myself.

If there is one thing you hope audiences take away from your work, whether they discover you through theatre, television or music, what would you like it to be?

I love what I do, and still can’t believe I get to do it. If I can make someone feel something, whether that’s laugh or cry or see things from a different perspective, or dance or sing along in the shower, I take that as a win. We need more humanity. I also love the idea of consistently surprising people. Because somewhere there’s a lesson there about not making assumptions about what I or anyone else is ever capable of. I think there’s more to me than people ever gave me credit for.

Listen to Suelta here: https://hypeddit.com/anavillafane/suelta

TEAM CREDITS:

photography PAUL PERELKA
photography assistance TYLER KELLY