“Party of Five” actress Emily Tosta has pulled from her own experiences to play Lucia Buendia in Freeform’s new reboot.

“I moved to this country when I was about 12 years old from Dominican Republic, I have my own immigration story and situation I had to deal with,” the 21-year-old told Page Six at the Tribeca TV Festival on Saturday. “My mom and I came here with no legal status, and didn’t even know the language. We just came here to achieve the American dream.”

The new take on the ’90s series, which premieres in January, follows five siblings whose parents are deported back to Mexico and must come together and help raise each other.

“We always try to keep each other informed, the cast and crew,” she told us. “We’re constantly sending each other news articles about the horrific things that are happening in the world right now with families being separated and all the things happening in this country with the current, very flawed immigration system. We try to talk to families, we try to read the news and stay educated and informed as much as possible.”

As an immigrant herself, Tosta said growing up here was a struggle, both in life and the entertainment industry. But she believes it’s getting better.

“The industry is evolving and becoming more accepting, and portraying these characters that need to be portrayed because when I was little, I wish that I saw someone like me on TV,” she said. “It’s nice that it’s now being done.”

Source: Read Full Article