Gina Rodriguez stars as Jill Adams in Awake, which premiered on June 9. The new Netflix film will take you on an intense journey with an incredible performance from Rodriguez, who plays a mother that will do anything to save her children. The actress is best known for playing the title role on Jane The Virgin, which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Global hysteria ensues after a mysterious catastrophe wipes out all electronics and takes away humanity’s ability to sleep. Scientists race against the clock to find a cure for the unexplained insomnia before its fatal effects eliminate the human race. When Jill (Gina Rodriguez), a former soldier, discovers her young daughter may be the key to salvation, she must decide: protect her children at all costs or sacrifice everything to save the world.

Rodriguez can recently be seen in Kajillionaire, and her upcoming projects include Netflix’s mini-series Lost Ollie. The actress starred in Sony’s Miss Bala and Netflix’s Someone Great, for which she was a producer as well.

Some other film credits include Annihilation and Deepwater Horizon. Rodriguez has also voiced characters in Carmen Sandiego, Ferdinand, Smallfoot, Scoob!, and The Star.

Along with her acting career, Rodriguez fights for inclusion and the empowerment of women in all ways, especially in the entertainment industry. This drive has led her to create her production company, I Can and I Will Productions, with a mission directly reflecting her commitment to create art and tell stories from those who are traditionally unseen and unheard. The company has finished its second season of Diary of a Future President, where Gina directed, produced, and performed as the future president. She also established the We Will Foundation with her family, which aims to uplift and champion underprivileged youth through arts, education, scholarship funding, and financial literacy.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Rodriguez about filming such an intense project, what it means to her to represent the Latinx community, empowering other women in the industry, who she drew inspiration from for the role of Jill, and so much more. Watch my interview to hear all we discussed!