Inde Navarrette is Poised To Be the Next Latina Breakout Star (2024)

One could say that Inde Navarrette, 20, was destined to become an actress.

By the time she was a teen, the Mexican-Australian starlet had already traveled the world and been to almost a dozen different schools, seeing each new place as an opportunity to reinvent herself. Having racked up some impressive performances, including her role as Sarah Cushing in the hit series Superman & Lois, she spoke to People CHICA about her journey.

Tell us a little bit about your unique background.
My mom is first-generation Australian, and my father is I don't even know how many generations Mexican. By the time I was 15, I had been to 11 different schools, and I always saw it as an opportunity to create a new version of myself and meet people. My full name is Danielle Fabiola, but I always had nicknames, so one year I was Danny, one year I was Inde, and I really liked the way that Inde fit. It's sweet because there's still kind of that comfort in knowing that there's these two people: there's Danielle —that I am with my family and the people that are closest to me— and now I get to share Inde with the world.

When did you decide you wanted to get into acting?
I was very naturally inclined to become an actor. My mom's side of the family was always extremely movie-oriented and would watch the Academy Awards regularly. I remember listening to my mom and her sister talk about actors like Julia Roberts or Audrey Hepburn, and everything that was popular at that time. And then I'd go to my abuelita's house and me and my tías and cousins would watch scary movies; it was so much fun having both sides of that. But it also lit a fire in me and I had this guttural sensation of 'I can do that.'

Did you find it difficult to break into the business, especially as a young actor trying to find her way?
I had an unfortunate scenario where somebody wanted me to lie about my ethnicity to get a role. There's this feeling that you need to check a box in Hollywood, and it's a very uncomfortable situation to be in. Acting is such an emotional and vulnerable thing, and it creates an atmosphere that allows for self-doubt. In this job, you have to have an immense trust in yourself and the decisions that you're making, and if you feel like those around you aren't going to support that and you're not allowed to be yourself, your work is going to take a hit. There are a lot of nos in this business, and you have to be really stubborn. I've always had this fast-track mindset that's allowed me to look past the nos and go after anything that I put my mind to with every fiber of my being.

SUSCRÍBETE A NUESTRO BOLETIN

You've played some important supporting roles in 13 Reasons Why and now Superman & Louis. What attracted you to your character initially?
What I loved so much about the way Todd Helbing—who's the showrunner for Superman & Lois—wrote the character of Sarah Cushing is that it was the first script that I got that I read through with my own eyes, and I didn't have to be like: 'Oh, would she say that a certain way, or mean it this way?' This is a character from a young woman's perspective which drew me to her more because now that I have begun to play her, I get to do so as a young girl who is heartbroken by so many different things that she's just trying to heal herself —but also trying to make those around her better by challenging them.

What are some of your favorite beauty products or treatments?
[For skincare] I'm big on all-natural products because my skin is sensitive. I've been putting Vitamin E oil on my face practically every single day for the past three years and I wash my face with an oil cleanser from OGEE which is also moisturizing so it doesn't dry out my skin.

[For makeup] I'm also very big on lips. There's this lip mask that I've been using called Laneige, and I'll mix it with Fresh Sugar Lip Wonder Drops and it makes my lips look so kissable!

[For hair] I do hot oil treatments on my hair and then I'll put my hair in braids before I go to bed. I heat up a mixture of black castor oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil and keratin oil for about 30 seconds and then I use it on my scalp; it's great for hair regrowth and helps prevent damage especially in between roles.

For more with Inde, look for the August issue of People en Español, on sale now.