Interview Magazine

Miya Herrera is hands down one of Nickelodeon’s most successful alums. Hailing from modest means in San Antonio, Texas, Herrera is the youngest of six siblings. Often feeling lost in the shuffle of her big family, Herrera turned to acting and singing as a means to branch out and explore her creativity. Understanding that her daughter had raw talent, Herrera’s mother sent the teenager to Los Angeles under her sister’s supervision. The change was severe, but Herrera enjoyed the challenge of numerous auditions.

“I wasn’t the girl next door or considered All-American, and I got turned away so many times.” On Herrera’s seventeenth birthday, she auditioned for casting directors working on several Nickelodeon projects. After flubbing her lines, Herrera played it off and began singing which had sealed the executives decision. Not long after, Herrrera was cast as Sam Valentine in “Victorious”, a show that would catapult the actress and singer into unknown heights of fame.

On her Texan upbringing: I grew up primarily in San Antonio where I am the youngest of six kids. It was definitely a hectic life for me because we all had to grow up pretty quickly. Everyone had responsibilities in order to make sure we could all survive and stay one unit. People from my city are just insane, okay. They work and play hard, there were never any complainers that I ran into. I guess that's why I had such a culture shock going from that to Los Angeles where there's such a dichotomy of lifestyles.

On her Nickelodeon roots: I don't shy away from it. I think a lot of young entertainers become obssessed with shedding their innocence, and that initial role that made them famous. I am very thankful that I was able to act, sing and dance on "Victorious" because it gave me that platform to do everything that I love. It was a stepping stone for my career in a way that allowed me to move from one medium to the next, so you won't hear me ever complaining about Nickelodeon.

On her solo act: I am very blessed in the sense that becoming a musician fell on my lap. I never shy away from the fact that it was hard as a person of color to break into acting, and sometimes I think that was one of my many reasons that I turned to singing. If you are gifted in singing, people will recognize your talent and no one can take that away from you. I never got a pedigree training with either craft, so I've been learning along the way how to better myself. That is what I enjoy most about being able to sing. I can control my own destiny, image and sound.

On being a Scream Queen: I've been a fan of Ryan Murphy since "Popular", and I also am a super fan of "American Horror Story". I always told myself that I would come back to acting if the timing and role was right, and Murphy laid out his idea for his new project "Scream Queens". I get to share the screen with Laurie Strode and Madison Montgomery, so it was kind of hard to say no.

On enjoying her downtime: I usually just go home to San Antonio, to be honest. There is such a homey and slowed down pace from where I from that I love and appreciate. All of my friends and family are still there, and I get to really be myself without worrying about how I look or where I go. I love cooking, reading, traveling and I am a big fan of long drives to nowhere. A lot of times my friends and I find a quirky town or landmark that we want to visit and we do road trips. Traveling the southwest hopping from one motel to the next is our thing.

On what's next: I am currently on tour this summer, which is really exciting. I enjoy being able to interact with my fans on an intimate level because you get their energy the moment the music starts. That's not the case when you're in the studio recording your next album, which I am also doing in my spare time. We're working on my third studio album Moonlight, and I am so excited. I love writing and collaborating, but it's also nervewracking because I have a lot to live up to. I never take that lightly.

Discography

2015. The Remix
2014. Love Me Harder EP
2014. My Everything
2013. Christmas Kisses
2013. Yours Truly

Filmography

2015. Zoolander 2 ... Herself
2015. "Scream Queens" ... Chanel #2
2015. "Knock Knock Live" ... Herself
2015. "Rupaul's Drag Race" ... Herself/Guest Judge
2014. "Saturday Night Live" ... Herself/Musical Guest
2013-2014. "Sam and Cat" ... Cat Valentine
2012. Spring Breakers ... Candy
2011. "iCarly" ... Cat Valentine
2009-2013. "Victorious" ... Cat Valentine

Quick Facts

She is of Fillipino, Spanish and Italian descent. Miya is fluent in English, Filipino and Spanish. Her maternal grandparents live in Manila, and Miya has always spent her summers with them growing up as a child.

Miya has embraced the criticism of her lack of training and has never tried to combat accusations of her diva-like attitude by mantaining her behavior is no different than a high demand male musicians that take control.

She has a four octave and semitone soprano vocal range. Miya also posseses the whistle range.