A 2020 interview with Euphoria actress Alexa Demie has resurfaced, flooding social media with renewed conversations about representation and the long shadows cast by Hollywood’s gatekeeping. In the clip, Demie reflects on her struggle to break through and the barriers that shaped her early career.
“I wasn’t booking anything ever. It was really hard, especially because a lot of the lead roles I went out for would go to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. Even for Maddy, I think some people saw her that way. They didn’t really see her as me, so I had to go in and prove myself… I just don’t think I’m someone they typically look at for a role. You never see a mixed or Latin girl as a lead… I was over people saying ‘no’ to me.”
Demie’s honesty resonated then, but today her words hit with a deeper weight. Because the landscape has not changed as much as it should have.
According to the Latino Donor Collaborative’s 2025 report, Latinos hold only 11 percent of main cast roles in scripted streaming series. Just 7 percent of episodes are directed by Latino creatives. Only 5 percent of shows are led by Latino showrunners. On broadcast TV, the numbers are hardly better with 10.8 percent Latino main cast presence and 0 percent Latino showrunners.
These troubling figures paint a picture of an industry that continues to overlook the very communities that fuel its audience and its culture. They also expose a deeper imbalance in power. As many have asked in response to Demie’s interview, how can Latinos expect to be cast when the showrunners who guide the story are not Latino? Representation on screen begins with representation behind the scenes. Without Latino voices shaping the narratives, the chances for Latino performers to be authentically included grow even smaller. How can our faces appear in the frame when our voices are missing from the rooms where decisions are made?
The viral resurgence of Demie’s interview is more than nostalgia. It is a reminder that progress does not move on its own. It must be pushed. And until Latinos are fully present on screen, in writers’ rooms, in director’s chairs, and at the helm of the shows that define culture, the conversation will continue.
Because visibility should not be an exception.
It should be the standard.
