TRENDING

Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz does it all: She's a total martial arts pro. She's an epic stunt double (who's worked on the sets of all your fave superhero flicks, might we add). Now, she'll be adding 'actress' to her resume as she portrays Maria Alvarez on the sixth and final season of Netflix's hit show Cobra Kai.

Even with a chock-full cal, Jewelianna made time to chat with us about all her upcoming projects. Read on to get the inside scoop on her breakout role, her background in, ahem, kicking butt and even the deets on doubling for Jenna Ortega on the set of Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. 

Girls' Life: How long have you been practicing martial arts?

Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz: I've been officially training since I was three, but I was basically born and raised on the mats. My parents were my instructors, and all my uncles had karate schools, so it was my life. 

GL: What inspires you to keep training?

Jewelianna: I always knew I loved martial arts, but I quit at age five, because other kids kept telling me, "Karate is for boys, girls have to do dance and gymnastics." I fell victim to kindergarten peer pressure! I tried other sports but I came back to martial arts when I was eight because I knew it was my passion.

GL: When did you start working as a stunt double?

Jewelianna: I began stunt-doubling in 2020. During COVID, I had plenty of time to really evaluate and start training. Instead of binge watching my favorite shows and sleeping in during lockdown, I was training from sunrise to sundown. Then, by October 2020, I was stunt-doubling on Miss Marvel.

GL: You were recently Jenna Ortega's stunt double in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. Can you tell us a bit about that experience?

Jewelianna: It was nothing short of a dream job. I grew up on Tim Burton films and getting to be a part of that legacy, specifically the iconic Beetlejuice sequel, was insane! I had to get real comfortable with bike riding, crashing, wrecking and "drifting", but in my line of work, we call that fun. Plus, Jenna is also the sweetest, super down-to-earth and the true definition of a star. When we were working together, we talked about our love for our families and bonded over being Puerto Rican and being in the industry. 

GL: What sorts of techniques do you use when you're stunt-doubling for an actor?

Jewelianna: First, we break down the script and the character we're both portraying together. I'll study my actor on camera to take note of all her little fidgets, nuances and mannerisms, and incorporate those details into how I act. Stunt performers are actors, too. We just act with our bodies and breathing, rather than our faces and words.

GL: Who else—and for which productions—have you stunt-doubled for?

Jewelianna: I've doubled for people like Bella Shepard, Eva Longoria, Tamera Kissen, Anna Garcia, Sol Rodriguez and Kat Graham. I've also stunted on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Blue Beetle, Red One, Jackpot!, Mortal Kombat 1 (the video game), Wolfpack, Superman and more! 

GL: How does it feel to bring your real life martial arts expertise to Maria Alvarez in Cobra Kai?

Jewelianna: Honestly, as a stunt performer, I would've been happy just fighting in a few scenes, but having a character that serves a purpose in the story was just so special. Getting to bring my hard-earned martial arts skills to the screen is proof that no matter what you do, it'll always be valuable. You just have to find out where. Passion is powerful!

GL: And what is Maria like? Are you similar to her IRL?

Jewelianna: Maria's the captain of Team Spain. She's a high-caliber martial artist but she's also a little bit emotional and can sometimes let that get in the way of her skill. Oh, and she's got her eyes set on the boys from Miyagi-Do...

GL: What's the most important lesson you've learned in your career so far?

Jewelianna: Thinking about your long-term goals and staying consistent will put you ahead of the game. It's not about working really hard until you burn out, it's about small, consistent work that moves you in the right direction. Taking care of your mental health is more important than anything.

GL: Are you working on any new and exciting projects that you can tell us about?

Jewelianna: I'm on Peacemaker right now, stunt doubling for Sasha Bordeaux, who is played by my good friend, Sol Rodriguez. I'm especially grateful for this one because Sol is so sweet and we work so well together! She's also allowed me to bring my own flavor to Sasha and we're both proud of bringing this character to the DCU. 

Follow Jewelianna on IG  @karate.jewels  and stream Season Six of Cobra Kai on Netflix rn!

Looking for more celeb content? GL's got you covered:
✨ EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE! Triple Charm's music video for their brand new single "224" 
✨ We're officially under Janice LeAnn Brown's spell
✨ EXCLUSIVE! Sophia Hammons told us everything she could about the upcoming Freaky Friday sequel

All photos provided by Jewelianna Ramois-Ortiz.

by Erin Sargent and Felicia Bono | 11/19/2024