Isabella Gomez is the star of the new HBO Max comedy series “Head of the Class,” where she plays a young high school teacher looking to shake up the classroom. Gomez is not new to sitcoms, you may also recognize her as Elena Álvarez in the award winning comedy series “One Day at a Time.” At the heart of each show you can find an underlying theme of community and family support, which Gomez believes in wholeheartedly. She is also really attracted to what representation in the media can do for both individuals and whole communities, which can be seen in her two roles. On the charity front, Gomez is involved with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wild Elements Foundation. Through her partnership with Wild Elements, she was matched with innovator, Rosamira Guillen, who is the executive director at Proyecto Tití in Colombia. Under her leadership, Gomez is fully fully educated on her work in order to bring that information and opportunities to her followers. Read on to learn more about Isabella Gomez, her roles in “Head of the Class” and “One Day at a Time,” upcoming projects, and her charity work.

Where are you based?
I am based in LA!

What inspired you to pursue acting?
I technically started when I was around six, so the motivation there was really just the joy it brought me. That continues to be my driving force, but now I’m also really attracted to what media can do for culture and what representation can do for both individuals and whole communities.

You star as a high school teacher in the new HBO Max’s comedy series, “Head of the Class”. Which is a reboot of the popular 1980s sitcom. Did you have a chance to watch the original series at all?
I actually didn’t! I touched base with our show runners early on in the process and since the show was more of a reimaging than a reboot, there wasn’t much need for me to be up to date with the original. It also all went so fast, we auditioned, shot the show and premiered it all within a year so it was go go go!

How else did you prepare for this role?
I think for something like a sitcom, where a lot of times the arc of the characters and show aren’t set by the time you start, a lot of the preparation comes from the training you do before. I’ve been dong sitcoms for a really long time, and when I’m not on set I’m in class, which is I think the best preparation. As for this specific role, I was very fortunate to have the loveliest artistic partnership with my show runners Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, so we chatted a lot about Alicia’s background, who she was at her core, how she got here, etc.

Did you draw any inspiration from your time as a high school student?
Yes! I actually had a super young teacher at one point, I believe he was around 23, so I drew a bit from that class and the sort of interactions I saw between him and the students.

You are still very young, did it feel weird to play a teacher? Do you wish you had a teacher like her when you were in school?
Hahaha, not weird at all actually! The auditioning process was a bit bizarre because I was convinced there was no way anyone would buy me as a teacher, but here we are! Once we were on set it really clicked though. I also just really adored Alicia, the human that she was, and what she was trying to do; so, I think focusing on her humanity instead of her title made it less weird. I would have loved a teacher like her when I was in school!

You are also known for your role as Elena Álvarez in the award winning comedy series “One Day at a Time.” What initially drew you towards this role?
Elena was just different from the beginning. She was nothing like what I usually auditioned for, and I felt really challenged by her, not only as an artist, but as a human. She was layered, interesting, funny, passionate, quirky, unapologetic, worldly, caring, and strong. Just the coolest girl. It was the privilege of my life to be her vessel.

Elena Álvarez is a particularly fun character — as she is a bit of an activist, and even comes out as a lesbian. Do you see a bit of yourself in Elena? What was it like playing her?
I was given Elena when I was newly 18, and played her till I was 22. In a lot of ways, we grew up together, and although I was older than the character, I really think she sort of raised me. That sounds a bit strange, but Elena stands for ODAAT, the people involved on that show, and the experiences I had, because I got to be her. I think I became more and more like her with every year that passed, in my activism, in my curiosity, in my empathy, and in my drive to improve the world, and I think I’m infinitely better for it. So in the simplest of terms, playing her was the best thing that ever happened to me.

“One Day at a Time,” is also a comedy series. Is comedy your favorite genre to act in? If not, what is your favorite?
I adore comedy and I hope to always come back to it. I haven’t had as big of opportunities to play in different genres; so, I can’t say which is my favorite yet, but comedy feels like home for sure.

Both of these series have an underlying theme of family and community support. Do you resonate with this message? How does your community best support you?
Absolutely. I think family, chosen and otherwise, is one of the most important things in life. We are a species wired for connection so I love getting to tell stories about that. I am very lucky to have an incredible support system in my personal life, and a larger community of people within my industry and different aspects of myself, such as my Latinidad and being a woman, that have really showed up for me.

“One Day at a Time” garnered a long list of awards, notably Outstanding Achievement in Comedy at the Television Critics Association Awards in 2018, Favorite Revival Show at the People’s Choice Awards in 2018, and Comedy at the Teen Choice Awards in 2019. What does the recognition mean to you?
I think more than what it means to me as an actress on the show, the bigger impact is what it meant for me as a woman and as an immigrant in Hollywood and in the world. Watching a show led by three headstrong, incredible Latinas get so much love made my heart soar. It made me really hopeful for the future of our industry and culture overall.

What other roles do you hope to portray in your career?
You know, I always talk about how I didn’t think I was funny and then I booked a sitcom; so, I’m pretty open. If I got to choose though, I’d love to continue portraying characters that we haven’t seen before, and being part of stories that show us a different, more nuanced perspective.

On the charity front, you are involved with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wild Elements Foundation where you are a Wild Advocate. Can you tell us more about the initiatives of each organization and what drew you to partner with them?
The quick blurb on both of these incredible organizations is they do work to help preserve our world both through education and initiatives that protect and restore the environment. As for what drew me to them, I had been looking to focus more of my attention on a single cause rather than spreading myself thin on a ton. As someone who’s been lucky enough to travel the world and see it in all its glory, as well as the devastating effects us humans have had on it, I felt environmentalism was the right way to go for me. WWF has been doing incredible work for forever, since the 60s, and WE was new with a really well thought out plan and vision, so I went with both.

What does being a Wild Advocate entail?
As a Wild Advocate I basically am an amplifier for my innovator, Rosamira Guillen. The idea is that I get to be immersed in her work and thoroughly educated so I can then bring that information and different opportunities for action to my audience.

Through your partnership with Wild Elements, you were matched with innovator, Rosamira Guillen, who is the executive director at Proyecto Tití in Colombia. What is it like to collaborate with her?
Incredible!! She’s amazing. I was a little intimidated going into it, but she is just as warm and disarming as she is knowledgeable and effective. It’s also pretty wonderful that I get to work with another Colombian woman, and that we can work on making a difference in the country that made us.

How can readers get involved?
I’d say baseline, follow both of these orgs on socials so you can be up to date with the latest information and initiatives. Their websites are also packed full of more information if you want to get involved further. https://wwf.panda.org/ and https://wildelements.com/

How are you staying positive during the current wave of the pandemic? Are you mostly back to normal?
In a way, this feels like the new normal; so, it’s a little easier to manage. I’m back to the new normal, which means I still have a bubble I try to stay within and am constantly testing, especially when I do have to go outside the bubble for work. As for staying positive, I try to be really diligent about my self care. Sleeping well, moving my body, drinking water, eating (sort of) right, going to therapy, etc. All of that helps keep me stable, but truthfully, I don’t expect myself to stay constantly positive in the midst of a global pandemic, so I also let myself feel all the anxiety and grief when I need to.

Do you have any future projects coming up that you would like to share?
Yes! I just wrapped on a movie, Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe, which I believe will be out 2022, but don’t quote me on that one. It’s a really lovely film and had the most incredible cast and crew. I felt wildly lucky to be a little part of it.

What is your wish for the new year?
Personally, I’m hoping for more self love and inner peace. Globally, I hope we can find a way to come back to each other and start taking care of the world and each other more.

To see more from Isabella Gomez, you can follow her on the platforms below:
Instagram: @isabella.gomez
Twitter: @isabella_gomez

Team Credits:
Photographer: Kira Bucca
Stylist: Alex Clough
Make-up: Tamieka Gardner
Hair: Mika Fowler

Editorial - Learning From Isabella Gomez