“Daniela Bobadilla es extraordinaria”
By Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net
Daniela Bobadilla
When Daniela Bobadilla took on the role of Sam Goodson in the FX original series Anger Management, the 19-year-old actress was already on the fast track to becoming a major Hollywood starlet.
Born and raised in Mexico, Bobadilla moved with her family to Canada when she was 7 years old. It was there that her hard work and dedication first paid off, when she was discovered by a production company, which offered her the role as George Lopez‘s on-screen daughter in the Nickelodeon film Mr. Troop Mom (2009).
Despite Vancouver’s thriving film community, Bobadilla was looking for the opportunity to play bigger on-screen roles. In order to work regularly in Hollywood, she needed to apply for a work VISA.
“That was the most difficult process I’ve gone through to this day,” Bobadilla said in a recent interview with StayFamous.Net. “You basically have to prove there’s no one else like you in the United States.”
But it was no surprise that she was able to overcome the legal hurdles that stood in her way and receive a 0-1 VISA, a work permit designated for performers with “Extraordinary Ability.”
Daniela Bobadilla as Sam Goodson in the FX Original Series “Anger Management.” Photo courtesy of FX Networks.
After landing guest-starring roles on The CW‘s Supernatural and FOX’s Lie to Me, she played Emma on the NBC series Awake, eventually catching the eye of television producers, who handpicked her to play Sam in the FX comedy Anger Management.
What is perhaps most intriguing about her new on-screen role is her character’s imperfections. Although the show’s writers could have easily had Daniela play the pretty, popular daughter of anger management therapist Charlie Goodson (played by actor Charlie Sheen), her character is instead awkwardly navigating her teenage years.
“Sam is a 14-year-old going on 15,” Bobadilla said. “She’s just a really sweet girl….and she’s a little nerdish. But really, she’s just herself. She knows she’s weird, but she knows she has to deal with it.”
Sam also suffers from Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), something that periodically shows up in the script, adding another layer to her character.
“I love a challenge,” she said. “I played a character who was blind and it was amazing just to do all the research and really commit myself to it. So when I saw OCD, I said, ‘Yes – another thing to research.’”
When she isn’t diligently preparing for her scenes, Bobadilla enjoys spending time learning to surf with her instructor on the sunny beaches of California. In a typical summer, she says she can read as many as 30 to 40 books and also has a passion for arts and crafts.
Even with the recent success of her new show and her increasing popularity in Hollywood, Daniela is not letting her newfound fame keep her from being grounded and truly grateful for the opportunities she has been given. Her extraordinary generosity and compassion is something that transcends her work on screen. In spite of her demanding schedule, which includes shooting approximately 25 pages of script each day, she also devotes her personal time to working with charities, like a recent fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
As an actress, who started out doing impromptu performances and musical theater for friends and family, she is embracing a new set of challenges and opportunities in the Hollywood spotlight.
“This is my dream come true,” Bobadilla said. “It didn’t happen out of luck, it happened out of massive amounts of hard work, lots of hours, lots of tears… I’m grateful, and I know what a blessing this is.”
Daniela Bobadilla (left) as Sam Goodson and Charlie Sheen as Charlie Goodson in the FX original comedy series “Anger Management.” Photo by Greg Gayne/FX Network.
“Anger Management” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FX.
“Daniela Bobadilla es extraordinaria”
Copyright 2012 by Michael Aaron Gallagher
To request permission to use excerpts from StayFamous.Net on television or in print please contact:
StayFamous Media Contact: Michael Aaron Gallagher
