Mayra Hermosillo grew up surrounded by women. Her childhood home might have lacked private space, but it was rich with shared stories. Tensions, affection, and deep bonds filled the air. These memories eventually inspired Vainilla, her very first movie as a director. The film recently made its debut at the well-known Venice Film Festival.
Surprisingly, fear pushed Hermosillo to create. "I made Vainilla because I had doubts about my acting career," she revealed in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly en Español. The thought of being left out of the film industry drove her to write. It wasn’t about running away. Instead, she wanted to reshape her own reality. Along this path, she discovered herself as an artist, moving beyond just acting roles.
Now 38, Mayra Hermosillo is known for shows like Narcos: México and Las viudas de los jueves. However, directing Vainilla helped heal old wounds. The film is deeply personal. It takes inspiration from her childhood in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. There, seven women lived under one roof: her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunts, and a nanny. They shared space, feelings, and many unspoken truths.
"I grew up without a bathroom door," she explained. "Our home had no room for secrets." This constant lack of privacy shaped how she saw the world. It also fueled her creativity. In Vainilla, this feeling comes through in a touching story. Emotions are not always spoken out loud, but they are clearly present everywhere.
Making the movie wasn’t just a career step; it was emotionally tough. Hermosillo chose to work with people she knew well. She even wrote some parts for her best friends. She admits this choice brought moments of pain. She put it simply: "When you create something with others, it’s like having a child. If things go wrong, that child still exists."
Even with difficulties, Vainilla became a mirror for Hermosillo. It helped her make peace with her past. For many years, she focused on what she lacked. She saw the missing father, the money struggles, the feeling of being overlooked. But the film let her see what she always had. She recognized strong connections, constant support, and a family that always found a way to hold together.
This year, 2025, also brings Hermosillo back to acting. She stars in the Netflix series Los Gringo Hunters as Gloria Carbajal. She found this role especially moving. Her character is based on a real woman who died while on a mission. The first episode even honors this woman in its credits.
Hermosillo is already working on her second film as a director, called Cuchita. This project also draws from her own experiences. She is currently looking for money to fund it. She is also part of Los iluminados, a movie about extreme beliefs and cults. Plus, her first horror film, Insecta, is coming out soon. She feels horror lets her explore deep psychological ideas using symbols.
She admits that putting herself out there is still hard. But she is learning to handle the spotlight in a new way. "I worry about criticism," she confessed. "I’ve always felt like I wasn’t good enough. But I’m starting to understand that I don’t need to hide to protect myself."
With Vainilla, Hermosillo didn’t just direct a movie. She steered her own life in a new direction. For her, art is more than just a job. It is a way to heal herself. It allows her to finally share her own side of the story.