Get to know a recognized actress and singer with multiple hobbies and passions that keep her life without a boring day.

Hayley Orrantia is known for her celebrated role as Erica Goldberg in ABC’s longstanding sitcom, “The Goldbergs” The show follows the hilarious and awkward lives of a colourful, suburban family in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in the 1980s.  Hayley is a scene-stealer as Erica, the eldest Goldberg sibling, who fans have watched transform from a socially awkward, nerdy high schooler to popular, college-aged beauty who drops out of school to form a band with her girlfriends.

“The Goldbergs” just premiered their ninth season on September 22 on ABC.

Hayley Orrantia recently wrapped production on a starring role in Lionsgate’s upcoming holiday film, “The Fight Before Christmas” alongside Dermot Mulroney and Janel Parrish.  The film follows Emma (Orrantia), whose dad (Mulroney) begins dating her high school frenemy, Brandy (Parrish), soon after Emma’s mother passed away. Chaos ensues when Emma’s father insists that they all spend the holidays together.  “The Fight Before Christmas” is set for release this holiday season.

She is also widely recognized for her successful music career in the world of country, most recently releasing the consecutive singles “Find Yourself Somebody” and “Made for This.”

Her music has been featured on some of the largest country music playlists and radio stations in America, including Spotify’s ‘Wild Country’ and ‘Nearly Nashville’ playlists and Radio Disney Country.  In 2018, Hayley Orrantia conducted her first successful headlining tour, the Strong, Sweet and Southern Tour, hitting 22 cities across the US.

And if that wasn’t enough, Hayley Orrantia also has a passion for buying, flipping, and renovating homes. She is positioning herself to become a pioneer in the interior design and home renovation market, recently partnering with Cineflix to produce her own home renovation series, “Legacy Builds,” which follows her family’s house flipping business in Nashville.

A One-On-One Chat With Hayley Orrantia

How does it feel to already be on season nine of “The Goldbergs”?

It’s sort of a “pinch me” moment when I think about the fact that we are starting up our ninth season. You never know when you film the pilot if people will resonate with it enough to get a full season, but to look back on eight years of this family we built, it’s pretty wild. It seems rare for a show to last as long as we have nowadays, so I am very grateful to have grown up on this project.

You recently wrapped production of “The Fight Before Christmas”, what was it like to film during a pandemic and what were some of the pros and cons of it?

It’s always a little scary walking onto a new set, unsure of their protocols, but the production did a great job of keeping everyone safe. It does feel a little more procedural on set now than pre-pandemic. The crew is required to wear masks the entire day, face shields are required when someone has to approach an actor who is not wearing a mask, everyone is tested multiple times a week and the cast is isolated to their own rooms, usually, between scenes to limit the amount of exposure time. I’d say the only real con for me is not being able to hang amongst the crew in ways that I used to. The camaraderie aspect is limited to a degree. It may seem strict, at times, but especially with the new variant going around, it’s always better safe than sorry.

Where do you find the inspiration for some of your songs?

I would say most of my music stems from a personal experience. However, there are times that a line will fall from the sky that feels unrelated to me, but if the concept is unique enough, I chase it. I see it as preparing for an acting role. Trying to view the song from the perspective of someone else and writing it like it’s theirs. But, like in acting for me, there’s an element of having to find ways to relate to their circumstance through my own unique experiences. What I love about songwriting is trying to find a new outlook on a common situation. Yes, most everyone has experienced heartbreak, but what’s a way that no one has ever been able to describe it before? That’s the fun part.

What do you like most about house flipping and where do you see this passion going?

My dad has been flipping homes for as long as I can remember and my mom has been working as a real estate agent for a few years now. It wasn’t until recently that I found a passion for interior design. It was a natural fit for me to join the company and provide that perspective. Every home is a new challenge from unexpected problems that arise when you demo to piecing together the right layout that combines functionality and aesthetics. It’s been really awesome working with my parents in this capacity, all doing something we love. My goal is to grow the family business and, eventually, develop a line of home decor. As long as we are still having fun doing it, I don’t see us stopping any time soon.

 

Published by HOLR Magazine