Words By ‘LLERO Editors
Not many can look back at 2021 and consider it a banner year. Unless of course, your Leslie Grace. Last year the singer, dancer and actress broke out in a big way. In June she made her starring turn in the film adaptation of the Tony award winning Broadway smash In the Heights. Playing Nina Rosario, the Washington Heights neighborhood girl done good by attending Stanford. However, it’s not all sunshine and roses for her character. In the film, Nina struggles to adjust to her Ivy League world. Inparticular reconciling it with her cultural values. A plight many first and second-generation Latinos are all too familiar with. Grace’s performance demonstrated a blend of vulnerability, intelligence, and beauty. More importantly, it had audiences asking, “Who’s that girl?”
Yet, for those already familiar with her work – the performance came as no surprise. Bachata lovers can testify. Grace has been on the music seen since the mid-2000’s. Her bachata inspired rendition of the 60’s classic “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” served as her musical debut and peaked at number one on both the Billboard Tropical Songs Chart and Billboard Latin Airplay charts. In the process making her the youngest female artist to accomplish the feat. She would follow it up with a self-titled second studio album, Leslie Grace released in 2013 reached number four on the Billboard Latin Albums Chart.
The musical accomplishments showed she was no flash in the pan. In fact, one might say her musical chops and performance in In the Heights, show she’s making quite the splash.
You see, Ms. Grace shows no signs of slowing down. For her next role she will be starring as the one and only Batgirl. It will serve as the first stand-alone live action film for the character and is set to premiere on HBOMax. Grace will not only join the DCU but share the screen along with OG Batman himself – Michael Keaton.
Quite a big cowl to fill. But skeptics, fanboys and the like should have no fear. Because they will finally catch on to what the Latinoverse has known for years, Leslie Grace is quite simply – amazing!