Although Madison Hurtado’s start in entertainment was at a young age, seeing people who she admired on the stage made her want to pursue this career when she got older. After she graduated from Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS) in 2020, Hurtado’s interest in theatre and entertainment only increased, bringing her now to widely-known events like the Grammy U. She was able to learn the ways of being both behind and in front of the camera, and over time, Hurtado brought her acting to the world.
When Hurtado was young, she grew to fall in love with theatre. At eight-years-old, Hurtado found herself loving performers, acting, and plays: “I felt inspired watching people who could act and sing, so I knew it was something I wanted to pursue.” She participated in numerous musical theatre camps, which is where she quickly admired the profession.
When attending PPCHS, Hurtado was in multiple courses and clubs consisting of drama , photography, and design, and was on the Latin dance team for two years. Hurtado expresses how “taking drama has helped my journey as an actress, as it’s built a solid foundation for my work and enhanced my knowledge of the art.”
After surrounding herself more with the theatre world, Hurtado soon realized that she was in love with the work of on-camera acting. She soon ended up transferring to film classes instead of theatre-based classes, this caused Hurtado to build a love for photography and filmmaking. Hurtado had always been passionate about these two professions, especially in elementary school: “I always knew the industry, [and] I’ve wanted to be in my whole life.”
Growing into the love of photography, Hurtado started to purchase her own photography cameras in sophomore year when in Lorraine Vazquez’s 2D art and photography classes. “It was unfortunate to hear what happened to her and unbelievable because [I had seen] her a month [before her] passing.”
Hurtado exclaims after hearing about Vazquez’s passing, “She was [so] proud of me, I owe her a shoutout for helping me reach a new dream.”
After graduating from PPCHS, Hurtado attended Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the University of Miami (UM) to carry on her theatre career. Once she graduated from NSU, she plans to transfer and join UM to obtain her master degree. While attending college, Hurtado has been able to experience diverse and amazing opportunities.
Whilst in college, Hurtado was able to have consecutive opportunities to shoot commercials for companies like Gatorade and META Facebook and shoot videos for concerts. “They’ve all been great experiences” she says, “I love any opportunity where I can learn from professionals so being able to attend and work events I’ve dreamed of shows me that you are capable of more than you think.”
With a growing love of film and photography, Hurtado admired and loved how actresses like Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez portrayed their given roles. “[Anne’s] roles are very versatile, but she always manages to portray her characters in the best light,” Hurtado describes, “and Selena because I grew up watching her, and as a Latina it was nice to see a successful representation.”
Even though Hurtado might’ve not been noticed by anyone, she could still attend different events like Grammy U, Echo, Foodie Icon, and Música Prime. By partaking in these events, Hurtado has been able to educate herself more about theatre and how to continue it in the following year. With Hurtado’s experience on these occasions, she still “Loves the opportunity where I can learn from the professionals and work events I’ve dreamed of.”
Hurtado has always been big on following her dreams, and with the help and experience of her field, she has grown to work hard in order to accomplish her dreams: “Dreams can become a reality if you dedicate yourself to it! It represents hard work and believing in yourself when you know everyone is doubting.”
With the evolution of Hurtado, a quick and inspirational path grows for others. After growing up in the arts of theatre, photography, and film, Hurtado was able to grow from her hidden talents and build it into a future. As she has opened up to seeing many different experiences and creating diverse opportunities, Hurtado rapidly shows how passionate, fulfilling hobbies can turn into an augmented career.
