"Gina Rodriguez tagged [Melissa Fumero and I] in this Facebook post, and was like ‘I’m so proud of..."

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Gina Rodriguez tagged [Melissa Fumero and I] in this Facebook post, and was like ‘I’m so proud of these Latinas that are killing it!’  And I was like, ‘Oh my god!  I guess I’ll friend Melissa.’  And we were friends on the internet before we even met in real life.

Now, I had a google alert for Brooklyn Nine-Nine because I had auditioned and then gone for a screen test, and then gone for a second screen test, and I was waiting to hear… And I had a google alert, and it came up that Melissa had been cast in the show.

And I was so happy to see a Latina on the show, but also so devastated, because I knew… I knew there was not going to be any network that would cast both of us as ensemble leads on a show.

So I cried a lot.  And I was devastated.  And I showed a couple of friends at the time and I was like *imitates crying noise*, ‘I’m really happy for her but I really wanted that show.’

It was like two days later when I got the call, and I was gobsmacked.

The world is fucking changing.

And it’s such a testament to the show that they cast both of us!  And not only us, but also Terry Crews and Andre Braugher – two black men in positions of power.  It was sort of an amazing thing to see.

But yeah, now me and Melissa are real life friends.

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- Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa Diaz)