Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesThere is a new star in Hollywood and her name is Emeraude Toubia.
Freeform's Shadowhunters is responsible for making Toubia a household name, but she isn't an overnight sensation. The 27-year-old actress began her career in Univision's Nuestra Belleza Latina and then stopped at nothing until she achieved her dream of landing a role in a huge series. Emeraude, who was born in Canada to a Mexican mother and Lebanese father, recalled the moment she was told she had landed the part of Isabelle Lightwood on the TV adaptation of the young adult book series The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare.
"I was at the house and my manager played a joke on me as if I hadn't gotten the role," Toubia exclusively told E! News. "Then they were like, 'Just kidding, you booked the role.'"
Family is number one for the star and her character on the show shares the same passion. "I think that I'm similar to her in that I'm super close to my family. You know if you're part Latina, you're always really close to your family. Isabelle is close to her family in that sense," the actress said. "But we're different because my character takes huge risks—I'm more traditional in my choices."
Shadowhunters' second season is full of surprises and the actress doesn't know what the writers have in store, but she hopes that her character will go after the things that she wants for herself.
Before moving to Hollywood, the gorgeous actress was offered a role on a telenovela for Televisa, but she decided to risk it all and head to Los Angeles. "I had to get this really old car and it would take forever for me to start," Toubia recalled. "Some of my acting lessons would be until really late, it was scary.The beginning was very scary."
But the end result couldn't have been sweeter.
She and boyfriend Prince Royce recently graced the cover of TVyNovelas, which showcases young Latinos in Hollywood.
"I think right now is the moment of the Latino power. Like with this character, I'm Latina and I'm playing an American role. I'm not playing a stereotypical role," Toubia also told us. "I admire women like Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek, because they left the doors open for people like me."
Toubia, who recently co-starred in the music video for Royce's song "Culpa Al Corazon," opened up in an interview with Univision's Sal y Pimienta about her relationship with the singer and how their love story began.
"We actually met at a restaurant through some friends," Royce said, but Toubia quickly interrupted him.
"He wanted to meet another girl, but I got there first!" Toubia shouted.
And once again, fate worked its magic.