Vegas Scene – Interview
Filipina-Australian actress Martha Millan
I sat down to speak with the up-and-coming star about her life as we know it on screen and found out more about her off set. Martha is a one-of-a-kind, down to earth actress who humbles herself on her success and how she got there. I learned a lot about her off screen as she shared her culture and background and her journey of over 20 years of acting and how she became well known to tv for the latest hot new series “The Cleaning Lady”, taking place in the one and only Las Vegas.
Although most of the scenes are shot in a studio in New Mexico, you can count on seeing the unique bright lights and big city scenes that are shot here in Las Vegas towards the end of the season in both seasons 1 and 2 told by Martha.
She has grown to love culture moving from Australia to New York where she spent most of her early career starting in commercial, and modeling and moving on to big tv series as guest star roles such as “Law and Order”, Succession and much more. "American Adobo" was her first movie, and her parents that are Filipino could not be more excited to see her working and on network centered on a Filipino culture.
Millan Says this show is her big breakthrough and loves the fact that she has impacted the Filipino culture and others. With more than a 20-year timeline of her career in America, she prides herself on being still a strong Aussie at heart. Asking the question of what she does off set she shared with me her love of walking in nature, traveling abroad and bouncing locally from Vegas to Albuquerque and New York. Out of the many things off screen she enjoys, travel is on the top tier for her to do list. Millan’s view on travel is that it is important in understanding the diversity and culture of the world. Martha emphasized to me that when traveling she loves to dive into the current culture and do as the locals do when she visits new countries. Now that season 2 has wrapped up the star-studded actress says she values and loves her sleep as she is catching up on just that. Talking to the breakthrough star was interesting, as I asked her many insider questions about Vegas in general specifically for Vegas Scene magazine. I wanted to know a bit about her back story and some insider tips most fans may not know about the show filmed only at the last bit of the series. Millan says although it is primarily filmed in Albuquerque her firsthand experience being in Las Vegas for the scenes filmed outside are the same and most accurate for the sets designed in Albuquerque.
Martha said to me that although she lives in America she is proud to be an Ausie at heart.
I asked the star what some of her favorite things to do off camera, which she stated she loved outdoor activities mainly where she resides in Albuquerque, she loves to walk in nature, travel and bouncing locally from Vegas to Alb and NY.
Another important point she stressed was that she feels traveling improves our understanding of diversity and culture. She loves to dive into culture and do as the locals do when she visits new countries. That is one of the reasons she loves to travel so much! Now a days she values and loves her sleep as she is catching up.
I asked the star to share with me her experience working on set in Vegas for the "Cleaning Lady", and she shared with me some interesting facts of the set and more. The show is primarily based in Vegas, but the studio is mainly filmed in Albuquerque. The exteriors and end of season are specifically filmed in Vegas. She says you just can't help but get swept away when in Vegas celebrating as we should. The cast is a true family, she says as they spend a lot of time together on and off set. She loves her job and wants to go to work and says it is a job that she looks for. to see the creative.
A little on the show -
Filipina-Australian actress Martha Millan (“Succession,” “The OA”) returned to set as the fun yet emotionally volatile and chaotic ‘Fiona Da La Rosa’ in FOX's highest-rated drama series “The Cleaning Lady” currently airing new episodes on Mondays at 9/8c on FOX. Developed by Miranda Kwok (“The 100”), the series marks the first FOX primetime drama series to be produced and starring Asian women, particularly Southeast Asian actors. Last season, “The Cleaning Lady” made the top 5 new broadcast drama of the 2021-2022 season. It marked the network’s highest-rated drama premiere in two years as well as Hulu’s most streamed FOX debut in the network’s history. The series deals with important topics such as documentation, immigration, immunodeficiency diseases, and parental rights.
Born in the Philippines, and raised in Sydney, Australia, Martha attended the University of Sydney and then moved to New York City, where she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has since been a true New Yorker at heart. While booking acting jobs, Martha had great success in modeling and has done endless national print and commercial work in addition to editorial. Millan is best known for her work in “The OA,” “Succession,” “Entourage,” “Madam Secretary,” “Strong Medicine,” all three primary shows of the “Law & Order” franchise, THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jim Parsons and Will Arnett and most recently, the indie film THE DRUMMER in which she starred alongside Danny Glover. Martha is an advocate for diversity in the entertainment industry and is proud to be starring on a series portraying Filipinos.
Australian-Filipino actress Martha Millan ("Succession," "The OA") stars in the main cast as 'Fiona Da La Rosa' in the hit drama series "The Cleaning Lady" which returned for its 2nd season on FOX. Developed by Miranda Kwok ("The 100"), the series marks the first FOX primetime drama series to be produced and starring Asian women, particularly Southeast Asian actors. Last season, "The Cleaning Lady" made the top 5 new broadcast drama of the 2021-2022 season. It marked the network's highest-rated drama premiere in two years as well as Hulu's most streamed FOX debut in the network's history. On the film side, Millan stars in the indie film THE DRUMMER alongside Danny Glover.
"The Cleaning Lady" centers on Thony (Elodie Yung), a doctor who comes to the US for a medical treatment to save her ailing son but when the system fails, she becomes a cleaning lady for the mob and starts playing the game by her own rules.
Millan plays 'Fiona,' Thony's fun, emotionally volatile and chaotic Filipina sister-in-law and fellow cleaning lady who is undocumented in the US while raising her children as a single parent. Fiona struggles dealing with the hardships of being undocumented but her journey throughout the series is one of empowerment and strength while she helps Thony in her journey to save her son. Both women show true resilience as we follow them in their plight to give their children the best they can under extraordinary circumstances. Last season, Thony (Elodie Yung) helped Arman (Adan Canto) take over Haya's enterprise.
In addition to acting, Martha is also an acting teacher for children. She previously taught acting for extracurricular and after school programs in Brooklyn public schools until COVID hit and she decided to create her own global online drama education program for children aged 10-16 years old based all over the world in Brazil, Portugal, Israel, US, and more. Martha is also a world traveler and have visited a plethora of countries like Spain, Greece, Aruba, Peru, Indonesia, Guatemala, Panama, etc. As an active and athletic child, Martha continues to stay healthy and fit by running every day and practicing high intensity training. Martha is an advocate for diversity in the entertainment industry and is proud to be starring on a series portraying Filipinos. Photo Credit: Rob Echanique
→Subscribe To Digital
