With the events of the catastrophic 2025 California wildfires, the CBS TV series Fire Country is more relevant than ever. Fire Country features a top-tier ensemble cast, including Stephanie Arcila, who plays Gabriela Perez. A drama that follows the heroic team of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (or Cal Fire for short), Fire Country delivers not only fast-paced action and thrills but also compelling depictions of true-to-life characters.
Arcila’s Gabriela is the daughter of Cal Fire’s captain, Manny Perez. She is a former Olympic diver who later decides to join the firefighting team against her father’s wishes. At the beginning of the series, she is in a serious relationship with fellow firefighter Jake Crawford, but Gabriela later strikes up a romance with Bode Leone. Although her Fire Country role is Arcila’s most successful one to date, you might recognize her face from her other TV and movie appearances. With years of acting experience under her belt, Arcila has more than just one bragging right to her name.
The biographical telenovela, Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio, is a biographical telenovela that tells the story of singer-songwriter Jenni Rivera, based on her autobiography Unbreakable: My Story, My Way. The American Mexican performer made history as the top-selling female musician in the regional Mexican music genre, a platform that was mostly dominated by men. Her success earned her four Latin Grammy nominations, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and over 15 million records sold worldwide. Rivera died in a plane crash in 2012, yet her story gripped the hearts of fans the world over.
Stephanie Arcila played Rosie Rivera in the series, the younger sister of Jenni. Just as stated in Rivera’s autobiography, Rosie informed Jenni that her husband, José Marín, had sexually assaulted Rosie and molested Jenni’s children. Arcila gives an admirable performance as Rosie, her sincerity shining through to portray a heart-breaking real-life tragedy. The mini-series first aired in 2017, with over 1.6 viewers tuning in to watch, and it also earned an International Emmy Award nomination for Best Non-English Language U.S. Primetime Program.
This spinoff from Showtime’s historical dark fantasy series Penny Dreadful takes place in 1930s Los Angeles. Amidst racial tensions and the looming Nazi threat, a detective and his partner must contend with two warring supernatural beings in competition for the souls of humanity. The show stars Natalie Dormer as the seductive demon Magda, as well as Daniel Zovatto as Detective Tiago Vega, Nathan Lane as Detective Lewis Michener, and Rory Kinear as Peter Craft.
Arcila had a supporting role in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as a member of the Latinx crew called the Pachucos, Bernadette Romero. As a single mom, Bernadette is driven by a need to protect her daughter and the ones she loves. When her fellow Pachuco, Diego, is murdered by a racist police officer, she helps lead a rebellion of fellow Latinx to stand against the injustice of Diego’s death. Arcila may have only had a minor role in the series, but her performance proved she had the talent to work alongside other notable actors like Dormer and Lane.
Hernandez (Stephanie Arcila) and Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) smiling and talking to someone offscreen in Don’t Breathe 2
The sequel to the horror film Don’t Breathe, Don’t Breathe 2 had even more thrills that left audiences gasping for air. This time, blind Navy SEAL veteran Norman Nordstrom is the hero of the film, who now lives with his daughter, Phoenix. When Phoenix is abducted by a dangerous gangster named Raylan, Norman will stop at nothing to save her, including finding new inventive ways to take down his enemies.
Though her character didn’t get much screen time, she made every second count.
Fans of Fire Country will likely recognize Stephanie Arcila as Hernandez, a friend of Norman’s who is also an Army Ranger veteran. As one of Norman’s only connections with the outside world, she insists that Phoenix shouldn’t be holed up in the house all day like her dad. Unfortunately, Hernandez’s good intentions end up leading to her death at the hands of Raylan and his goons, as well as Phoenix’s kidnapping. Don’t Breathe 2 was Arcila’s first appearance in a major feature film, and though her character didn’t get much screen time, she made every second count.
