While studying Biomedical Sciences at university and planning on doing a postgraduate in Medicine, this London-born Colombian competed in Miss Universe Great Britain and became the only Latina winner to date. This success “opened a lot of doors for me” - she got a scholarship to film schoo, and the chance to act in telenovelas in Mexico. But Tara ultimately chose to come home to finish her degree, before eventually deciding to do a foundation course in Acting at the Actors Centre and attending the Identity School of Acting in 2017.
Knowing that pursuing an acting career meant following an uncertain path, Tara happily embarked on it. "What's important is to realise that you’re doing it for the love of the art and the love of the craft and accept that 90% of the time it will probably be a no, a setback or a rejection," she says.
"As long as I’ve done the best I can do in the audition, and given every part of me as authentically as possible, I know it's OK. One of the greatest challenges is overcoming the expectations you put on yourself or on a project.”
Lately, Tara has turned her hand to writing and directing, just to help nudge aside the obstacles blocking her from positions of creative authority. “There’s a lack of roles,” she says. “And if we’re not at the top; we can’t create them.”
In this vein, as writer, Tara recently contributed her directorial debut, 'Kind Regards', to the Oxford Anthology - a collection of nine short films. Not only has this given her the chance to “see the development of a project from start to finish,” but it has also created an opportunity to challenge the common perception of Oxford as a place lacking diversity and being solely for the middle class.
As Tara forges forward in her career, she is focused on the “need to create more opportunities from behind the camera.”
Tara is dressed by Jennifer Clair. Hair & Makeup by herself