On her acting journey, future goals, and the magic of manifestations by Rachel Soko. 

I was obsessed with the NBC sitcom, “Saved By the Bell” (SBTB) which was a Saturday Morning must-watch TV show in the 90s. It centered on six California teenagers and their high school shenanigans with their principal, Mr. Belding. Originally called, “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” the OG “Saved by the Bell” was quirky and endearing; today it’s a “cult classic” teen series. When I heard the peacock network was reviving SBTB, with a blended cast of new and former actors, I was hesitant to check it out. Would it be as beloved as the original?

I was pleasantly surprised at how creative the new  SBTB is, and was impressed with Haskiri Velasquez, who stars as Daisy, a motivated, sophomore transfer student at Bayside High.

Haskiri, a New York City native of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, was a joy to talk with for this issue; she’s just as chatty and passionate as the character she plays. Let’s find out what makes her move and groove personally and professionally.

I love your name. What are the origins of Haskiri? (Note: Pronounced: “Ha-skee-ree.”)

My Dominican grandmother was reading a soap opera-style book with a goddess character named Haskiri. When I was born, my Puerto Rican grandmother wanted to name me, ‘Availa’ but my Dominican grandmother literally said, “No, we’re naming her Haskiri because it means goddess.” And everyone agreed. I think it's cool because I'm kind of in that soap opera acting world. I think my name had a lot to do with what I was going to become in the future. My Grandmother still reminds me she gave me that name.

What was the SBTB audition process like?

I was nervous! But my body, mind, and soul said, “This role is mine.” I don't know what it was! It took over my body; I just knew it. And when you know, you know. Many times I'd audition for roles that I wanted and I didn't get. And then, I realized that that role wasn't for me, and I'm glad that I didn't get it initially. There's always a lesson to be learned in every ‘no’.

Is it true you manifested the role of Daisy?

Yes! I think it’s important to manifest what you really want out of life. I've noticed that when you put your energy towards one specific thing, you kind of create that reality in your day-to-day life. On Deadline.com, I would read articles about celebrities booking certain acting jobs, and think, “One day, this is going to be me.” When I submitted the initial audition tape for Daisy, I literally took an article from Deadline.com, and photoshopped my face onto the person featured. I mocked up my own article from it; it said something like: “Haskiri Valazquez, a new face in the industry booked the lead role on Saved by the Bell as Daisy.” I don't know, I just wrote a bunch of positive things and I put it as my phone screensaver. It was the first thing I would see on my phone; to put the idea in my head, “I’m going to be Daisy. I was putting it into the universe. I'm really, really big on just creating that kind of manifestation and creating that kind of energy. It does work! I also created a “Saved By the Bell” vision board for myself, prior to officially booking the role of Daisy.

Tell us about your longtime boyfriend, Nate, who is living out in LA with you.

Nate’s also really big on manifestations, too. I once had a part-time job, working eight hours a day. I’d come home, and really didn't feel like putting a lot of energy towards my true passion which was acting. I was tired; I made a lot of excuses. I’d think, if only I had the eight hours I put into the part-time job into my dream career. And Nate told me, that's not the right mindset to have. You do what you need to do to get by, but the second you come home, your fire has to be “lit” so no matter how tired you are, you're going to continue your passion, because nothing in life comes easy. So, the harder you have to work for something, the bigger the reward. He taught me if acting was so easy, everybody would be an actor. It's like, acting is on such a higher “level” that you're going to need to put in extra work than the average.

How do you find your actor role models?

Look at YouTube videos of people in the films that you like, learn how they got started. I realized you need to look for a mentor, in a sense, even if it's online, even if these people don't know you, use their YouTube interviews as a source of inspiration.

What drew you to the character of Daisy?

She wasn't the suspect's girlfriend, she wasn't the girl from the Bronx that ended up getting pregnant and has no future. She was resilient. She was smart, ambitious, and determined. And I thought, “this is what a Latina is.” We are so much more than what they portray us to be on TV. This is the kind of representation I want to put out there for young Latinx girls to see.

But also what I loved about Daisy is that she never allowed her current situation to determine her future. She knows she comes from a single mother household, low-income, but she knew that she wanted more out of that. It's almost like, you know she's Latina, but she's so many more things and so much more than just her background that any girl looking at it can feel inspired. 

Tell us about ways you give back--or plan to.

I would love to open a nonprofit up in my New York neighborhood and kind of give back to my community to young kids who are coming out of these homes that are low income. Their parents don't speak English and they have a source of creativity or a space that they can feel seen and comfortable in and explore their passions.

What makes the re-imagined Saved By the Bell so awesome?

Well, the cast is so diverse. We have, besides the characters being diverse, the people who play these characters come from so many different backgrounds that I think anybody who watches can feel seen when they watch this show. 

What’s it like working with OG SBTB cast members Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley?

It's great. From the moment I walked on to the set, they were there and one of the first things they said was, “if you ever need any advice or any help anything, don't be afraid to ask. This is why we're here.”

Tell us about the film you just wrapped up.

Well, I just finished doing a feature film. It's a thriller and right now the title is the Girl in the Window. I don't know if they're going to keep that title, though. But we shot in Louisville, Kentucky and we literally got this movie done, I would say in about 14 days. I was able to do my own stunts and fighting scenes! 

You’ve left your NY roots for now to prep for Season 2 of SBTB which will film in Los Angeles, of course! When does Season 2 begin filming--and we know everyone will be Covid-safe, of course!

Right now, they don't have a timeline on the filming schedule. But they did say that they're going to go into the writer's room as soon as they can and start cooking up season two. So I'm really excited for that. I can't wait to see what they have in store for everybody's characters, especially for Daisy's character. And we have one of the best writers, Tracey Wigfield. She's just a genius.

Check out Saved By the Bell on peacock; visit: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/saved-by-the-bell for more info.

Follow Haskiri on instagram at: @haskiri

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: Anton Khachaturian

Styling: Madison Guest

Makeup: Anton Khachaturian

Hair: Nina Mercado

Cast photo: Courtesy peacock