'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Stephanie Beatriz Talks About Rosa And Being On The Sleeper Hit Show Of The Year [EXCLUSIVE]

FOX has hit a homerun with its new sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" from Emmy Award-winning writer/producers Dan Goor and Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”). If you haven't watched the show, then bookmark this article, binge-watch every episode, and then come back to this page to finish reading.

The show revolves around a carefree detective named Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), who can be best defined in one word: man-child. The ensemble cast of the show includes Peralta's supervisors (Captain Ray Holt, played by Andre Braugher, and Seargent Terry Jeffords, played by Terry Richards) and his peers (Melissa Fumero as Amy Santiago, Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz, Joe Lo Truglio as Charles Boyle, and Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti).

To be fair, all the characters on the show are fabulously well developed, but one character manages to make us laugh and smile without cracking a grin herself: Rosa Diaz. The character is an unapologetic badass who is tough, independent and delivers the most unexpectedly hilarious one-liners. Latin Times got to chat with the charming actress and learn more about how she got her part, whether there is any hope for a Rosa-Boyle romance (#TeamRoyle anyone?), and what it's like to be a part of such a diverse show.

Latin Times: How did you get the part of Rosa on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"?

Stephanie Beatriz: I auditioned for it, just like I did for numerous shows during pilot season. I told my agency when they asked me what I saw myself on and I told them "Parks & Rec, Parks & Rec, Parks & Rec." I just kept talking about how amazing I thought Parks & Rec was. And then I was lucky enough to get an audition for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and I was just so excited just to get the audition for it.

It was already a win for me that I was auditioning for the show so when I got the call back and the screen test, I was just on cloud 9. Most of the time, as an actor, you're not booking jobs and you're between jobs and getting told "No" a lot. So you have to find small things to celebrate and one of the small things that I celebrate is when I get a call back.

Getting a screen test was very exciting and to actually book it -- I thought I was going to die. I thought, "This is it. This is the happiest I'm going to ever be." But I was wrong: Every day being at work has been even better.

LT: We love the fact that Rosa is this strong, independent female character. What's your favorite part about Rosa?

SB: I love that too. I love that she's unapologetically badass. There's no back-story trying to explain something horrible that happened to her that explains who she is. No, that's just who she is. She just is this person; no explanation needed. Just like men--when a male character comes on screen and is a badass, you just accept it. And I'm hoping that's what fans do with Rosa. She is who she is and she just doesn't give a shit.

LT: Another thing we love about Rosa is that she's kind of this paradox. We could be overanalyzing, but she's so angry yet so quiet. She's so distant yet she's caring for her peers. Is it hard to play this role?

SB: I think I just want to shape her like a real person and most of the women I know are very complex. Most of the women I know can be caring and delicate in one moment and in the next moment, if you threaten someone they love, they change. It is interesting to see the different sides of her personality, and I love that.

I also think that somebody that tough is probably struggling with emotions that she doesn't know how to deal with. She has a lot to learn in terms of being a functioning person because, let's face it, this woman has thankfully found a job where she can be herself. I couldn't even imagine where her personality has completely alienated her from people around her. I love that she's a badass who seems to have it all together but she definitely has a side that is not put together.

LT: How similar or different are you from Rosa? Do people recognize you now and assume you're just like the character you play?

SB: I don't get recognized a lot. The only time that has happened was when I was at Disneyland. Isn't that funny? Mostly because it's because I don't wear makeup during the day and I wear my glasses. Fans are used to seeing what they see on television so if I don't look like that in real life, then you're probably not going to recognize me.

I think parts of her personality are similar to mine. I can be very pretty tough when I want to be and I have a short fuse with Los Angeles traffic, for example. I moved to Los Angeles from New York and got my license before I moved. At first, everything was a novelty but now I say horrible things to people when I'm driving. All that Rosa-ness comes out when I'm driving. But we're pretty different. I went to Disneyland for my birthday and I love girly things--my favorite color is pink. So we're pretty different people.

LT: You may not be able to answer, but we have to ask: Is there any chance of a romance between Rosa and Boyle?

SB: I think that the writers have set it up pretty brilliantly between these two characters. He's really interested in her and she's not interested in him that way. But in the pilot, she agreed to go to the movies with him. So if you're starting from there, it's probably going to grow into something. Whether that's a really close friendship or goes to a romantic place, I don't know.

I think one of the great developments is that Boyle is dating someone else [Professor Vivian Ludley played by actress Marilu Henner] so what's gunna happen? I'm in the same boat as the audience because we don't get the script in advance. The writers are working week by week so when the script comes we see what's happening. So, I'm just as excited to see where that relationship goes.

LT: I think this might be the first time on television that the two female leads are Latinas. Given that this show is catering to a broad demographic, and not only to Latinos, that's pretty groundbreaking. How did the casting managed to be so diverse?

SB: Ya, Mike Schur and Dan Goor, the creators of the show, really stressed that they wanted it set in New York, they wanted it set in Brooklyn and they wanted the makeup of the show to reflect what Brooklyn actually looks like. So it was important to see that on screen. Any time you're watching television, you're getting a visual story from what you're watching. As a viewer, you're absorbing what the person looks like or what their socio-economic background is based on their attire. The visual makeup of the team was really important to them; it was important to make it look real.

But after that it doesn't become the main story line. The main story line is a group of people that have to work together and have to learn to love each other. In all the places I've worked, there've been people of all different colors, shapes and sizes. But that's not what we talk about at work; we talk about people's kids or how their weekend was. That's never the main focus in everyday life. I just love that the show reflects that and is more shaped around who the people are than what the color of their skin is.

LT: What made you want to become an actress? And how has your journey been thus far?

SB: It's been hella' good. I've worked with some amazing, amazing theaters across the country with a number of brilliant artists. I've been very, very lucky.

I wanted to start acting because in Junior High I was in a play and I was cast as the villain. I guess we didn't have enough boys in the department, but I was cast as the bad guy. I was really disappointed at first, but the play was a comedy and we performed in front of the whole school and I remember the feeling of everybody laughing. I think I started then, in Junior High.

In high school, I was lucky enough to have some amazing teachers who were also super supportive. They encouraged me to continue finding out about acting and helped me find colleges. I went to a great college, too. Along the way I've had some amazing teachers who helped guide me towards the thing I want to do. I'm very blessed for that.

LT: Has it been hard getting roles being a Latina?

SB: Some of the roles I've done in plays are specifically written for Latina characters and both the playwrights for the plays were written by Latinos. I think the more that we have Latin background writers to share their specific view of the world, the more parts that there are going to be available for Latinos.

But at the same time, I was in a production of Shakespeare where the show was built around the idea that we were Latin American living in a really diverse city. Sometimes it can be frustrating because you'll come across something that you're auditioning for that doesn't reflect your personal American experience as a Latino, but I always think to myself, whether the part is of someone well spoken or not, all the stories have to be told. So I don't look down at playing a part that may not be what my experience was.

I've definitely seen and experienced stereotypes being portrayed, but I've seen and experienced them everywhere.

LT: You mentioned that you've worked in the theater, which is a different medium than "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Do you have a preference between been on stage and being on screen?

SB: I don't! Both of them have their perks. Being on stage is pretty cool cause you're sharing that performance and that night will never happen again. You can do the play again, but it won't be the same. At the same time, being on television allows you to capture something and gives you the opportunity to revisit it over, and over, and over.

You can follow Stephanie Beatriz on Twitter @iamstephbeatz. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" airs on Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30 c on FOX.