The Jewel Of Oz

On NBC’s Emerald City Adria Arjona portrays a classic character for a new multicultural audience.

- Jesús Triviño Alarcón

FOR ADRIA ARJONA, “THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME” HAS INTRINSIC MEANING—not because of the superficialities that come with being the daughter of a Grammy Award–winning singer (Ricardo Arjona) and a pageant queen mother (former Miss Puerto Rico Leslie Torres). Quite the opposite. Her parents made it a point to shield her and her siblings from glitzy red carpets, opting instead to instill the importance of staying humble.

“I never saw my dad as a famous rock star,” says the 24-year-old Guatemalan and Puerto Rican actress. “My parents taught me that it’s always about the people—the human connection and the fans. It’s something I aspire to do.”