Stephanie Nogueras is the Puerto Rican actress representing the deaf community in ‘Killing It’

Stephanie Nogueras is Killing It in Peacock’s original comedy starring Craig Robinson. This hilarious new series highlights the insanity of today’s get-rich-or-die-trying culture.

The show follows Craig Foster, a former bank security guard living in Miami who turned into a state-sponsored python hunter. He struggles to make ends meet while he and his ex-wife, Camille (Stephanie Nogueras), co-parent their pre-teen daughter, Vanessa.

“I saw the prop snakes, but that was it,” the Puerto Rican actress tells Refinery29 Somos. “So I’m thankful for that.”

© Peacock

According to the publication, Nogueras explained that her character is sweet and has “a ton of patience;” therefore, she gives her ex-husband chances to get his life together. “And for me, girl, I’m done. I cannot stand that,” Nogueras says. “No, I speak my mind. I want clarification right away. I’m very direct, very bold. I try to push people to do better. But Camille is very soft-spoken. She’s very easy on Craig. And if that were me in real life, I could not do that.”

Although Killing It focuses on snake hunting, there is so much more. “There is a deeper storyline about relationships: the relationship with Craig and family, relationships between friends as well as money, how we can become successful and strive for that American dream,” Nogueras shares. “The writers are brilliant, just completely brilliant.”

© Peacock

Stephanie Nogueras, who, like her character, is deaf in real life, highlighted the importance of deaf representation within Brown and Black communities. The 32-year-old New Jersey native said that being among the few Latinx deaf people onscreen has a considerable impact.

“My hope is in the future; we’ll see more deaf actors of color on screen, showing more diversity.”

“Counseling and mentoring are some things I enjoy as well,” Nogueras says, as reported by the media outlet. “My hope is in the future; we’ll see more deaf actors of color on screen, showing more diversity, as well as actors who are deaf with additional disabilities. Just having a more positive light within the community displayed on the screen.”

© Peacock

Nogueras also described Coda’s Best Picture award at the 2022 Oscars as a historic moment. “The deaf community, we’ve known codas all our lives,” Nogueras says. “I have coda friends. I have coda members in my family. But to see the impact and the emotional perspective that audiences had from the film is really great. It looks like the rest of the world is catching up to where we are and the experiences we already know.”

Nogueras began her career in acting in 2013, but becoming an actor wasn’t of her plans. “Acting really wasn’t my original plan,” she says. “I always wanted to be a counselor and work with mental health services for the deaf community because it’s very needed within our community, especially now.”

Knowing she could do it all, Stephanie began working with Pepita Productions, an organization focusing on Latinx deaf youth and offering mentorship programs, workshops, and other tools. “It’s really nice to use my platform to raise awareness that deaf people need mental health resources and to have role models for children of color to look up to on-screen, to know that they can do whatever they want,” she says. “Some of these really sweet children — I enjoy being with them so much, to see them grow in their confidence and be proud of their deafness.”

Nogueras also prioritizes her mental health. “I meditate with my cat. I love my cat. He’s my emotional support,” she said, revealing how she disconnects from the internet. “I noticed social media provides a lot of chaos,” she says. “Technology can be addicting. If you don’t manage it, you can just get lost in it and lose yourself. Over the weekend, I really tried to disconnect as much as possible and go out, go to the mountains, go somewhere where there are trees. That really helps me balance out my life.”