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Flip on your television, better yet, whip out your iPad or computer since that's where we're all watching these days, and turn on an episode of Jane the Virgin, Southland, or countless other TV series, including True Detective and Alpha House, and you're sure to spot Yara Martinez. Now, she plays villain Ms. Lint on Amazon's The Tick. "It is so much fun to play someone that is so angry and annoyed and just doesn't care! She's such a bitch," says Yara, who was promoted to a regular on the superhero comedy series earlier this year. The actress initially thought she would only be a part of the pilot, where she only had three lines. "Nothing was looking right on my body when I was trying on costumes. My hair was supposed to be in one giant braid, but I have so much that we had to make it three braids instead," she laughs. Along with the braids, her villainous character rocks a crazy contact lens from which she shoots electricity. "I feel so lucky to play this character. The wardrobe and makeup are so crazy. It's the first job I've had where the men have a more difficult wardrobe than the women!" The Tick is already gaining popularity and is set to premiere at Comic-Con in San Diego, New York, and London. "I'm so excited. I've always wanted to go to Comic-Con. Since my character wasn't an original, I'm interested to see how she's going to be perceived." Before Yara achieved super-villain status, the Puerto Rican actress spent most of her childhood in Miami. One of her fondest memories (she notes there were too many to count) was attending sailing camp from the age of 11-13. "It was almost like a summer movie. We'd go out and capsize them on purpose. It was probably the most carefree moment in my life." She continues to recall memories from her time in Miami —which involve her family and going to nightclubs. "I'm so happy I went, but also so happy that's over!" she laughs. "I'm still really close to my girlfriends there." Among her Miami-favorites are Joe's Stone Crab, ("Just a classic —and they have takeout.") and Versailles' Cafe con Leche ("Oh, it's my absolute favorite."). So, what inspired Yara to go into acting? "I wanted to become an actress after becoming involved in ballet. [It's important to note that her great-aunt is Alicia Alonso, who founded Cuba's National Ballet.] I took an acting class and at age 13 I knew this is what I wanted to do. But I thought I was going to be in theatre, not television." Yara had to convince her parents that she wanted to move to Los Angeles to pursue her passion by proving this was something she really cared about. "I moved to New York to pursue theater first and started waiting tables as a cocktail waitress and didn't really like it, so I knew it was time to go to L.A." "I used to do commercials when I was younger," she laughs. "I was at the Miami-Dade County Fair and they were looking for someone to recite the lunch menu on Channel 10 News. I actually got it and my mom would take me early in the mornings to recite the menu." She continued to audition. "I learned one of my biggest lessons when I auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. I remember going into my audition, reciting a really serious piece about contemplating suicide and the people I was auditioning for just looked at me. Know your audience! I learned that at a young age. Needless to say, I didn't quite get that job." Years later, the actress seems to have held on to these lessons as she has landed several roles on TV, including the role of Dr. Luisa Alver on Jane the Virgin. "I feel really lucky about this character being on Jane the Virgin. One role that would be awesome to try next… One of my favorite shows is The Americans with Keri Russell. That character is awesome. I would want to play something very grounded like that." Though she's acting on television, she hasn't abandoned her love for theatre. Yara, along with other passionate artists and activists, is an active part of the Ammunition Theatre Company (or Ammo), which aims to reflect the diverse, evolving identity of America and to celebrate these communities and their stories while inspiring the society we live in to do the same. "I missed doing theatre. We're seeing good stuff in Los Angeles, but we aren't seeing enough of different nationalities. We decided we wanted to start this. Now, we're casting our third or fourth production and we're looking forward to working with female playwrights and female directors in July!" Theatre and television share a commonality: "having a connection with people, whether it's with the actors you're with or at the other end of the spectrum, the people watching. You are establishing a relationship." For Yara, it's all about establishing relationships on and off screen. "It's all about love and being with the people that you love and generating that. Those cheesy refrigerator magnets that you always roll your eyes at hold the most truth!" ML Don't miss Yara in The Tick on Amazon, premiering August 25th, and Jane the Virgin, returning this fall on The CW. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter: @Yaritafrita.