How We Misunderstand Feminism with Actor Romina D'Ugo

Movie and TV star Romina D’Ugo shares what life is like for a woman in Hollywood. She also shares a deeply personal story of how a nude scene was sprung on her without her consent.  

Society often paints people who identify as feminists as frigid or man hating. But, is that truly what the term means or has it been hijacked? Join us as Romina shares why feminism became important to her.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page.

CSA Best Actress nominee Romina D'Ugo is a first-generation Canadian and proud daughter to Italian immigrant parents. Originally from Toronto, Romina grew up dancing and trained since the age of 9 at one of the most competitive dance schools in the country. Performing has been a natural extension of Romina’s being since a young age but her career began when she landed a supporting role in the Universal Pictures film “How She Move.” Romina became a household name when she earned a spot as one of the Top 20 dancers on season 1 of the hugely popular series “So You Think You Can Dance.” She went on to star opposite Justin Chatwin in the feature film, “Funkytown.” In 2010, Romina also starred in MTV’s original movie “Turn The Beat Around,” for which she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Canadian Screen Awards.

Romina has appeared in a plethora of TV series including “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX), “Coyote” (Paramount), “Designated Survivor” (NBC/Netflix), “12 Monkeys” (SYFY/NBC), “Rookie Blue” (ABC/Global), “Nikita” (CW), and “Nurses” (NBC/Global). Romina also choreographed for Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne in the DC Comics film “Suicide Squad.” Most recently, she starred in the coming-of-age dramatic comedy “I Like Movies,” making its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is currently making the festival rounds and will be released in select theatres in Canada in March.

Passionate about artistry in all its forms, Romina is also the designer and creator of the eco-conscious jewelry line, WILYMI Jewelry Co. WILYMI stands for "Wear It Like You Mean It” and was created as a way of imbuing her life lessons into wearable art. Each piece holds a unique and purposeful intention and is an expression of this intimate process. Romina spends hours dreaming up designs, and relishes in the journey of sourcing materials to bring her visions to reality, meticulously handpicking stones and crafting each luxe, limited edition piece. A champion of women's empowerment movements, a portion of the proceeds go to the GIRLS INC charity, which equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and advocates for legislation and policies to increase opportunities and rights for all girls.

Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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