Red Carpet Dreams for Ramona Restaurateur
By Kathy Fairbanks

Leticia Cannon

El Nopal restaurant owner Leticia Cannon is serving up more than enchiladas these days. With a resume that's starting to burst with roles in commercials, sitcoms and television dramas, the Ramona resident is cooking up a career in Hollywood.

But don't look for her star on Hollywood Boulevard quite yet; she's still waiting to land her first speaking role.

That's not to say that Cannon isn't in demand. With the changing demographics nationwide, Cannon says her "look" is becoming more mainstream. That look is middle-aged and Hispanic with a realistic body type. At a size 12, that's a far cry from the size 0's Americans have been exposed to during the past few years.

Although her ability to relax in front of the camera and act "like a normal person" probably have helped also, she explains.

Those attributes have led to roles on "Grey's Anatomy," "The New Adventures of the Old Christine" and "Watch over Me." Not a bad start, considering she's only been seeking roles since last June and has never taken an acting class.

She's appeared several times on "Grey's Anatomy" as a hospital visitor who is seen talking with nurses in the background of the main action.

In other jobs, she's also played a nurse, a spectator and even a maid.

In her appearance in "The New Adventures of the Old Christine," she plays a maid leaving a supermarket that the main character, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, speaks to. In her scene, Cannon nods her head in response to a question posed by Louis-Dreyfus' character. That episode will air on April 9 on CBS.

Will local folks recognize her when the show airs nationwide?

"Absolutely," she says, adding, "But I have no make-up on (in the scene), but people will still say, 'hey, that's Leticia.'"

Filming that scene took four days and about 20 hours total, she said, earning her $1,000. While she's happy with that appearance, her next goal is to land a speaking role in a commercial. Payday for that work would top around $320,000, she says.

"I'm waiting for that big break; I just need one good commercial," she says of her short-term acting goals.

It's not just the money in acting that appeals to Cannon. "I'm at the point in my life where I want to have fun," she explains.

And part of that fun includes being treated like a "princess" with her hair and make-up done for her by professionals as well as the occasional opportunity to star watch.

Of course, she's been around the "Grey's Anatomy" cast. She's even talked with Louis-Dreyfus and given Sandra Bernhard a hug.

"They are both really sweet and just normal people," she says of Louis-Dreyfus and Bernhard.

However, just like "normal" jobs, there can be long days, she says, explaining that she once spent 16 hours on a set waiting for filming to wrap for the day.

Overall, she says acting is her dream job. "When I'm there (Hollywood), I can forget about all the stresses in my life."

While owning and operating El Nopal for 19 years has been the source of some of those stresses, she's also been able to tap into her experiences in the restaurant business.

"Running a restaurant is like acting and sales. You have to be on and make sure all your customers are happy," she says, adding that being outgoing has also helped her acting career.

"You have to open up (when on set). You can't be shy," she explains. And you certainly have to be tough, she adds. "There are a lot of people out there trying to make it in the business. When you don't get a job, you have to realize there are a lot of people that directors can choose from."

So far, working through a half-dozen casting companies has kept the phone ringing for Cannon. Typically, she'll apply for a job posted online on one of the casting sites and will hear within a day if she's got the part.

Then, it's up before dawn for a drive into Los Angeles.

What the future holds for Cannon is unknown, however maybe Ramona residents will some day spot their former neighbor walking the Red Carpet.