Introducing Jacqueline Yunez, a Player in "Miracle on Christmas"

She's holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry, but acting is her true love and she really delivers in our Yuletide picture.

Jacqueline Yunez in the makeup department before a scene in "Miracle on Christmas." Image: Horse is Ready Productions.

The first real taste of performing came for Jacqueline Yunez in 8th grade, when she won a part in a musical at her middle school. It was a production called Honk - an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic, The Ugly Duckling - and the role was meant to be played by a boy. Her audition was so strong, though, that the part was re-written for her.

Jacqueline Yunez on the set of "Miracle on Christmas." Image: Horse is Ready Productions.

As she got older, Jacqueline turned her focus to competitive dance, something she decided to pursue professionally after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in chemistry...yes, she is plenty smart. So she moved to Los Angeles in hopes of making it as a dancer.

It was there, however, after taking some acting classes, that she rediscovered her love for that craft. Her first parts were primarily in music videos, which she calls "a great segue," because of her dance background. She gradually transitioned from that exclusively into acting roles and wants ultimately to concentrate her efforts on comedy or action movies.

We certainly are pleased to have caught her before she moves onto those genres, because she brings a lot to Miracle on Christmas, the faith-based film written and directed by yours truly. In the picture, Jacqueline plays Gabriela "Gabby" Fuentes, a guest at a family Christmas dinner hosted by protagonist Mary Boyce, portrayed by Christian actress Erin Bethea. In this story of forgiveness, hope and love, Jacqueline's character proves to be a catalyst for reevaluation by the clan of some of its less than healthy family dynamics.

Jacqueline was born near Chicago into a large, Roman Catholic immigrant family - her parents are from Colombia - and as such, felt a sense of familiarity with both the faith-based elements of the script and the give-and-take of the extended-family gathering that serves as the backdrop against which the action plays out.

She tells us she "loved every minute of the production," which took place earlier this year in Michigan, citing all the "great people" she worked with both on the crew and in the cast. The bond she established with the latter group was particularly strong and she believes their off-screen relationships contributed to very good on-screen chemistry that will deliver an authentic feel of family. That element is what Jacqueline feels makes the picture "so emotionally compelling" and will "move people to tears."

While it may not seem very humble, we'd be lying if we said we disagreed with her on that score. There are plenty laughs as well, though, so this is not a downer of a holiday movie, you can be sure of that. We hope you will see for yourself when Miracle on Christmas is released for this year's Yuletide season.