When we face adversity at different points in our lives, it often builds character and reveals inner strength we didn’t know we had. Few understand that better than actress Myrna Cabello. In 2007, she faced a frightening medical crisis when she was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy—a condition that causes temporary facial paralysis. Though she has since recovered, the experience left a lasting impact, teaching her powerful lessons in gratitude, acceptance, and the importance of valuing inner qualities over outward appearances or material possessions.
Myrna Cabello is widely recognized for her acting career, singing, and more—and it was truly an honor to sit down with her for Social Lifestyle Magazine. Here’s what she had to share in our interview:
Meghan Forte: You faced Bell’s Palsy in 2007, which temporarily affected your ability to sing. Can you walk us through that experience and how you stayed motivated during your recovery?
Myrna Cabello: Absolutely! It was a regular morning and I wore contacts. As I was putting them in, I noticed I couldn’t feel my eyelids. I started touching my face and thought, “Surely I’m still half asleep.” And as I continued, I discovered that the entire half of my face was numb. I had never heard of Bell’s Palsy, so I talked to my husband, and he immediately thought I might be having a stroke and dialed 911. I was fine, but the doctors felt it was Bell’s Palsy—which it was.
It was shocking to have my body suddenly act on its own—to no longer be in control. And my doctor told me it was going to progress even more… All of a sudden, there was no movement on one side of my face. After I accepted it, I found myself fascinated by the changes and would observe myself in the mirror. Unfortunately, I had some bookings which I absolutely could not do because I could not talk. So, I had to cancel all my bookings, and my agent was extremely concerned. I thought, Oh no, what is going to happen now?
From what I read, some people recover quickly and some don’t. Some take a long time, and I did not know what my journey was going to be. I am very much a research person, so I researched all that I could and found out that the main thing people were saying was that acupuncture was a really good treatment for it. So, I found an acupuncturist who took me in, and after 3 weeks, I had a little bit of movement—so I was very hopeful. I actually videotaped myself, talking about how I felt and what it was doing to me psychologically. That helped because I felt like I was creating something—something meaningful and expressive.
I also remember just praying and singing. Singing just made me feel really connected. It is really an amazing feeling to sing. When I prayed, I said, “Please God, don’t take my voice.” I just didn’t know where it was going to go or what would happen next. We were playing a party someone had hired us for, and my husband wanted to cancel—but I felt like I wanted to sing. I wore big sunglasses to cover up most of my face so nobody would notice. But people did notice, and the beautiful part was that it opened the door for others to share similar experiences. One man had a fall from a bike, but unfortunately his condition was permanent. The party made me feel beautifully connected.
Because there is so much focus in the world on being beautiful on the outside, it made me reflect on doing more work on myself—internally. Oddly, looking at the videos, I feel even more beautiful than I ever felt. After that happened, I felt more in touch with the deeper, more meaningful parts of my life. The video journal was really helpful to me, and I felt blessed that my family and husband were so supportive.
Finally, after about a year, I felt like I had some control over my face. However, if I became stressed or tired, I could feel the loss of movement in my face. It is really such a strange disease. I still wanted to do normal things, like going out to dinner—even though food would fall out of my mouth. And there were a number of truly wonderful people that I met while going through this.
Meghan Forte: How did coping with Bell’s Palsy shape your perspective on your career and your art, especially your music and voice work?
Myrna Cabello: It made me understand that what I had perceived as my life could change at any moment. It made me learn to be flexible. And it made me also dig deeper into the music and songwriting. I was writing a lot of songs at that time. I wrote a song called “Answers”, which is about this. And it caused me to shift more towards the music… I can write, I can sing… and I didn’t have to worry about being on camera or feel self-conscious about looking different. I delved more into my music. Once I recovered, I felt I didn’t have to limit myself.
Meghan Forte: You earned a BA in Studio Art before diving into acting. How do you feel your background in visual art informs your work as an actress and a creative?
Myrna Cabello: That’s a really good question! I think one of the things that is always good in acting is having a well-rounded life so you can draw on different sides of yourself. I think my experience with art school really helped me in that regard. I actually thought going through art school was amazing! I got to do printmaking, illustration, painting, and watercolor. I got to explore so many mediums around people that loved art so much… Having that community opened up another side of me… like I have a whole other perspective from people that have a different goal and love for something.
Even getting into creating my own website… remember the days when we had business cards? I designed my own business cards and postcards. These are things that helped me business-wise because I didn’t have to hire anyone. I did everything myself. I went to art school and thought this would be my backup in case I did not succeed at the performing arts. It’s funny—I just thought, “Oh, it’s another creative job.” I have always thought it was good to have a well-rounded skill set.
Meghan Forte: Can you share a bit about your connection to Austin, Texas, and how your hometown continues to shape your identity and career?
Myrna Cabello: Born and raised a Texas Girl! “Keep it weird” is their slogan! I think it has left a huge imprint on me, and I just love to bring that to the table. I still have all my friends in Austin. A lot of them are so happy and excited for me that I made the leap to go to New York—especially when many of my classmates were at the point of getting married and starting families. So I have a huge love for my hometown.
High school shaped me—I did a lot of theater in high school, elementary school, and grade school, so that helped me. I feel lucky that I was able to hone my craft in Austin, where there wasn’t the pressure and stress of a bigger city. I have done a lot of TV/film here in Austin. That experience gave me my resume when I came to New York.
Meghan Forte: What does it mean to you to be recognized as one of the top 100 influential Latinas in Austin’s history?
Myrna Cabello: There are no words! It is such an honor. It’s an honor to have my hard work recognized. My path, I believe, serves a greater good—not just for me. I am helping other Latinas to feel brave and powerful… like that they can do anything. And that applies to any young woman, not just Latinas. Of course, my community is very important to me. The outreach that I can have is very powerful. I get emotional thinking about how I once searched for people who looked like me, hoping to feel that same connection—knowing that if they’re doing it, I can do it. I hope young women can visualize themselves in these roles and know: YES! They can do this.
Meghan Forte: The more representation in our society also brings more opportunities… and it also brings our communities together.
Myrna Cabello’s journey is a powerful reminder that resilience often leads to reinvention. From navigating a sudden health crisis to rediscovering her artistic voice, she has emerged not only as a talented performer but as an inspiring advocate for inner strength and authenticity. Her story serves as encouragement to anyone facing adversity—proof that with passion, support, and a deep sense of purpose, we can transform life’s challenges into fuel for creative and personal growth. Whether on stage, in front of a camera, or behind a microphone, Myrna continues to uplift and empower—especially for women and Latinas who dare to dream big.
Myrna Cabello is known for her roles in: Your Friends and Neighbors, What We Do In The Shadows, FBI: Most Wanted, and more. Thank you, Myrna, for your insightful and powerful interview; it is inspiring to so many of our readers!
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