Arlene Tur

Miami girl gets series lead

It’s always a thrill when a Miami native does well in Hollywood. Of course everyone knows of Andy Garcia, Brett Ratner and Mickey Rourke. Miami Beach’s Gina Philips (Gina Consolo) has had a nice career as an actress, while actor Steven Bauer continues to work.

The latest local to make waves is actress Arlene Tur. The South Miami girl – who attended Florida Christian Senior High School and FIU on both academic and athletic scholarships – has played alongside Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love and is now set to star in the upcoming fourth season of the STARZ series Torchwood (Fridays, starting July 8 at 10pm) as surgeon Dr. Vera Juarez.

SocialMiami caught up with Tur in Wynwood to learn more about this hometown beauty who is making a name for herself in Hollywood.

“I love Miami so much,” said Tur, an only child from a tight-knit Cuban family. “I am so proud of this city. It’s growing and maturing. I wish that I could be here year-round.”

Tur got her start in entertainment as a model while still in college. She relocated to New York where she booked major campaigns and commercials. Her migration to Hollywood began when she went to LA for pilot season and booked a show within two weeks. The pilot failed, but Tur’s career was off and running.

Her most recognized role to date is in the motion picture, Eat Pray Love. “I was in Bali for three weeks,” she said, “and it was gorgeous. Working with Julia Roberts was a dream. You learn a lot from working at such a high level.”

Torchwood will be a new challenge for Tur. She will have the opportunity to develop a character over time with a major story arc. The series is the British-born Sci-Fi cult hit that is finally making its way over the pond for its first season in the US. Although rather than simply creating an American version, the producers are merging the British and American casts. Joining Tur from the US are Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman and Lauren Ambrose.

The series shoots in Los Angeles and while there, Tur is all work. In Miami, however, she likes to enjoy. Casa Tua is a favorite, as is Nikki Beach. During her most recent trip home she had the opportunity to entertain the executives from STARZ at the Fontainebleau. Following dinner at Scarpetta, they danced their Saturday night away at LIV.

“The Fontainebleau was awesome,” she said. “It was my first time there since they remodeled and I could not believe how great it was. The execs from STARZ loved it and the people at Scarpetta and LIV took great care of us.”

On the fashion front, Tur does not put a lot of stock into expensive clothes. “There are better ways to spend my money,” she said. She does need to look the part of a rising star every now and then, though, in which case one might see her in Ferragamo, Dior or Dolce & Gabbana. She also enjoys collecting costume jewelry.

Tur would like to one day move back to Miami and hopes to see the film business flourish here.

“They need to make it easier to make movies,” she said. “There are five shows that take place in Miami that don’t film here. We’re a major city that pays a lot of attention to the arts, but for some reason, they don’t make it easy for film – at least that’s the word around LA.”