Liza Colón-Zayas reflects on 'The Bear' success and 1st Emmy nom

NEW YORK -- She has spent more than 30 years on the screen, but this weekend, Liza Colón-Zayas could take home some hardware at the 76th Emmy Awards.

The award ceremony is just days away. On the drama side, "Shogun" leads the pack with 25 nods, and for the comedy category, "The Bear" broke a season record with 23 nominations.

Bronx-born actress Colón-Zayas, who plays Tina in the hit show, is up for her first Emmy.

For many of us, "The Bear" is must-see TV, but for Colón-Zayas, the role is more than a performance - it's a chance to represent her community and inspire others.

At a time when there seems to be too much TV to keep up with, "The Bear" has proven to be a standout. The show's secret sauce is a blend of quick wit, grit and humor - as well as an authentic portrayal of kitchen life and its complex characters.

FULL LIST: Here are the nominees for the 76th Emmy Awards

One of them is Tina - the heart and soul of the kitchen crew. But long before Colón-Zayas was serving up drama in "The Bear," she was a little girl from the Bronx with big dreams.

"It was when the Bronx was on fire," she said. "It was hard, but we got through it, but it was by the skin of our teeth."

Colón-Zayas says she is so happy she didn't give up on that child. The same resilience has carried her through her career.

She's been at it for over 30 years, and now she has a dream role and an Emmy nomination to go with it.

"It's slowly landing, part of the survival mechanism is we are here, we are now," she said. "We have a track record of this kind of struggle. So it's hard to just release that and embrace, yeah, it could happen. Why shouldn't it happen?"

Colón-Zayas said her journey to this moment wasn't easy and included working as a waitress and other temp jobs. But she said she has learned something from her character Tina.

"I learned how alike we are, I learned that just believe in yourself as much as others believe in you, try to take that on," Colón-Zayas said.

She said Tina is much more than a role - she's a chance to represent her community and inspire others.

"I just want to imbue dignity and humanity, that's to any character," Colón-Zayas said. "It's about lifting the people who are ignored. It's not about a restaurant, it's about the people who keep it going every day, that community."

The actress said it is quite profound to be a middle-aged actress of color and a character actress who struggled for decades to get a break.

"And I'm not just talking about fame, I mean powerful, brilliant writing diversity, shining a light on a community that is ignored," she said. "I just want to tell all these women and young girls who grew up like me, who look like me, like, please, you are gold. Even if they tell you different, you are pure gold. You come from warriors."

The 76th Emmy Awards will broadcast live from L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. It will also stream the next day on Hulu.

Live "On The Red Carpet" arrival coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on ABC and streams at OnTheRedCarpet.com.