(NEXSTAR) -- Even though Latinos represent are the second-largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S., you wouldn't know that by watching TV and movies. As of 2024, Latinos held less than 5% leading roles on-screen or off-screen, according to research by McKinsey. This 5% also reflected the amount of Latinos in executive leadership roles, with the consulting firm noting that "half of large media companies' boardrooms include no Latino representation" at all. Latino actors, even Academy Award nominees like Edward James Olmos and America Ferrera, have spoken out about difficulties finding work in Hollywood. And if the fight for visibility isn't enough, Latino actors must also navigate the often stereotypical roles they're offered. A 2012 report by the National Hispanic Media Coalition, titled "The Impact of Media Stereotypes on Opinions and Attitudes towards Latinos," surveyed about 3,900 non-Latinos to figure out their opinions about Latinos and Latin immigrants based on what they see in news and entertainment. While there were some positive stereotypes discovered, including "family oriented" and "hardworking," there were equally as many negative stereotypes against Latinos. Some of the findings included: Meanwhile, the report found the roles non-Latinos reported seeing Latino actors in most were: When it came to roles for attorneys, teachers, and nurses/doctors, only 4-5% said they saw this very often. Taken together, these results are a reminder that Latinos must contend with negative stereotypes attributed to them by individuals as well as institutions (media)," wrote the report's authors. Denver-based actor and musician Brandon Guzman says that while it's something he's dealt with, he's come around to using his differences to stand out versus being typecast. "Watching TV and movies, you always see the Hispanic actor playing only 'this part' or only 'this part,'" says Guzman. "But it gave me a little bit of pride and confidence, knowing that sometimes I was the only Mexican or Hispanic person in the room. I was like, 'Great. I have that to my advantage.' Because I can show them that I'm more than that." Guzman recently appeared in a stage show about the life of Latin music superstar Gloria Estefan, where he performed alongside an all-Hispanic cast. One such actor was Nadia Menco, a Colombian-American actor, filmmaker and producer. Menco told Nexstar she thinks there are endless possibilities for better roles for Latinos to be seen. "There are so many stories that we have that are so interesting, so rich. And also, our stories are so rich in values," Menco told Nexstar. "Our vision is to create and produce stories from the Latino community and take them to the world." Guzman and Menco hope to show future generations that diverse backgrounds also deserve a seat at the table. "The industry is gonna tell you, 'You are the wrong thing for this,' or 'You have the wrong nose, the wrong voice, the wrong hair, the wrong nationality. But just do it and continue doing it because you can change someone's mind. You can change history." While by-and-large, Latinos are still fighting to tell their stories, research shows that when Latinos are given creative influence off-screen, Latino-centric films focus on topics that more accurately align with Latino identity. McKinsey's research found that when no Latinos are in charge behind the scenes, 28% of movies starring Latinos are crime-related. But when Latinos are in charge of their own stories, research showed movies with Latino casts focus on topics like family (28%), drama (20%), LGBTQ (17) and rom-com/coming of age stories, and comedies (15%).