“That’s when I first met Oprah and she knew who I was!” Zambrana told me during a phone interview. “I also met Sidney Poitier and he said I did excellent work. Will Smith even sent a letter to my house. After that I told myself, ‘I am an actress and I’m never looking back.’”

In “Precious,” Zambrana plays Consuelo, one of the more caustic classmates enrolled in the same alternative school as actress Gabourey Sidibe’s title character. The film tells the story of Precious, an overweight, illiterate teen who is abused by her family, but strives to do something with her life. This past Sunday, “Precious” won two Oscars (Mo’Nique for Best Supporting Actress and Geoffrey Fletcher for Best Adapted Screenplay). “Precious” was released on DVD March 9.

During our interview, Zambrana, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, talked about growing up in Queens with aspirations to be an actress, where she found the inspiration to play Consuelo and why her big confrontation scene with Sidibe could not have been more realistic.

How did you get involved with “Precious?”

I had gone in to audition for one of the other roles and even got a call back for it. When [director] Lee Daniels saw me, he was like, “No, I want you to read for Consuelo.” He wanted me to schedule another appointment to read for the other character, but I was like, “No, I’ll read for it now.” So, I did it and [Lee] was like, “Excellent!” That’s how I got the role.

Since you weren’t actually ready to read for that specific character, where did you draw your inspiration?

I knew girls like Consuelo and the other characters. They are all outcasts of the education system. I knew how I should play her – her attitude and all her insecurities. I knew where to find the truth in Consuelo right away.

Did you ever think an independent film like “Precious” would get so much acclaim when you first started working on it?

We knew [the novel] “Push” had a following and that we were working with something substantial. I always hoped that it would reach the status and success it has now, but we really didn’t know. We just hoped we could make a good film. You can’t think, “We’re going to win an Oscar” when you first do it. We just wanted to tell a good story.

Was it more evident how far this movie could go after Sundance last year?

Yes, that’s exactly the time when Oprah and Tyler Perry stepped in and said they wanted to promote the film. During the [Sundance] awards ceremony, we were winning award after award. Then it came down to the most important award, which is the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature, and when they called our name, we all jumped up. That’s when it all started.

In your big scene in the film, you and Sidibe get into a physical fight in the classroom. What was Lee looking for in that scene and how were you able to deliver it?

Lee wanted a fight to happen. No one is supposed to like me in the movie. I didn’t know I was going to get hit. I was in character and being really disruptive in the classroom. Lee whispered to Sidibe to knock me on my feet. When she came up to me, I was playing Consuelo and acting like I was hot shit and thought, “She’s not going to hit me.” But she was like, “Wham!” and hit me. I was shocked, but I stayed in character and I got up and started fighting back as an impulse. It was all genuine.

Born and raised in Manhattan, Andujar, who is of Puerto Rican descent, spent most of her adolescence without her father, who was in and out of jail for drug-related crimes. In “Precious,” she plays Rita, a young girl trying to put her life back together by quitting drugs and attending an alternative school. There, she meets the title character, Precious (Gabourey Sidibe), an overweight and illiterate teenager who is pregnant for the second time with her father’s child and living with an abusive mother (Mo’Nique).

During an interview with me, Andujar, 23, talked about the film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and what she hopes audiences discover in their own lives after seeing it.

You graduated from Pace University this past May with a degree in business. When did acting become a part of your life?

It’s always been a part of my life. I did a lot of theater growing up in New York. My mom put me in an after-school program for acting. She didn’t want me to be on the streets. Then, I went to a performing arts high school. All I could see myself doing was acting and being an entertainer. I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.

Tell us about Rita and what interested you in playing this role.

Rita is a former heroine addict. In the book, she can’t read, she has HIV and she’s been a prostitute since she was 12. [The role] hits home because my father was a heroine addict. I’ve dealt with things like that in my family. I’ve always had a tumultuous relationship with my father because he was always in and out of jail.

What did he say about your role in “Precious?”

It was tough to talk about. I just remember when I got the part, he told me I should go to rehab programs to see what they were like. He didn’t get to see “Precious.” He passed away in January.

Did your role give you a better understanding of what your dad was going through?

Oh, man, yes. Heroine is such a tough drug to beat. My father really tried to overcome that. I can see the same in Rita. She had no other choice in her life. In the film, she is ready to get her life together. She wants a better life.

“Precious” is your first film. What was the audition process like for you?

I just remember [director] Lee Daniels telling me in the audition room, “I don’t care how many other girls are out there, you got this part. I want you to play Rita.” I was so excited. At the time, it was only a small independent film. We didn’t know where it was going to go. Now, it’s getting all this press. I feel honored to play this character.

What would tell people who might say this character is stereotypical?

I play this part because it’s a true character. There are so many Latinas out there who are told, “You can’t do this. You can’t do that; just have babies and get on welfare.” They don’t have the guidance to see they can do whatever they want. They can become a Supreme Court Justice. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Latinas who are misguided and go through things like this in life. Other Latinos might say these types of roles are demeaning, but I’m an actor. Why is it demeaning? If a role calls for a pregnant prostitute involved in a murder case, I’m going to play it because that’s what I do. That doesn’t mean I’m limited.

What do you hope audiences who see this film take from it when they leave the theater?

This film is about hardships and getting through difficult things in life. I hope people see that they shouldn’t let things bring them down. They should keep on fighting and succeed. The movie might make some people cry, but the tears will be happy tears. I can’t wait until the world sees it.