Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Interviews

  • EXCLUSIVE: Diane Guerrero Discusses “Emotional Gymnastics” of Balancing ‘Encanto’ and ‘Doom Patrol’

    EXCLUSIVE: Diane Guerrero Discusses “Emotional Gymnastics” of Balancing ‘Encanto’ and ‘Doom Patrol’

    Diane Guerrero is busier than ever. After breaking onto the scene nearly a decade ago in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, the actress landed a major role on HBO Max’s superhero series Doom Patrol, wrote a memoir about her family’s struggles with deportation, and started a podcast focusing on the importance of conversations surrounding mental wellbeing. Now, Guerrero will star as the voice of Isabella in Disney’s latest animated musical film, Encanto.

    In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, the actress was asked about her experience portraying the seemingly perfect and lovely Isabella while simultaneously filming scenes as the chaotic and unstable Crazy Jane on Doom Patrol. Her response revealed it wasn’t as easy as one might assume:

    Yeah, it was actually a little difficult because playing Jane on Doom Patrol does take a big toll on me. Y’know, because the character is so feeling and so extreme with some of her emotions and honestly she’s going through like really traumatic stuff. I mean, she’s like traveling through time, and she’s having to deal with sixty-three other personalities that are competing with what she’s doing, and her sole purpose is to protect this young girl.

    Diane Guerrero

    Of course, the darker parts of Jane’s story in Doom Patrol are quite different from what a film like Encanto offers audiences. She goes on to talk about how different it was playing Isabella and how her performance with multiple personalities still helped her brain the role to life.

    So, going into the booth for Isabella where she had to be light and carefree and perfect, I had to really, like, calm down and put myself in that space. But, because I get to play sixty-four different characters…I’m able to use that for Isabella because she’s having to be perfect but she really does have so much bubbling inside. It worked out in the end, but it’s definitely a little bit of emotional gymnastic.

    Diane Guerrero

    The answer lead to a follow-up in which Guerrero was asked if her work on either one project had an impact on her performance in the other, specifically her time doing voice work as a puppet on Doom Patrol. It turns out, the Jane the Virgin actress actually was able to use both characters in preparation for her work:

    Well, I certainly took…that episode that you’re talking about, Puppet Patrol, I was definitely able to take Isabella and the essence of this Disney Princess into Adult Kay, which was the character that is in this puppet land. So, Adult Kay sort of has to be this like bubbly and uplifting character…so, yeah, absolutely I use [Isabella] for that. But also, y’know, I have some of the attitude that Jane has for some of the sly comments that Isabella has for Mirabel.

    Diane Guerrero

    Encanto lands in theaters on November 24, while the third season of Doom Patrol is currently airing on HBO Max. We can’t wait to check out what she has to offer as Isabella and if it opens new doors for her to explore more animated projects.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    The upcoming coming-of-age fantasy story about a girl without powers living among a superpowered family will introduce us to the many facets of Colombian culture in Encanto. Directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush return to bring us a different kind of story with the help of songs written by Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s had a hand in various 2021 projects such as In the Heights, Vivo, and the upcoming release of Tick, Tick… Boom! So, it’s been a big year for him. Now that he is also lending his musical talents to the latest animated Disney film, it opens up the question of how much input he also had in bringing these characters to life beyond just their musical accompaniment.

    Luckily, our own Hunter Radesi had the chance to sit down with the directors of the film and discuss exactly that. When asked how much input Miranda had into bringing these characters to life, director Jared Bush offered some interesting insights into their approach to the music and even how they integrated the many sides of Columbian genres.

    He’s super super collaborative. That is one of the really great things about working with him. […] We would have these great deep character conversations. We knew with all these different characters that we wanted to get to know all of them, that we wanted to see different facets of them. But also that we wanted the music to separate and to give them an identity. And that music, even within the genres of Columbia, we wanted that to makes sense with the character that would be singing it.

    Jared Bush

    It’s really interesting how they try to use the different genres of music that exist in Columbia to make the characters stand out. He does also offer an example with the character of Luisa Madrigal’s song “Surface Pressure” which tried to explore her backstory. He highlights how writing the story is what grounded it was some real-life inspirations that were brought to life through music. It shows how many aspects make a film truly come to life.

    Encanto release on Nov. 24th. It is directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The film boosts an impressive cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Rhenzy Feliz, Carolina Gaitán and John Leguizamo.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Charise Castro Smith Talks About The Initial Pitch for ‘Encanto’

    EXCLUSIVE: Charise Castro Smith Talks About The Initial Pitch for ‘Encanto’

    Disney’s latest film, Encanto, is nearing its release as we explore the story of a Colombian family with unique powers. Among them is Stephanie Beatriz‘s Mirabel Madrigal, who is the only member of her family without any actual magical powers. Once things start going wrong, she sets out on a journey to find out what is happening to her family. The film’s writer duo, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, get to explore the meaning of family and what it means to be normal among special.

    Our very own Hunter Radesi had the chance to sit down with the creative team to discuss how they approached this project and especially how it was for Charise Castro Smith to tackle her first project. She went on to share how she ended up joining the project and that it was directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard that pitched her the initial idea.

    My background is really as a playwright. I worked in a lot of TV and my agents had sent a play of mine to Disney Animations. I thought I was meeting with them in general and it turns out I was not. I was meeting with Jared [Bush] and Byron [Howard] about this movie, they were looking for a writer. As soon as they explained to me this concept, this idea they had, about a magical house and a family where everyone had powers except for this one girl and the movie is about her, I was like: ‘I am sold. I am on board’ and I haven’t looked back since.

    Charise Castro Smith

    It must’ve been quite the shock when she sat down with the directors of Zootopia, Tangled, and Moana to discuss a potential project. We’ve learned back in 2016 that the initial pitch was made to Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote music for the film, and Byron Howard just as they were promoting Moana at the time. It’s great to see it bear fruit after all this time.

    Encanto release on Nov. 24th. It is directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The film boosts an impressive cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Rhenzy Feliz, Carolina Gaitán and John Leguizamo.

    Source: Vulture

  • EXCLUSIVE: Why Trinh Tran Tackled ‘Hawkeye’ After ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    EXCLUSIVE: Why Trinh Tran Tackled ‘Hawkeye’ After ‘Avengers: Endgame’

    The launch of Disney+ has led to a whole new avenue of storytelling potential. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, many wondered just how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would continue onward, and a slew of Disney+ original series offered the chance to spotlight some minor yet fan-favorite characters. We recently had the chance to speak with Marvel Studios producer Trinh Tran to discuss her next project, Hawkeye. It’s quite a shift from working on a massive project like Endgame to this smaller project, and she offered some insight into why she tackled the Disney+ series right after.

    I wanted it all! [LAUGH] I think, you know, when we were filming Infinity War and Endgame I was already, we were already talking about What is the future? What is my next project and you know Shang-Chi was already starting. So, unfortunately you know I couldnt be apart that the same way that Jonathan was and, you know, I loved Hawkeye from the Fraction run. I love how fun it is and the banter between Clint and Kate, and I really wanted to explore, you know a female version of a skilled archer, as well as telling Clint’s side of the story which we havent had the chance to in the MCU. So, I felt that it was due time for him to shine and get his spotlight and I think that was one of the reasons why I gravitated towards this particular show.

    Trinh Tran

    Trinh Tran has worked on the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning. She served as an associate producer on Captain America: Civil War, and worked her way to becoming an executive producer on the two most recent Avengers films. It’s great to hear her excitement about the project, and that this adaptation springs from that very enjoyment of Faction and Ajap‘s run on the character. Disney+ is the bridge to explore stories that would’ve never gotten the cinematic treatment. Here’s looking forward to what else Marvel Studios may explore in the future.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    Marvel TV’s last bastion Hit-Monkey premieres tomorrow on Hulu, ending the department’s near-decade-long stint with a brutal and violent spectacle. The show is filled with lots of gore, emotion, and features a handful of Marvel characters that some comic readers may recognize. Characters like Silver Samurai, Fat Cobra, and Lady Bullseye all make memorable appearances all throughout.

    One character that almost made the cut, however, was the original Bullseye. Once again, the old adage of corporate mandates hijacking creative visions took place, prohibiting showrunners Will Speck and Josh Gordon from using the fabled Daredevil character. In our exclusive interview with the directing duo, they said:

    Yes, Bullseye. Bullseye was in the original issues of Hit-Monkey and that was who we originally thought we would use but for various reasons, we couldn’t. But Marvel offered us Lady Bullseye instead and we thought, ‘Wow. That’s so much more interesting since she’s a character we haven’t seen much of yet.’ We were thrilled that we got that pivot.

    These things happen a lot with Marvel TV. Jeph Loeb and co. want to use a character for their shows but the powers that be at Marvel Studios veto it for reasons related to their own plans for the characters at hand.

    In this instance, this could’ve been a case of Marvel not wanting to touch anything that had to do with the Netflix clause that prohibited the use of characters from their shows for an X amount of years, though the production timeline might say otherwise. Interestingly, this could also very well be a mandate from Marvel Studios as Kevin Feige begins to get his hands on some of Marvel’s most famous street-level characters.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    We’re only a few weeks away from Hawkeye‘s release on Disney+. The series will take a more grounded approach with our titular hero taking on mobsters rather than planet-destroying space tyrants. Clint Barton’s series will also see him take a young protégé under his wing, Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. The series will explore their dynamic and the importance of family. While Barton is struggling to make it home on time for the holidays, Kate is juggling her relationship with her mother.

    In a teaser for the series, we briefly saw the archer trying to explain to her mother that she is important in solving an Avengers-level threat. Vera Farmiga will bring her mother, Eleanor Bishop, to life and has been highlighted in the trailers so far. It’s interesting to note that she died in the comics during a visit to Colorado with her husband Derek raising Kate and her sister Susan. It was a big part of her character development in the comics, which the MCU will add a new spin on it. Hawkeye producer Trinh Tran offered some insight into why they made the change in an exclusive interview with our own Charles Villanueva

    We haven’t had many opportunities to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the MCU. I’m not saying that hasn’t happened, but it’s just there hasn’t been too many of that. And what I find interesting is that there is a lot of, I guess, fresh territory that we can go to for the relationship for the two of them.

    Trihn Tran

    Many Marvel stories indeed focus on the dynamic between fathers and their children, such as Thanos and Gamora, Ego and Star-Lord, and many more. So, it’s a great move to use this opportunity to explore a mother-daughter dynamic, especially as she highlights how Kate’s personality adds that extra layer that’ll test their relationship.

    She thinks she knows what is best for Kate, but Kate is you’ve seen in the comics is sometimes hard-headed, and she speaks her mind and she is not afraid to do so. And there could be opposing opinions in who she is. So, I think that, like I said, is a more personal, more emotional between the two characters that we wanted to explore in this particular direction for the both of them.

    Trihn Tran

    There’s a possibility that this change was also inspired to explore the darker side of her family’s history. Given what we learn about the character in the comics, they might want to also further establish their dynamic before the story hits a more dramatic turn.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Details on ‘Hawkeye’s Version of Clown Revealed

    EXCLUSIVE: Details on ‘Hawkeye’s Version of Clown Revealed

    The upcoming Hawkeye series will explore many aspects of Clint Barton’s comic history yet non more than that of the My Life as a Weapon run. The story by Matt Fraction and David Aja introduced us to the bro-speaking gang known as the Tracksuit Mafia and the dangerous assassin Kazimierz Kazimerczak, or better known as the Clown. Fra Fee will take on the role in the series and they might switch it up for this adaptation.

    Our very own Charles Villanueva got a chance to sit down with producer Trinh Tran to discuss the upcoming series. In it, she offered some insight into how the show tackled the character and teased that he might be quite a bit different from what we are used to from the popular comic storyline.

    I can’t say much about how his character unfolds in this series, but what I can say is that part of the interesting thing about bringing these characters to life from the comics is that we wanted to give it a fresh spin. I think part of Kazi’s story in the comics is a little bit tied to how Kate’s world is like in the Matt Fraction run. But that’s not necessarily true in the MCU because once we bring that character in and explore them in the story that we have, it can go in any and all kind of direction.

    Trinh Tran

    It’s not uncommon that they change the characters to fit these new adaptations that take familiar comic storylines but add a new twist. Captain America: Civil War only loosely explores the themes and registration act from the comics, but doesn’t completely feature a full-on war between countless superheroes. It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this character and what their role will be in the story.

  • EXCLUSIVE: How Newbie Alaqua Cox Convinced Marvel Studios To Star In Her Own Show

    EXCLUSIVE: How Newbie Alaqua Cox Convinced Marvel Studios To Star In Her Own Show

    Alaqua Cox might just be the MCU’s boldest discovery yet. She’s a newcomer with zero experience in acting and performing prior to her supporting role in Hawkeye as Maya Lopez yet Marvel Studios saw it fit to give her a spin-off show in Echo, which was just confirmed this weekend.

    I spoke to Hawkeye producer Trinh Tran on what convinced Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios to give Cox her own series based on her performance alone. Tran’s answer was nothing short of exciting:

    She is such a badass in this series. She really completely impressed us all with her determination and hard work in wanting to make sure Maya Lopez is the way everybody wants. I have to say there was a bit of nervousness at the beginning because Alaqua hasn’t been a part of the industry. To get somebody brand new and pull her into a character like Maya Lopez, it’s a big deal. But she took it in strides, worked hard, and proved to us that there is a character who’s deaf but is able to be a part of the MCU and be a superhero in her own right.

    The Hawkeye trailers haven’t given audiences much Echo at the moment. The first two episodes we got to screen didn’t feature her much either. But the enthusiasm Marvel Studios has for her is nothing short of infectious. The mere prospect of Cox holding her own against rumored Echo co-star Vincent D’Onofrio sounds like a must-watch so we’re hoping to see the full scope of her talent in a few weeks’ time.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    Home Sweet Home Alone is finally now out on Disney+. A pseudo-sequel to the Macaulay Culkin duology, the film presents a familiar concept in a contemporary manner. We spoke to stars Ally Maki and director Dan Mazer on the process of bringing a classic franchise back to life and what it was like to work with up-and-comer Archie Yates.

    According to Maki, Mazer played a crucial part in fostering a working environment that allowed the cast to go crazy with improv.

    Ellie and Rob just led that set with such warmth and hilarity. And I think having Dan Mazer as our director, who did Borat and Ali G., he really created such a fun atmosphere where he let us do a lot of what we wanted and that created the bond we have as a cast. It was so much fun.

    There was so much improv. Something I would be like, “Wow! He’s really letting us go on and on.” There was some stuff that didn’t make the movie. I feel like Tim and I could have our own Home Alone short just because of all the scenes we filmed. We had so much fun.

    Dan Mazer is a writer known for some of the raunchiest, and as he put in our conversation with him, filthiest comedy films of the past two decades. He elaborated on his process as a comedic filmmaker and how he incorporated it with the cast he had for the film.

    In my casting process in whatever project I do, I like to make sure that the people I cast are funny in their own right that if we ever throw away the script, they can be brilliant. And obviously, in the stuff I’ve done with Sacha Baron Cohen, there’s so much improvisation. That’s the excitement of filmmaking; seeing what you can come up with on the day. And when you have Pete Holmes, Ally Maki, Kenan Thompson, Chris Parnell, as your supporting characters, not to mention Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper, as a comic director it’s like having a toy box.

    Archie Yates stars as Max Mercer, the Kevin McAllister analogue of Home Sweet Home Alone. Yates previously wowed audiences with his supporting role in the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit. Mazer revealed what it was like to work with Yates on his first big starring role.

    We were in the middle of our search looking for Max Mercer. I auditioned lots of really talented kids. And then I saw Jojo Rabbit and had a thunderous moment where I fell in love with Archie Yates. It was like he was born to be on a film set. He walks on with absolute authority and total confidence. He slipped into the role effortlessly and made it his own. He was a treat to work with.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Diane Guerrero on How Mental Health Played a Role in Joining ‘Encanto’

    EXCLUSIVE: Diane Guerrero on How Mental Health Played a Role in Joining ‘Encanto’

    Disney is about to embark on a new kind of animated adventure with Encanto. The story of an unlikely family with powers explores the different dynamics that come to play when one of them stands out for one simple reason: she doesn’t have any. It allows us to explore a very different kind of dynamic, as the family must face an unlikely challenge. It features an all-star cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz in the leading role, John Leguizamo, Angie Cepeda, Adassa, and many more. Among them, of course, is Diane Guerrero, who made a name for herself in the DC comics-inspired series Doom Patrol. 

    Our very own Hunter Radesi got a chance to sit down with the actress to discuss what drew her to the role of Isabel Madrigal. Along with discussing what drew her to the role, she explained how different it is from her previous work. Guerrero revealed most of her work and the roles that interest her are all about mental health. With Encanto, that was partly what drew her to the project, but she also liked that it explores the family dynamic.

    I’m a huge fan of Disney and the roles that I play, I care about them aligning with my values. I care about mental health, I care about family, I care about mental wellness in family And this film addresses something that we, you know, rarely talk about, especially, in family films. We have family films, they talk about family dynamics but rarely do we see the sacrifice and the ancestral trauma that comes along with some of some of those trials and tribulations that, you know, what it actually took to get you here.

    Diane Guerrero

    It’s quite interesting to learn how she approaches her roles, especially with the glimpse of what Encanto will explore once it hits theaters. The trailers tease the importance of family and the challenge of sticking out from the rest of the family. It puts a lot of pressure on someone, and it’s not easy for everyone to take in without it weighing them down. So, it’s great to see Guerrero‘s put her very values at the forefront when choosing roles.

    Encanto hits theaters on Nov. 24th.