Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, & Jessica Darrow Interview: Encanto

Encanto stars Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, & Jessica Darrow chat about the complicated family dynamics in Disney’s new animated film.

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Encanto, the 60th animated film in Disney’s canon, arrives in theaters on November 24 for the world to enjoy. The story follows a magical family called the Madrigals, who live in a special enclosed community in Colombia that was born from a miracle gifted to their matriarch two generations back. Ever since their casita presents each child with a special power when they come of age in order to help their family and their neighborhood.

Unfortunately, middle daughter Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) was passed over on the night of her ceremony. Though she contents herself with being of use to her sisters (played by Diane Guerrero of Doom Patrol and newcomer Jessica Darrow) and parents (voiced by telenovela superstar Angie Cepeda and NCIS’ Wilmer Valderrama) in more mundane ways, she can’t help but feel something is missing at times. But the moment to truly prove herself comes when the foundation of her home and the very root of her family’s magic are at stake.

The talented voice actors that make up the Madrigals spoke to Screen Rant about the emotional journeys their characters go through, how they relate to the story, and which family member they would want to spend more time with.

Screen Rant: I feel like having married into the Madrigal family, Agustín should relate a little bit to his daughter Mirabel. Can you talk about his role in this magical familia?

Wilmer Valderrama: Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the first conversations that I had with the directors was the fact that he was desperately trying to fit into this magical family – but found that the fact that he didn’t have a gift himself, he somehow channeled it as, “That’s my gift, I guess. I don’t have a magical power, but I’m here.” And there was something very sweet about that demeanor.

I think it gave him this naive and sweet, misguided attempt at really connecting with his daughter. Like, “Hey, we’re the same!” Even though [Mirabel] didn’t see it as cool, it was very cool for her father to have that in common with her. And I think that’s why it comes across later in the movie at the crossroads, when they have to kind of stand up for one another.

But I think it was beautiful to build a character that could allow himself to feel like he belonged in a world where he would not be the archetype of the men that will be married into a magical family. There was something beautiful about that because all non-magical dads need representation on screen.

Diane Guerrero: Another thing about your character, Wilmer, is that normally what you would see in a Latino family – what the male represents – is the person who makes the decision. An Alpha male with a very strong presence, and I thought that Wilmer’s character was just such a sweet dad and supportive. He’s playing his role in and not making what he was going through, or his presence or his non-magical-ness, the center of what the problem was.

That in itself was such an asset to the family. I saw a lot of my dad in that, and his approach to things and the way he has carried himself. I really appreciated that gentleness that my dad had with me and the softness that he brought to my life. And I just think that all little girls need that: a dad who’s supportive and knows how strong their daughters are.

Jessica Darrow: Yeah, and really willing to relate one-on-one.

Diane Guerrero: Not to speak for men or fathers

Jessica, I love Luisa’s story and the exploration of how sometimes being your family’s strength can be a burden in and of itself. Can you talk about that conflict within her?

Jessica Darrow: Yeah, you can’t always be strong. Listen, it’s clear once the song starts that Luisa has a huge emotional life inside of her going on. And she discovers throughout the film that she is more than just super strength. I think what’s actually amazing is that she discovers that it’s not just physical strength that she possesses, she possesses a lot of emotional strength as well and needs to be a rock for her family in a lot of ways.

But her journey is something that I relate to personally as well. And I think, especially recording through the pandemic, I related to this. Because I’m over here being an actor who’s like, “Oh my God. Thank God I have this thing to work on.” I mean, no one had the opportunity to work – obviously, we did in certain aspects, but it was a moment where we all had to take a break and really step outside of ourselves and realize, “Alright, what’s really going on here?”

And Luisa does that throughout the film. I think she has to step outside of herself and be like, “Wait a second. I am more than just super strength. I’m more than just lifting churches. I actually have a lot of things inside of me that are special besides that.” I also realize that through the pandemic as well; it was actually a pretty profound personal emotional journey for me. I felt very lucky that I got to go through that while playing Luisa. I think, as I was building her character, I was building mine at the same time.

Diane, you almost have the opposite arc in a way. It seems like everything is handed to her, and life is literally a path of flowers. Her story blossoms, if you will, at a much slower rate. But there is also a lot of depth there. Can you talk about the petals falling off Isabela’s roses?

Diane Guerrero: I love all the metaphors that you’re bringing to this. I feel like that is a lot of what happens to people like her. I think when you get gifts that are seemingly perfect and seamless and kind of visually beautiful – like the gift of making beautiful flowers – sometimes you’re given those gifts, and people just see it as just that. It’s very surface-y, like, “Okay, well, that’s your gift.”

Wilmer Valderrama: They associate you with the gift as opposed to who you are.

Diane Guerrero: Exactly, and they don’t dig deeper. That’s why sometimes they tell you that your trauma and your hardship is what makes you you, and what makes you strong. And that’s kind of the diamond in the rough: having to work for those gifts sometimes can reveal something even more beautiful.

And sometimes we ignore people who we have to work on a little bit more. But at the same time, it’s such a disservice for even those people who seemingly have it all already together, because no one does. Everyone needs work, everyone needs a little special attention, and everybody needs to be listened to and cared for in different ways. Not everyone can just be like, “Okay, she’s set!”

Wilmer Valderrama: We’re always gonna be mid-journey, for sure.

Diane Guerrero: Yeah, and we all flourish together. You don’t give more attention to this person or let this person go. We have to do it when one flourishes. Think about a family of trees: they’re producing, they keep growing together, and…

Jessica Darrow: They’re drawn to each other.

Diane Guerrero: That’s how it works. You can’t just ignore one.

Who would you each like to spend more time with from the film? If you could pick one character to explore more of your dynamic with.

Jessica Darrow: Antonio, so I can talk to animals. I’m trying to walk with them through a forest. I’m trying to speak with a monkey.

Wilmer Valderrama: I have so many questions for him.

There is another secret character in this movie that we don’t speak of. That’s who I’d like to spend more time with. I can’t say much more; I’m looking at everyone frantically running behind this camera. Yeah, but there is a secret character that has an unbelievable moment in this movie. We’re hoping that you will want to spend time with him too.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/encanto-wilmer-valderrama-diane-guerrero-jessica-darrow-interview/