Actor Adria Arjona talks about inhabiting the character of Dorothy, finding new reality in the themes and grounding the texture of a fantastical world for her new series Emerald City
Why revisit the iconic world of The Wizard of OzIJ And why nowIJ
I think it’s a good moment. The original stories were actually written at the turn of the last century but they’re still very timely and relevant today. You can actually interpret them now in a deeper way than you ever could before.
So Emerald City draws more closely from l. Frank Baum’s books than the 1939 MGM musicalIJ
Yes. And the books are a lot darker than the musical.
And that’s where the show takes its cueIJ
We have the same characters that were in The Wizard of Oz. We just explore them in a different, deeper way. You get to know these characters for who they truly are. It’s a ten-hour movie, really, directed by Tarsem Singh (Mirror Mirror). He’s created this crazy, magical, fantastic world that he throws my character into. You get to know and fall in love with all these characters again, but you get to know them for their “ugly,” not necessarily for their “perfect.”
How did you become involved in the projectIJ Were you up against a lot of competitionIJ
I think so. But I didn’t ask many questions regarding that. I never do… But I remember going in for the audition and thinking that I was going to be the ugly duckling in the room; the Hispanic in the room. “I’m obviously not going to get this.” But I went in there and thought, I have to prove myself. I have to prove that I can do it. That any girl can do it, no matter what their ethnicity. So I went there and did my best and they called me back. I then met with Shaun Cassidy and David Schulner (executive producers). And then I got the call. I was in a restaurant eating chocolate soufflé and it was hands down the most embarrassing moment of my life (laughs)...
What happened to the chocolate souffléIJ
I shoved it down my throat while I was crying and screaming, “I’m Dorothy!” I just looked like a psychopath. It was not cute at all!
Being cast as a latina Dorothy seems like a very contemporary choice.
I think it’s a realistic choice. Nor do I think it should really matter. You walk down the street here in los Angeles and you’ll hear 500 different accents — so many different colours and ethnicities. And I think that’s what’s missing on screen. We’re just a huge melting pot and that should be reflected in our TV shows. And that’s another thing I love about our show…. Our cast comes from everywhere. And that’s how it should be.
How did you start outIJ
I grew up on the road. My father (Ricardo Arjona; one of the most successful latin American artists working today) is a musician and I grew up all over Central and South America on tour with him. So I was always in the arts. When I eventually moved to Miami, I didn’t feel like I fit in. I wanted to be back in the arts. My dad suggested I take a theatre class. I did and I fell in love with it.
What was your first breakIJ
A teacher in Miami told me to leave and go to New York. That was the biggest gift I’ve received in my career. He told me to go to New York and work in the theatre. And because of that I’ve been able to do everything that I’ve done. It led to my first job, which was Unforgettable (Sony Pictures Television; 2014).
Coming back to Emerald City, how does Dorothy relate to some of the iconic characters that we know from OzIJ And how are some of these relationships reimaginedIJ The trailer suggests a romance with The Scarecrow (Oliver Jackson-Cohen)IJ Is that rightIJ
I’m a lucky girl. That’s one sexy scarecrow (laughs)… In our story, the Scarecrow is looking for his memory, instead of looking for a brain. Dorothy falls in love with him as a result, rather than a man pretending to be something he isn’t, or being macho… He’s genuinely just someone who has no idea who he is. But his essence is there and she falls in love with the huge heart that he has.
What about her relationships with some of the other characters that we know from the movie — The lion and The TinmanIJ
Oh, you’re going to have to wait and watch it. Those are big spoilers!
The show airs on Colors Infinity.