We hit the Freeform press room for roundtable interviews, where we got the chance to sit down with stars Alberto Rosende and Emeraude Toubia. Together, they talked about what Latino representation means to them, how that representation is changing in Hollywood, and what’s next for their characters following their dramatic storylines this season.
Alberto talked about what Latino representation meant to him growing up, and what it means to him now.
“For me, it’s a tremendous opportunity, but a tremendous responsibility as well,” He admitted. “Whenever you’re trying to portray someone truthfully and honestly, you want it to be as accurate as possible. When I saw Latinos in film growing up, to me, I wanted see people in the positions that I wanted to be in, people that I resonated with, people that I felt understood me, as to my experience. So I hope it’s inspiring, when people say, ‘Wow, how do you do this? Wow, you’re doing it well. We’re not just the butt of a joke.’”
Emeraude believes their roles as Isabelle Lightwood and Simon Lewis go against the old stereotypes on film, and how it’s a sign that the tone of Hollywood is shifting.
“There’s the old generation like Selma Hayak, Penelope Cruz, but the new generations are Latinos who are [not bound to playing Latinos], raised in the U.S., and who speak English,” she said. “So, that’s why the characters that you see on TV now, there’s so many Latinos playing characters who aren’t [stereotypical] Latinos, [Alberto and I] for example. It just shows you how Hollywood is changing and how the world is changing.”
“How TV is becoming more representative of the world we currently live in,” Alberto added. “To me, it [means to be] as good as possible. Not ‘good’ as in acting. ‘Good’ as in accurate and truthful to the people who can see themselves in these roles.”
On the subject of their character’s big dramatic plots this season, Emeraude admitted Isabelle’s heart-wrenching yin fen plot was challenging.
“For me, it was difficult, you know, playing a drug addict and trying to play it as accurate as I could, to maybe represent the people who are going through the same thing. But it was scary, it was challenging, and I’m so grateful that they gave Izzy this kind of storyline and that we saw her in a way that we didn’t get to see her [in the books]. I think now you’re going to see a different version of Izzy, someone who is good and that hit rock bottom. And from hitting rock bottom, slowly trying to gain back her strength, her life.”
And Alberto had nothing but praise for her performance: “In terms of craft, you did an amazing job. Really.”
About Simon’s recent character trials, Alberto admits that trials are all Simon has ever had, and imparts some unexpected life advice.
“Simon hasn’t had it easy this whole bout in the Shadow World. But he continues to get up, and dust himself off, and move forward. [His break up with Clary] has been really difficult for him, but, as an actor, it’s been wonderful to play with,” he said, “to search for those moments, to dive in and then discover the real strength of Simon Lewis. [With Isabelle] her strengths come from her overcoming her faults, and then Simon’s had that opportunity as well to be like, ‘No, I’m not going to let this ruin my life,’ and to take the active choice to move forward. Sometimes we forget that it’s a choice to move forward. You don’t have to stay on the ground. You can choose to get up.”
And what about Simon’s relationship with Maia?
“In Maia, he sees someone who understands the experience. She’s a Downworlder as well. She’s had problems with her family as well. She relates to Simon in a new way so he finds comfort in that. And that relationship is really cool. But, as we know in the Shadow World, when something’s going really well, it might not stay that way for long.”
Check out our roundtable interview below:
Interviewer for BSS: Brie Burnham. Filmed by Erin Cuevas.
Shadowhunters airs Mondays 8/7c on Freeform, and Tuesdays internationally on Netflix.
