'The Baker and The Beauty' star Lisa Vidal says ABC series is a genuine love story of an unlikely match
The upcoming ABC series 'The Baker and The Beauty' is sure to put a smile on your face. The romantic dramedy takes place in Miami and follows the unconventional love story of Cuban baker Daniel Garcia (played by Victor Rasuk) and hugely famous fashion icon and celebrity Noa Hamilton (played by Nathalie Kelley). The series follows the two lovebirds as they navigate this new world while also juggling family and fame.
MEAWW spoke exclusively to Lisa Vidal, who plays the matriarch of the Garcia family, Mari, and who dished on the love she had for this character.
"When I first read the script, I just burst, I was like, 'Oh my god, this is it, this is it. I wanna play this woman I know her from the inside out!' I love to play positive, strong female characters but I wanted to play a role that was a combination of strong and passionate but was also a mother and Mari Garcia was it. She's sassy and she's hot and she loves her husband and she dances and she cooks, but she's also this warm mom and is kind of like the driving force in the family."
While the central story is between Daniel and Noa, the Garcia family is extremely tight knit and in many ways go on this journey of discovery with Daniel. Vidal is a big fan of this story in general, and knows that it will resonate with audiences just like it did with her. After all, who doesn't enjoy an unconventional love story?
"I think this love story is going to resonate because 'The Baker and The Beauty' is sort of an unlikely match. The two start to fall in love and the simple and complicated ways that they fall in love is so endearing and it really and truly is without everything being perfect and peachy. It is a genuine love story and the beautiful thing is that our audience gets to be on that joy ride with us, but they also get to see what that looks like as a family, how those two worlds collide and how that affects each family member and their relationships. So it's real life stuff and it's this amazing immigrant family that is just like any other family, with normal problems…except when Noah Hamilton who comes in."
While the show is supposed to take place in Miami, it was actually shot in Puerto Rico and since Vidal is actually Puerto Rican herself, she felt right at home. Not many productions are shot in Puerto Rico, however this was the perfect location for this story to be told. Additionally, it also helped bring more jobs and excitement to the island, something that was much needed.
"The island is definitely still recovering and there's still some areas that need a lot of help and I feel like our little show did help because of the tax incentives, and us shooting there was helpful financially. But I'll tell you what, Puerto Rican people are resilient, they will take something sad or bad, and still be joyful. That is the beauty of our people. They're so resilient, and it's all about family, and food, and music, and living your life and being joyful, so I loved it."
'The Baker and The Beauty' is a feel good series everyone needs in their life right now. Make sure to catch the premiere on Monday, April 13, on ABC at 10pm.