Vida star Carlos Miranda speaks about his experience on the show and his journey so far
Carlos Miranda is an actor known for movies such as The Bling Ring, Warrior, and End Trip. He landed the role of Johnny in the new TV show Vida which is now available on Starz.
Vida tells the story of two estranged Latino sisters who go back to their old neighborhood after their mother passes away to discover their real identity and uncover long-buried secrets.
The show's creator Tanya Saracho has said that the show reflects her mission to introduce “the brown queer perspective” to Amercian television.
Meaww spoke with Miranda about his character Johnny and his experience on the show Vida.
Could you tell us a little bit about Johnny and how the character stood out for you?
Johnny is a neighborhood guy who runs his dad's auto shop. He has a baby on the way with his fiancé, Karla, but Linda "Lyn" Hernandez, played by Melissa Barrera, is his Kryptonite. What stood out to me about Johnny was his normality really. He’s just a regular guy who’s going through the same things we all go through at some point in our lives.
How aware were you about the non-binary community and how has being on the show impacted your understanding of the same?
I wasn’t very familiar with the non-binary gender community which is basically any gender identity that does not fit into the male and female binary. I’ve learned a lot, particular through Tanya Saracho, the creator of the show, and especially through Ser Anzoategui, who identifies as such. I try to be conscious of making sure I use the proper pronouns when speaking about “them, they, their”. It’s a little confusing at times, but I’m figuring it out. If I don’t know or understand something, Ser is always there to school me.
What was the most challenging scene you had to shoot - physically or emotionally - for the show? How did you go about finishing the scene eventually?
I don’t think it was necessarily a challenging scene, but I did feel the most vulnerable shooting one scene in episode three which required me to be completely nude. It was my first time doing something like that. I found ease in knowing that Melissa was in the same boat as me and we were sort of going through that together.
What scene from the show has stayed with you?
At the end of the pilot, Emma and Lyn sit in their living room watching an old home video of Vida and them as young girls singing and dancing to Selena. Emma breaks down and starts crying after being stone cold throughout the episode. The scene breaks my heart every time.
What would you like viewers to take away from Vida?
I hope that viewers enjoy the show and get a better idea and understanding of Latinx culture and the LGBTQ community. There’s a little bit of us in each of these characters, and I hope that our viewers can connect with them. After all, it’s a show about vida (life)!
