Angie Lopez – All For One

By starrymag | April 27, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) How did filming “Til Lease Do Us Part differ from working on “All For One?”

A) I think they were probably for different age groups. So, I think the reactions have been different. Also, the crews have been completely different. “Til Lease” were all female and preexisting friends. So, when I came on set everyone knew each other and had jokes. It was almost like university versus high school. Everyone was going for drinks afterwards and very like university. With “All For One,” it kind of feels like you are at summer camp with the crew. You show up and everything is ready. We all kind of got to know each other and would tease each other between takes. Alejandra [Simmons] and Claire [Gagnon-King] and I hang out and still see each other. It felt like summer camp versus going to university. It’s cool. I’ve had fun on both sets.

Q) How was the series and your role originally described to you and did it evolve at all from the audition process?

A) I think the reason why it evolved a little bit is getting to act opposite Claire. Her Portia is so great that I think that’s the only way it effects how Ariana reacts. It was actually really hard to be mean to her during all the scenes that we shot. Ariana is such a great character in that she is very frank about what she is saying. She only speaks when she wants to and is always honest about it. I think in the beginning Sarah and I didn’t have that many conversations about it because we both kind of got it with each other. It has kind of been like that. I remember when they were doing the auditions there was a bit more dialogue written about Ariana and Portia outside of Dorothy and Alex. There were a couple of scenes of just them, but I don’t know if that still exists in the world. That would be the only thing that maybe we haven’t seen yet or will see. I think Ariana was so fully fleshed out when I got the script that I just had to bring the vision to life.

Q) Did you originally read for Ariana?

A) When I went in, I read for Alex first and then I read for Dorothy. It was also kind of spur of the moment because I left and then they asked me if I could just take five minutes to memorize the dialogue for Dorothy and read for it. So, I did that and then when I came in for the callback they wanted me to read for Ariana. At that point, I was like, “Okay, I’m reading for everybody.” [laughs] I knew Gwen [Cumyn] from doing a project together last summer so when we were waiting to go into do screen tests, I think went in first with Claire. I thought, “She’s nailing this! I hope I fit well with her.” Then, Gwen was going in for Dorothy with Claire. When we went into read, it was almost like we automatically fell into the roles. I thought, “This would be great. I really hope this is the group that gets to do it.” The funny thing was that when we were auditioning, Claire kept walking into the door frame of the audition. She just kept hitting it with her shoulder. So, on the last group audition we did we were leaving, I knew it was the last one so I thought I’d take a moment to enjoy this. I said, “Claire, hang on a second.” She was like, “Oh what…” I told her, “Before we leave, I just want to tell you there is a door frame. Don’t walk into it.” She just burst out laughing! I thought after that moment, “I really hope it is the two of us.” She has this great comedic timing that helps Portia so, so much. That kind of came through in real life.

Q) The breakup saddened so many fans. What did you think of that when you first read it?

A) Good for her. Good for Portia, right? [laughs] Actually, when the scripts first came out I didn’t get them until we were in the room for the read-through. Everyone had them for a week and a half, but it just kind of worked out that way. So, when I got them for the read through, I was reading them kind of live as we were all reading them for the first time. So, I was experiencing the breakup as it was happening. At the same time, we were doing screen rehearsals for it because we didn’t have a lot of time. A lot of the filming is done in a short amount of time. I was kind of heartbroken, but it is kind of nice to see a queer couple that isn’t in trouble and is so adorable. It’s fun to play as well. I was a little freaked out when I first read it, but I understand what they are doing with the story. But you want to see the characters struggle a bit and see Ariana step up and really deserve Portia as opposed to taking advantage of her. I think that Ariana’s biggest mistake with Portia is kind of everyone’s mistake with Portia, thinking that they have to take care of her. Portia can totally take care of herself. So, I think that Ariana got too caught up in taking care of Portia instead of listening to her. It meant that Ariana had to put a lot of energy into what she thought was protecting Portia and then when Miller shows up he’s like let’s do all of these things that you liked to do before, but maybe you miss yet isn’t your world anymore. I think there were some things that needed to be corrected. And, unfortunately, I don’t think Ariana knew what was going on.

Q) It seems like in their attempts to take out Rick that the group has taken more of themselves out. Do you see them as more victims of Miller or victims of one another?

A) When we were shooting the scenes of Alejandra, Claire and I decided they had known each other for two or so years. That’s the point in a friendship or relationship when you start rubbing each other the wrong way. And I think Miller (Dan Mousseau) took advantage of that. Miller is very smart with dealing with other people, manipulating people. So, I think he just exploited some flaws that were already there. But every friendship needs to get shaken up a bit so you don’t take each other for granted. Ariana gets so carried away with making sure the punchline hits or a hat sits the right way that she forgets sometimes she is talking to people and not other computers.

Q) It was interesting to see Ariana let her guard down and show the effects of the breakup.

A) It is interesting to watch the characters and how they deal with everything going on. I’m so happy that Sarah actually wrote it because you are going to get to see the other side of everybody. It will explain why we are so rigid or fluid in our personalities. I see a lot of myself in Ariana and not having learned the lessons that I have learned.

Q) The dorm room itself seems like a character in itself because it has been such a prominent part of the episodes. How do you think the dorm plays into the series?

A) On screen, the set designers have done an incredible job of being so detail oriented. Fans have seen the whiteboards and there are socks for the House Elves. That was exciting for us because as an actress it informs everything we do. This is the world they live in and the things they live with. It’s such a bright space. Even the set itself is just a series of rooms and that just happens to be one of the rooms that we are in. But everything was bright colors and there were tapestries on the wall. I think that also helped us feel like we were in the world without necessarily being in front of the camera. That being said, it’s a space being shared in a building. So, sometimes it was the fifth or sixth take that worked because every time the fire alarm across the way would go off. Like on our last day, we had to wait a couple hours while the elevator was being used. That is fun because the building itself has its own workings and that’s something you can’t control.

Q) Ariana has a great wardrobe! What has been your favorite outfit?

A) Oh my! I think there are different pieces that are my favorites. There are a couple of rings that she has worn that I really love. I think the nerf episode was maybe my favorite overall outfit. I dress nothing like Ariana. I’m a tomboy so I dress more like Dorothy every day. So, when I got on set and I had all of these short-shorts and stockings…I was like, “Okay! Let’s do this! Let’s rock this!” I’d say maybe the gun holster and nerf bullets was probably my favorite.

Q) Each episode is a little over six minutes. How has it been experiencing such growth in such a short amount of time?

A) It’s not even so much as the length of the episodes because they are written so concisely. So, when we go to do them the arc is naturally there. I think what is more crazy is shooting thirty episodes in five days. That was kind of nuts! And they did a really good job of keeping us somewhat in chronological order, but there were some locations we couldn’t do it. Poor Gwen has so many lines and so many scripts that we would finish one and then just immediately be reading the next one to be sure we had all of our lines right. The writing is so great that the length of the episode was like, “We can do this!” A lot of us have a theater background where you get one shot and you just have to do it and nail it. That kind of also gave way to really great improv or moments because then you know everyone is acting throughout the whole thing and it’s not just stop and go.

Q) What can you tease about the live episode that is upcoming?

A) It’s always exciting to see everybody again because we shot the series back in November. We shot a lot of them a long ways before, but for the live episode we are going to have to use technology. I think that it is going to influence our acting. It’s really cool to shoot it the way we are going to shoot it. I don’t think the audience will be able to tell, but for us it will be so wicked. It’s going to be longer than a normal episode so there will be room for us to live in the characters. I’m excited for it to be happening live. This would be like my third web series and my second shot in a blog form. I’m so excited how each adaptation takes on the pros and hardships of doing this style. I was doing Jane Eyre and people were saying, “It doesn’t make sense that she would be uploading all of this stuff.” In “All For One,” it’s all live so it’s just being streamed so it will be unfiltered. This, for me, feels kind of like this next level thing where we will be fully live shooting it in this blog form. The reality is whatever happens, happens. The audience is going to get the immediate footage of it. We don’t get to tinker with it. I think that’s close to theater. It’s a different excitement you get from it. What if something breaks? What if something happens with my wardrobe? I have to deal with it. Also, I trust all these people so much that if something were to go wrong we all have each other’s backs.

Q) Claire mentioned she got to write on the dorm’s whiteboard. Did you get to play at all?

A) I didn’t play with anything. I mostly stole candy from the jars. I was like, “I can’t make it to craft, so I’ll take some of this.” I think I wasn’t the only one though. I think there were a few of us doing that.

Q) What do you think it is about the series that has hooked so many viewers?

A) I think the production team has done such a good job of understanding and going the extra mile, especially with character Twitter and Instagram accounts. They are kind of working around the clock, which is great. There is something about “All For One” that I don’t know how to describe, but it is so positive. I think that is just what people are seeing. We really did have a lot of fun on set. I think everyone involved is having fun and the audience is having fun. I really do enjoy doing dramas and heavy stuff, but every once in a while it’s great to do a show like this where you’re like, “No one is going to die,” and you sigh. Even with the heartbreak, it’s for a good cause. I love Ariana, but I’m also like, “Good for you Portia! You stand your ground!”

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant feedback you receive from fans?

A) I received an incredibly thoughtful gift the other day. Someone made an Ariana POP FUNKO that I was so blown away by and they wrote me a letter. I think we were all crying because of what this person said. I do try to keep away from reading too much. If you read it too much then you are thinking about that when you are doing your process. Also, I’ve received some not so great comments before. So, I love it when fans reach out, but I try to not read too much of it because sometimes people don’t like what you are doing and you have to deal with that.