Emma Milani – Monarch

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) Please tell us the premise behind the new series “Monarch.”

A) “Monarch” revolves around a family, the Romans, who have built a country music dynasty, and those who partake in their world. It’s about music, sex, romance, secrets, lies – all the fun stuff.

Q) How was your character Ana Phoenix originally described to you?

A) When I auditioned for “Monarch,” Ana was described to me as the wide-eyed daughter of a woman (Catt) who would do anything to make her baby a star. She desperately wants to be a country singer and is in awe of the Roman family and all of their glamor.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

A) It wasn’t really ever a question of whether or not I wanted to be a part of “Monarch,” of course I did! Not only was I going to have the opportunity to work with icons like Susan [Sarandon], Trace [Adkins], Anna [Friel] and so many other amazing people, but this is the biggest project I’ve ever been a part of, and it rocked my world when I found out that I booked it. I always said I wanted to play Hanna Montana when I was a little girl, and in a lot of ways my wish came true.

Q) Are you able to tease if there was any kind of vocal training or prep of some sort you had to undergo for the series?

A) Yes, I spent some time with vocal coaches via Zoom and in person in LA before I left for Atlanta, and there was always a vocal coach available if we felt that we needed to consult one. But when we went into the studio to work with the Anders brothers, they knew exactly what they needed from us, and they knew exactly how to help us get there.

Q) There are a number of screen and music legends attached to the series. Were you hoping to share a scene with someone(s) in particular?

A) Not necessarily, in the sense that I was hoping to have scenes with everyone! Susan and Anna and Trace are legends and watching them work in their own respective ways taught me so much. Martha [Higareda] and I would bounce ideas off of each other and talk everything out and I ended up feeling like I had this nurturing relationship with her when we were on set. Inigo [Dominic Pascual] and I would joke around all the time, and we became best friends. Really, everyone I had scenes with over the course of the season taught me something different.

Q) Which episodes were your favorite to film and what made them stand out to you?

A) Every episode brought something different to the table, so I enjoyed each one in different ways. The nerves and excitement that I felt when we first started shooting, the camaraderie I felt with everyone by the time we started shooting the last episode, all of the fantastic moments in between. I’m not very good at picking favorites!

Q) Some of the most memorable moments you had from being on set or working an episode?

A) I had a scene with Trace where we did a slow dance together, and I kept messing up the box step and stepping on his toes and he reassured me by telling me that no one was good at it, but really I just have two left feet.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll be receiving to the series?

A) I’m just grateful to be a part of the show, and if people love it, then that makes me really happy! Everyone on board has put so much time and energy into the making of “Monarch” and I am looking forward to seeing what people think of it.

Q) What do you think it is about “Monarch” that is going to make it a fast fan favorite series?

A) Well, there’s a little something for everyone. We’ve got classic as well as modern country music, we’ve got an incredible cast, and we’ve got three generations of characters to follow! we’ve got a whole lot of drama and soapy fun stuff going on. The whole show is just a good time.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

A) I’d probably say I’m grateful for them and I can’t wait for them to watch “Monarch!”