Francis Capra – Veronica Mars

By starrymag | July 26, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) You’re an original character that’s been featured in all “Veronica Mars” formats. And here you are again!

A) Yes! It’s so cool! I’ve certainly never had the opportunity to journey and travel with the character the way I have with Eli. Sometimes it’s hard see where he begins and I end. [laughs] We’re very alike in a lot of ways and we’re very different in a lot of ways. He’s always with me, whether we’re shooting a current season or not. [laughs]

Q) Did you ever imagine the impact of the character with the fandom?

A) Every actor is blessed to be working. I think the saying in California is, “Less than 5% of actors are actually gainfully employed.” So, it is always great to work. This show has had this weird…this very fortunate habit of coming into my life at just the exact right time. When I got the original audition for “Veronica Mars,” I was around eighteen or nineteen years old and I was really running amuck in the streets of California and really trying to chase the ghost of my father and try to figure out what kind of man I wanted to be. It had a lot of destructive effects for my family and the unfortunate women in my life at the time and my friends. I was just running in really bad circles and I was driving a stolen car when I got the original audition for “Veronica Mars.” That takes me back to a place mentally that is very far away. I was very much a different person. That job really cleaned up my act, so to speak. I grew up on television. And it was great character research because I never knew I’d be playing the leader of a gang. I knew I wanted to play bad guys because a year or two before that I had played my very first gang member on the show “The Shield.” That launched my career of being typecast as gang members on television, which was great for my family financial. It kept the lights on, but I had this habit of dying on TV and getting arrested on TV. The narrative was getting very cheesy and tiresome for me. I didn’t really like the story I was telling and my homeboys didn’t like it. Every week they’d tune in to the television like, “Okay, he’s got another job. Let’s see what he does,” and it was the same thing – I was snitching on my friends or I was chasing some white person and robbing them. They were going to implicate me and I was eventually going to fold in the interrogation room. I basically did that role a hundred times. Then came Weevil and it was like nothing I’d ever played before. This guy not only tried and true the bad guy (there was no hiding it)…There was a lot of things I didn’t like about him. He seems liked a racist little prick in that intro scene in the pilot. We didn’t know anything about him at that time. I wanted to know why this guy was picking on this little black kid and why he used his power the way he did as a leader of a gang to allow small crime and little things to happen. Initially, I did not like the character. Initially, I had a lot of gripes I had with him. I didn’t even like portraying the Chicano-American character on television. There were all these things. I butted heads with Dan Etheridge and Rob [Thomas] about it because I was an eighteen or nineteen year old kid who thought he knew everything! [laughs] I didn’t understand what they were trying to do at all. I never knew what Eli would become. But the show came at the right time. I needed that job so badly and it changed me from the inside out. I built a family on set. I met the greatest woman in the world (next to my mother and my wife), which is Kristen Bell. She was a big sister to me in a lot of ways – just her presence alone and the example that she set. I met my brother Jason [Dohring]. I could go on and on, but that audition was a milestone event.

Q) Eli has become this pillar and sets a high bar for that kind of character.

A) I think he’s very close to I think ten years without being considered as part of a trope in the sense of the anti-hero. I’m not going to say he started it. The anti-character has been around for a long time. I’m no literary fool in that way. I understand the character does borrow from some of the great things in writing. I think that’s why we love him, but the idea of the Hispanic-American character that turns from the gang life and ends up with a heart of gold begins with Weevil. I don’t think we’ve seen that anywhere, especially in a teenage drama. It was a blend of something of an ugly truth that we don’t like to look at in the Hispanic community, which is when you’re a young Latino teenager in a school gang life is inevitable. It’s simply the culture. You’re going to cross paths with it, no matter if you’re in a rich neighborhood or middle or poor class. You’re going to come across gang culture. It’s beyond stereotypical. It’s something young men have to go through in America being Latino. Particularly Chicano youth, you’re going to come across the gang culture. It’s a right of a passage. Nowadays because of the spread of information, the quality of parenting even, everything has improved so much that you can kind of see it coming and protect your children. My younger brother, who is Guatemalan, is the example that I’m speaking of. He went the opposite direction of gang culture and was able to protect himself from it. But it’s something he dealt with every day in school. So, we see the character of Eli Navarro who clearly did not go the opposite way. [laughs] And it’s still something we’re exploring with the character. I don’t want to give away too many things, but majority of the kids that are in Eli’s shoes are born into it. You have no choice but to be aware of that lifestyle. Whether you’re going to pull that mask on and start living that life is your choice, but it doesn’t really seem like a choice when you’re young. Eli turned it into a business with the PCH’ers. I would love to see what the PCH’ers look like pre-Weevil. We hear about Gus, the reaper. We have all these other leaders that came through, but it very much seems organized. It’s very much a teen televised version of gang culture in California. I wish it was really like that in real life. It’s no wonder that it produced such a colorful, original character.

Q) “Veronica Mars” has become such a signifier, and in the days since original series and now in our current climate, what has really tied this series to making her a beacon both then and now?

A) Again, “Veronica Mars…” Maybe it’s all Rob. I don’t know. But it has this fortunate knack of coming in when we need it. “Veronica Mars” came during George Bush’s era when we were very much upset with the Iraq War and what was going on post 9/11. It was still very much sore in our minds. I wouldn’t say that the right was hated as much as it is now. I don’t even know if the term “alt right” or “SGW” was even permeating at the time, but those kind of seems like the sides that are warring with each other now. You’re either on that side or the other. “Veronica Mars” kind of came out and it was a story about definitely someone with some left ideals, but it took place in a world full of right. So, it was something that I think people on the right would tune into and be looking through the lens of someone one the left. At the end of the day, she ends up with an 09’er. [laughs] The show hits you with punches from the left and the right that you don’t expect. If you want to say that the show is full of right perspectives well then where does Eli Navarro fit in? There is nothing right about this guy. But it wasn’t afraid as much as it wanted to show you a peek into the elite and that lifestyle. It wasn’t afraid to confront real hot button issues and issues that I think were touched on before in television, but never so in their pilot. In our very first episode our lead character is raped. It’s a flashback, but it’s a launching point. The way it is shot and introduced you very much feel that you were there. I can’t really recall a lot of pilots that said, “Okay. This is going to be about a teenage girl and, by the way, she’s raped. At a school party by someone from the school. And she still attends the school.” Literally, every time we see Veronica walking through that school she’s walking amidst a rapist. We, of course, don’t know who that is, but just describe that back then and the climate we were in – it’s crazy! It’s no surprise to me that it debuted on one network and went to another (even though I think the circumstances didn’t have anything to do with our content. It was really a result of what was happening.). To take those circumstances and the way the show launched and now have fast forward to 2019, where it almost feels like people are about to explode violently on one another on both sides, and you have the return of a show that (once again) revolves around both sides and both of their perspectives. I do think that the show doesn’t pull any punches of what it believes. Veronica knows what is right in her heart and she is going to tell you and she is going to fight for it. She’s not afraid to fight for what is right. I agree with her. I believe that each and every person on this planet, in their heart of hearts, knows what is right and what is wrong. The difference is some of us take it and some of us want to change it, but just don’t have the courage. Some of us fight and Veronica Mars is very much a fighter.

Q) We also got to see you in “iZombie” as well, which has been tackling similar current issues as well.

A) The analogies are very clever, but they might as well just come out and say it. [laughs] I am followed by and supported by people on all sides of the political spectrum and my mother is somewhat of a conservative. My family has very diverse political beliefs. So, I’m very, very hesitant to get into any of the that. [laughs] But I think our show is very, very outgoing and vocal about what they believe is right. I hate to say it, but I agree with 99.9% of what is said and I’m just glad that they have the courage to go out there and do it. And I’m onboard. “iZombie” as well. I haven’t watched the show as much as I want to, but I was a par to fit and I know exactly what you are talking about – specifically with my character and the refugees. I look at him and say, “He’s a better man than me.” Like I was saying, some of us take it, some of us wish we could change it and go on with our lives and some of us fight. Baron was a fighter, too. He knew what was right and he was willing to die for it. I feel like that role was a birthday gift from Rob. He’s just so awesome. He called me out of the blue and said, “Come out to Vancouver and have some fun.” It was great!

Q) When it comes now to working with Hulu, how does it really help the show push the boundaries like it always has and maybe take them a step further?

A) It would be difficult to show how adult these characters are because let’s think about it. Look at how dark, evolved and mature these characters were when they were kids. Well, they are adults now. The natural progression would be that the stakes are higher. Veronica Mars was in a love triangle before, but now she’s having sex. So, we can actually allude to that and we don’t have to step around the fact that she’s in high school and actually play toward that audience. It would be terrible. Why? Because, of course, you don’t always need to show that, but in this case it’s a way to show that love has evolved because the characters have evolved and the relationship has evolved. It’s easy to show adults when you don’t have those silly television boundaries (I would think from a writing perspective). Also, with a character like Weevil, it’s much easier to show how the stakes have raised. It’s much easier to show the spectrum of illegal activity that he could be involved in with a network that has no boundaries or less boundaries than televisions. Again, there’s a lot more to the character Weevil than criminal behavior, but that’s his past and in his past. I’m saying hypothetically if he’s trying to escape the criminal life, for example, and his criminal past comes back to haunt him you could play around with things a lot looser and make the stakes much higher. Just being honest, we can talk about the drug epidemic in neighborhoods in much more of a realistic way. We can talk about violence and show violence in a much more realistic way. Sometimes it’s necessary to do that. It’s okay to people uncomfortable if it’s part of your narrative. I feel like if it’s going to leave a lasting impression show people! Show people what is going to be the result of this character’s actions. Show people what he was facing, what he was up against. I think it’s a great storytelling tool.

Q) With the characters there is a lot of love, but also a lot of messiness and a lot of self-sabotaging. I loved the evolution between the friendship of Veronica and Eli. Talk about their ever-evolving relationship over the years.

A) I love it! I love it! It’s one of my favorite relationships and storytelling. I love these two characters and how much they love one another. I’m currently trying to finish the audiobook – Mr. Kiss and Tell. I’ve been stuck in the same part forever; however, I’ve gotten a little bit of a taste of that book and it’s great! To any Marshmallows out there who have not read the books, you have time now. I can tell you it’s a real treat. And Weevil is in it, so why wouldn’t you? [laughs] I just love their relationship. I haven’t said this to anybody, but my favorite thing about this is it is a peek into my relationship with Kristen Bell as well. I think it’s more of a peek though into the person that Kristen is and how much of her soul and self that she lends to Veronica. Something that Kristen and I both have is that we’re very strong-willed people. We believe in things and if that’s truly our belief than it’s going to be hard to shake that or to get us to go against that. Part of what comes with that is we like to have the last word. Whether it is a flaw or not, it’s a part of who we are and it’s very much a part of who Veronica is and very much a part of Eli. When you get that and you put love in the middle of two people who like to have the last word sometimes you get fireworks. [laughs] It’s very indicative. If you come back to this interview after you watch the show, you’ll know exactly what I mean. They can’t help but to be who they are and they can’t help but want the last word. They love it. They both love one another, but I’d go as far as to say that I believe (in my heart of hearts) that Eli is very much in love with Veronica. I think he’s been in love with her. I don’t want to say exactly when. I can talk about that later, but I think it was a singular occasion where he realized he was in love with her and I think he’s been moving on that intent in most of their interactions. But, again, it is a love knowing that it is never going to be possible. I think Weevil has made peace with that. I also am of the belief that you can love more than one person. [laughs] So, whether you can be in love with more than one person…that could probably be debated for a million years. But you can love more than one person that way. I, myself, am married to the most incredible woman in the world, but I often tell her that I loved before and she knows exactly who those people are. Her, too! I know a lot of people will be like, “But Weevil is married! Oh my God!” No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that it’s obvious. If we were to go through all of their experiences (and I could point out to you the obvious times), that’s at least where I’m going with it. I have not had this conversation with God yet and what I mean about that is I have not talked to Rob Thomas about that yet. So, yeah. If I speak to God and God tells me that’s not true then clearly, I’m just a very, very bored thespian having a theater session in his head. [laughs]

Q) What I also love in their relationship is Kristen and Veronica have these incredible deliveries when it comes to dialogue and the way she is so expressive. It’s so great to see it in the way Eli and Veronica interact as well.

A) You’re going to love Season Four! I’ll tell you that right now. [laughs] I definitely agree that Kristen has set the bar and that’s the bar I measure myself to every day at work. I don’t sleep well unless I’ve come close, in my own opinion. She just kind of has a way that she put on camera early on in the show. She started dancing and we all just followed suit. We try to keep up with her display. I attribute a lot of that to Mr. Thomas and the writers. There have been a lot of great, great people. I don’t know if Rob will get mad at me, but I think it’s been divulged that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is going to write one of the episodes. He’s great, too!

Q) The show has always been wrought in this poignant and provoking emotional angst but it also sharply intertwines these moments of levity that are endearing and disarming. How does the series continue to take these tumultuous interpersonal relationships while maintaining the light and levity in such a brilliantly balanced way?

A) I think it also imitates life. It’s like that feeling of landing a joke at a funeral. It’s terrible and some people say it’s in bad taste, but isn’t it what is needed more than anything at that moment? I would think that only the twisted amongst us would want to see everyone at a funeral in tears. [laughs] We would want our loved ones we leave behind to be happy and to celebrate our life. I think that’s something “Veronica Mars” is able to do. It’s being able to land those heavy dramatic punches and then still keep you along for the ride because we can get dark. We can get really, really dark. I think the show strikes a delicate balance between that unique brand of humor that we have whenever it is necessary. And we still have that, very much so.

Q) There has been a long list of incredible guest stars and cast members who have gone on to big careers.

A) We started everybody! No, it’s beautiful. There are so many names that I hear people throw out and I’m like, “Really?! Of course, I knew they were on my show. Oh yeah!” [sarcasm] As Weevil, I feel like I lived there. “Veronica Mars” is my house, but then finding out that some of the most incredible people that you respect and look up to used to live in the same house as you…You’re like, “What?! How did I not know this?!” That was eclipsed, very much so, in this new season by the guest stars that we have with us in this season. I was literally annihilated by the discovery of JK Simmons and Clifton Collins joining the cast. Yeah, I can’t say anything else. But it’s just terrific and they are just awesome. All of their presence, I’m so happy to have them aboard. Tessa! I’m such a big Marvel fan and I have to sit there and just wonder what it would have been like…Why couldn’t she have just been involved in some crime?! Just a little bit of crime so that we could have had a scene together.

Q) Weevil felt like he had a place in the Mars family as well.

A) I hope the Marshmallows will just take a moment to see these characters grow and evolve. Whether it is the triumphs or the tragedies in their lives, regardless we are trying to see it. There are so many shows, characters and books and stories that we can only dream and imagine where those characters would be at ten or twenty years later. It’s beautiful and the great part is it doesn’t have to end and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon. I already know everybody is going to be blood thirsty for more. From what I’ve heard and what I’ve said, I think Kristen Bell is very interested in continuing things. I’ll have to check my schedule, but if I’m available I’ll show up. I’ll come by. Why not? Everybody else as well, we all love this. We are all grateful for the gift that “Veronica Mars” continues to give. It’s just the gift that keeps on giving.

Q) There are such layers to Weevil. What do you think it is that has made him a fan favorite?

A) I have books and books of head cannon about things that happened. I would like to say that is a big part of it, but the first thing that comes to mind and the most honest answer is it is 100% Rob Thomas. He had a vision for this guy that I didn’t understand. I just was like, “What is this white guy trying to write? Is he Mexican? Is he a gangster? What is this dude? He acts like the Fonz from ‘Happy Days,’ but he’s not.” I didn’t understand this guy. Rob wasn’t on set. Dan was on set. So, I’d take this stuff out on Dan. He was like, “Are you crazy?!” You are lucky to have this job!” I was like eighteen years old! I was like, “Yo man! You don’t know what the streets are like Mr. Etheridge!” So, I had my head up my ass at the beginning of the show. I come back and I’m just like on my knees throwing myself at the mercy of lord Rob Thomas. I’m so grateful he was able to see through my youth and the young man that I was and say, “He’s got the talent at least to make some of my vision come alive on screen.” And I think he still feels the same way because I’m still doing it. [laughs] It’s just awesome! It’s one of those things that has been so beneficial to me in life, as a man. Learning when to shut up and appreciate a good thing. And sometimes, most importantly, to listen because you don’t know everything. I try to lend a lot of that to the character of Weevil, but I do sneak in that stubborn mute that is very much me because I think sometimes it’s what can lead Weevil astray yet also what we love about him. Diane Ruggiero is also a huge part of that. When you talk about snark and his ability to make a comeback, a big part of that is Diane. [laughs] One of my big gripes on the show was that I hated that Jason always had the better cutdowns. Logan had the better jabs. I was like, “I need to do some jabs, too!” So, I would ad lib stuff and every take I’d ad lib something. A lot of my stuff was not made for TV so it could only make the cutting room floor. But some of it didn’t! Like when I do the surfer voice, that made it into one of the takes. Somewhere around the end of Season One and the start of Season 2 I started reading the scripts and I was like, “Who wrote this?! This sounds like I would say it! This is me!” And maybe it was Rob. I don’t know. But somewhere along the lines our voices blurred into one another. Sometimes I find myself saying, “Oh wow! That’s something Weevil would have said.” Very rarely Weevil says stuff that I would say. [laughs] It’s strange. But he’s a gift and Rob is terrific. I hope Rob wants to do this show for a very long time.

Q) What else do you want to be sure we share with our readers about what is to come for you?

A) So much! There is books worth of stuff. I can tell you I’m going to be at Shatterbox and a half once July 26^th I have so much video I recorded on set and there is just so much to talk about and think about it. So many things that happened on set and anecdotes.

Q) Are there any other projects you have that you’ve been working on?

A) I have something wonderful coming up that I can’t talk about. However, I am doing “Monsters and Fables.” It’s an online show that is produced by the wonderful Jennifer Kretchmer. She’s the daughter of a director from “Veronica Mars” and a very, very close friend of mine who is awesome. She’s multi-talented. She’s an actress, producer, songwriter and all kinds of magical stuff! She produced this show. It’s her original idea. TJ Storm is the Dungeon Master. It’s something really cool! It’s something I’ve never done before. I played a little bit of Dungeons and Dragons before with a really aggressive angry guy who was the Dungeon Master and he kind of ruined my Dungeons and Dragons experience. This was totally different and like playing real Dungeons and Dragons. It was terrific and I got to do acting and lots of other cool stuff. It’s got a great cast like Rachel Miner from “Supernatural” and Omar Najam. It was awesome and such a gift! I believe all the episodes are on YouTube. You can go on Twitter @MonstersandFables and check out the stuff we’ve done. Hopefully, we’ll do more of that.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) If any Marshmallows are going to be attending Gen Con 2019, which is in Indianapolis in August I will be there. It’s like a gaming convention for magic cards and all this other stuff. I’m going there to support the Hasboro Wizards of the Coast Transformers trading card game, which I’m absolutely enamored with. There is a huge tournament for Transformers so I’ll be playing over there at the tables. If any Marshmallows are there I always like to extend the invite to come say hello and I’d love to see you guys. I will not rest until I meet every Marshmallow personally all over the world and tell you guys thank you face to face because being on “Veronica Mars” and being a part of this community is the greatest gift anyone could give. And I love you guys so much!