Humberly González – Utopia Falls

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you have been busy working on?

A) Last year was crazy for me! I think it was the one year where I fit in the most project. Right after I worked on “Utopia Falls” I actually worked on two other Netflix shows. Not sure when they are premiering, but they are both very, very different. One of them is called “Jupiter’s Legacy,” which is like superheroes. Then, I did wrap “Ginny & Georgia,” which is kind of like the millennial version of “Gilmore Girls.” [laughs]

Q) How was your character Brooklyn originally described to you?

A) I had a phone call with our creator/director R.T. Thorne. And he wanted to hop on the call with me before I shot the final call back tape. We both kind of said the same thing – he kept saying swagger. She has a lot of attitude. She is very confident and very cocky, especially because one of the scenes I auditioned with is the first time you see her interact with Sage. She just enters the room. She never asks for permission. She doesn’t need a reason to do exactly what she wants and that’s exactly how I saw her. She’s the kind of person that does her own thing and right from the get-go I understood that. I let him know that and he was like, “That’s exactly what I want. Do that on the tape and we’re good to go!”

Q) Where does that confidence come from?

A) I think being from Industry, she is a maker – I guess. She manufacturers and builds. She’s probably a bit of a loner in that way. Her skills provide security and give her that life. Coming from that, when she is good at something there is a result and that result is perfect. So, maybe growing up with that mentality of “Well, if I just do a good job, then no one can take that away from me.” So, her growing up in Industry was the first clue to me that she has what it takes to be good. She’s been singing her whole life. I imagine that her family is like, “You’re amazing!” And you don’t learn a lot about her family per se, but you do meet her mom on her show. There is also a bit of a history with a cousin who was ghosted in a way. It was always just tough love. It was just her industry and her family. So, she never had someone give her doubts.

Q) What kind of dance/singing training did you have going into the show?

A) I grew up in Venezuela and anybody who grows up there dancing is part of the culture. Pretty much you are shamed into dancing. If you’re a kid and you’re going to a party and you don’t dance or know how to partner dance people will be like, “What’s wrong with you?” I learned from my dad and my mom. Every time we had parties you always partner dance, whether it is salsa or meringue – every single Latin form of dance. Then, when I moved to Canada and went to theater school we actually got trained in ballet, we did tango, waltz and movement-based things. I was always in dance classes in high school. I never took it after school or never did major competitions. I never continued after that, but movement has always been a part of my every day whether it is through sports, music or dancing. I still go out and dance on the weekends! [laughs] I just love it. Definitely compared to a lot of castmates who are professional dancers and they’ve been studying that since they were kids, for me it was more of like a feeling and an internal joy and knowledge of dancing rather than practice every day. But it still works! I still dance in the show. As challenging as it was, I learned so much from it. It was pretty cool.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your castmates before starring with them on this show?

A) Not face to face. Funny enough, before I started shooting “Utopia Falls” I was filming a Lifetime movie and it was called Trapped: The Alex Cooper Story. On that set, I actually met Kate Drummond and she was playing the mom of the lead. Someone had told me she was going to play Phydra on a new show and I was so excited. Then, I was playing the lead’s friend from school and she told me that her best friend was auditioning for this sci-fi show with dancing. I asked her if it was “Utopia Falls.” She was like, “Yes! Her name is Devyn Nekoda.” I was like, “Oh! That’s crazy!” A few days after shooting she told me her friend booked the part and I was like, “Wait! She is Sage? I’m playing Brooklyn! We’re going to be costars on the show!” It was crazy that I had heard of her and had never met her. We had a friend in common by the time we had our first read through.

Q) How did you shake off a long day of filming?

A) I have a pup at home. Actually, I’d bring him to set with me most days. Between takes everybody came to my trailer and petted him. Usually, I would come home and sleep. [laughs] I’d just like pass out. Probably watch reality TV shows, have snacks and go to bed. It’s pretty exhausting after a full day. You just want to come home and face-plant into your bed. I do live with my partner so it was really nice to come home to someone and my dog and just spend quality time alone, which was really nice. My dog came to set almost all the time and wardrobe actually made him a little scarf so he matched our uniforms on the show.

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film for the series?

A) I loved shooting all the Sage-Brooklyn scenes. Some of them were really fun. At the beginning when they’re kind of getting to know each other and then as you get into the show, they are actually quite heartbreaking. But any time Devyn and I were on the set we really had such great chemistry and off set – everybody saw that. It was like that from the first read through. We always had a lot of fun and it was really free and open. Also, the last scenes we actually shot were the scenes in the forest. They were really fun to shoot. We were on location at this rock quarry conservatory and everybody around us were in like Hazmat suits because there were so many mosquitoes. We couldn’t do that so we just lathered ourselves in bug spray. It was nighttime sometimes. It was quite adventurous and we’d even encounter snakes sometimes. It was really fun to be out there. It felt like we were in the thick of things. It was very Hunger Games-y when we were out there in the forest.

Q) Did being on “Utopia Falls” inspire you to take on more musical projects?

A) Yeah, for sure. I have always loved singing and dancing, especially singing – I think that was my first love. Even before I started acting. I did a lot of musical theater. So, this was a musical theater member’s dream of having it on film and getting to do that was just eye opening. To professional record in a studio – which I had never done. To see what it actually takes from beginning to end have a song ready and hear it was so, so exciting. A lot of people were like, “You should write your own music. You should do music.” I definitely do consider it. I feel like I can’t half-ass either one of them. Maybe at some point I’ll be able to balance the singing/acting part of it. I definitely would love to lead into it. I guess it is still very early into my career so you never know.

Q) What did you personally take away from being a part of this show?

A) This role was really special for me because I had been working toward a series regular lead for a while. And I was definitely ready for it. I feel like I spoke it into existence. I really wanted something like this to dig my teeth into and to exercise all of those skills I had built up in the last few years of professionally working and to finally get to do that it really showed me that 1) I really am capable of day in and day out for four months being a part of a show and it taught me a lot about life/work balance, how to take care of yourself being on set and it also showed me I can take on more. I’m ready to be #1 on the call sheet and it’s really exciting to feel the experience and the practice of acting, being on set and being part of a family really does cause results. Now, I’m ready for something more and I think that’s kind of how young actors build their career. You have the experience of something really big and you conquer that and you come out the other side of it and realize what else can I do? It just inspired me to look deeper into my goals, what I want and what I think I’m capable of. This show was specifically challenging in so many ways with singing, dancing and acting – triple threat stuff! And I realize that I’m cut out for that. I didn’t feel super stressed out or anything like that. I just did so well. I was so proud of myself because I had never done anything like that.