Isabella Gomez – One Day at a Time

By starrymag | March 31, 2020

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Everyone had been waiting for a renewal announcement with Netflix and then when it was cancelled, we were all hoping another network would pick it up and it ended up being PopTV.  What was it like for you during the waiting period?

 

A) It was such a rollercoaster. When Season Three came out it was the most attention, we had gotten of any of the seasons.  I got something like one hundred thousand followers in like the first month, which is a crazy number!  So, actually I was confident Netflix was going to pick us up for a fourth season.  When the news came it was heartbreaking on so many different levels.  For one, selfishly, I love the people that I work with and I feel so appreciated as an artist and so free to make mistakes and figure myself out and figure Elena out.  The thought of that was really, really sad.  But also, on a Latinx and LGBTQ and female representation level, I knew that our show ending and especially with the statement that Netflix put out that it didn’t have enough viewers. I knew that could be detrimental to those communities and their future.  Whenever a showrunner or a somebody would try to sell a movie to a studio next time about the Latino community or about women or about LGBTQ, or whatever, they will say no because there is no audience for it.  That was also really tough.  Then, of course, it’s just a great show.  I know I am biased but it’s a really great show.  It was absolutely heartbreaking and Gloria [Calderon Kellett] and Mike [Royce] and Sony were very adamant about finding it a new home.  It was months and months and months and by the end of it we were like there is no way.  It had been too long and all of us were auditioning for new projects. Then, somehow, here we are. Thank God. PopTV worked really, really hard to get us and have been so lovely to us and we feel so appreciated and so loved in our new home.  It’s crazy.  It was a year and a half from the time we wrapped season three until now, which is really crazy.

 

Q) It’s such a testament to the series that so many people got behind it, pushed for it, and petitioned for it.  And the significance on many levels of what the series means to so many people, you would think it would be a no-brainer that the series would be picked up.  To say that it had no audience, I have no idea where that would come from.  It kind of felt like left field for a lot of people.

 

A)  I mean, for us too.  It’s a very difficult thing because this show, we couldn’t have made it without Netflix.  For the three seasons we were there, they were incredibly supportive and let us do exactly what we wanted with the show and gave us so much creative freedom that a regular network normally would not have.  But once you say there is not enough of an audience and then our cancellation and The Avengers trailer comes out the same day and we are trending above that, it’s a little hard to believe that there wasn’t an audience for it.

 

Q) This incredible love and uplifting light that has been behind the series has felt so much like this little train going up the hill and continuing to fight for every inch that it takes.  It has this great spirit behind the scenes as the characters and the showrunners and cast and crew.

 

A) Totally.  And we know that it’s a very special situation that we are in, which again was why we were so heartbroken and so shocked because everyone up to Norman Lear, who has made a million shows and has been so incredibly successful, said he has never seen love for a show like this and never seen a cast love each other the way that we do.  So, we don’t take it for granted that we are in a very special situation.

 

Q) Transitioning from being a Netflix series to a network series with PopTV, talk a little about how the format we are used to seeing for the series will shift.

 

A)  Now we have to write to commercial and we get around eight minutes cut.  Right now, I think it’s twenty-one minutes something that we get, whereas with Netflix we got to do thirty or thirty-five; whatever we wanted really.  So, we got quite a bit of time cut.  Surprisingly, so far, we haven’t missed it.  Knock on wood, our writers are incredible and have adjusted very well.

Then, I think also the other thing we see that the cast has talked about, it’s a lot quicker now.  The pace is very quick and the scenes are a little shorter.  Usually our show is known for having super long scenes, which is very unlike a sitcom.  I think now we are a little bit more like a sitcom and that our scenes are shorter and a little more like joke, joke, joke, next scene.  Which is also really fun.  It is changing a little, but the essence of the show and the heart of the show is still there.

 

Q) Sadly, I think they said though that we won’t get to hear the beautiful theme song anymore.

 

A) I know, which is such a bummer, but because seasons one through three are still on Netflix and you can get the theme song on iTunes or on YouTube.  So, you can just play it where it would normally go!

 

Q) Elena and Syd (Sheridan Pierce) are moving towards graduation this season, what kind of crossroads will we see in store for their relationship?

 

A) I think it’s what is expected.  We don’t know where these two humans are going to go to school and we don’t know if that will be near or far from each other and what that means for them and what they are going to decide.  We also know that a lot of people say that high school relationships don’t really last. People want to go to college and experience college. I think Syd and Elena are very smart people and I don’t think that they are going to ignore that.  I think we will see some really interesting conversations and situations that happen because of this period of transition that they are going to have in their life and what that’s going to mean for their relationship.

 

Q) We have seen a lot of maturity in their relationship over the past three seasons. They have been so open with one another and these ongoing topics have never really been shied away from.  I really love that everything has been so honest and upfront.  

 

A)  How lovely. Wouldn’t it be lovely if all relationships were like that?  Life would be so much easier if we all were a little bit more like Elena and Syd.

 

Q) What have you really enjoyed the most about Elena’s journey into maturity is how the people who have surrounded her have helped guide her as a young person journeying into college and adulthood.

 

A)  I worried so much for Elena, but she’s just such a badass, man.  What I love about her is that she has always been so sure of herself. But I think what’s really beautiful and what we start seeing this season. I mean all seasons, but this season especially she has been just embraced and so loved that she knows she is worthy.  But, again, she has also had that rejection from her dad and got through it which I think gives her a lot of power and she understands that she is a strong woman and she is going to get through anything life throws at her and she has got herself.  Even though her family has got her, I think she learned to stand on her own two feet. I think what we see a lot this season is that she is strong and a lot more grounded.  She has always been headstrong in a very unique way, which is what her family raised her to be and it’s really good to see her relationship with her grandma and her mom (Justina Machado) change as she is becoming an adult and not a kid anymore.  It’s very interesting to play a character for this long and grow up alongside of her.

 

Q) Throughout these stepping-stones we have seen through her journey, Elena has learned a lot from both matriarchs.  As much as she might have fought it at times, Elena is becoming an independent woman, and depending on where she goes to school, she will be out of the house and that empowering environment.  

 

A) That’s going to be so weird!  I think it’s one of those things where Elena always gets a bit flustered by her family. If you ask me, the writers haven’t said anything. But I think she might miss Lydia (Rita Moreno) the most.  I think it’s always the unexpected one that you miss the most.  It will be really, really interesting to see what the writers will do and how it will affect her.

 

Q)  It really reminds me of when Lydia was in the hospital and we see this moment of culmination for their relationship, and you suddenly think how close they are with one another.  That their bond is super solid.  

 

A)  I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I am excited to see it unfold.

 

Q) I really love that we get the consistent continuity as well, we have seen these photos showing how Penelope’s support group is back and that’s important when it comes to Penelope’s ongoing struggles with PTSD and anxiety and her relationship outside of the family.  Family isn’t always the people you are born with, it’s not always blood, and we see that through Dr. Leslie (Stephen Tobolowsky), Schneider (Todd Grinnell), and all of the people who surround the family.  How does that really extend this season?

 

A) Just that, we are seeing these relationships evolve further and further.  Schneider has a girlfriend now. I think we get to see him in a new light completely and start seeing him as a different version of himself that we also learn to love and adore because he’s so freaking loveable!  The therapy girls are of course back, those are amazing women.

 

Q) I am deeply in love with Judy Reyes! 

 

A) Judy Reyes is the love of my life!!  That whole group of people are so badass and it’s so fun to have them on set.  Of course, a big part of recovery is continued therapy or continued working on yourself.  So, it’s really exciting that we get to see Penelope still working towards that and taking care of herself and making sure she is making good choices, especially when she is surrounded by such hilarious, supportive women.  It’s very, very cool.  I think it’s also that thing that you were saying, about chosen family being such a theme of the show.  I love that we get to add a new family member with Avery (India de Beaufort) and kind of with Syd and with the new relationship for Alex (Marcel Ruiz).  These may not be people who all of these characters are going to end up with forever, but just learning to love people and accepting people for who they are as they come and go into your life is a really cool concept.

 

Q)  We talked about the fight for “One Day at a Time” and the backing it had behind it. Another series that has sort of had a similar backing behind it is “Wynonna Earp.”  I know you have gotten to spend a good amount of time with the cast and Gloria talked a lot about her admiration for Wynonna Earp’s Emily Andras. We kind of saw these series fighting side by side.  Might there be any nods or nudges this season to “Wynonna Earp?”

 

A) I think Gloria did say that there are some for sure. I haven’t seen any of the episodes that we have done so far yet, but it’s just inevitable since Elena is such a fan.  I don’t see how there wouldn’t be nods or moments.  It’s so exciting that we got to fight that battle together and win it a week apart.  We love those girls and we are all very excited that we all get to come back and do our shows. It’s just good fricking content.

 

Q) In the current political landscape of things in America, where with being a woman it seems like constantly we end up being picked apart, to see these series, especially “One Day at a Time” and “Wynonna” who are fierce and flawed and vulnerable and badass, we need to hold on to those as much as possible.

 

A) Indeed, yeah. It’s very important that we are supporting female shows and shows about women, which are not just what we have already seen of women but of women who are powerful and empowered and professionals and all of that.  We have enough of these ditzy women and that story is important too. We just have enough of it.  We are ready to see some empowered ass women!

 

Q) Speaking of returns, is there any chance we might get to see Ariela Barer return to “One Day at a Time” since we miss seeing Elena and Carmen’s friendship?

 

A) I mean, Ariela and I have been hoping for that since Season One.  It’s just so crazy.  She’s so talented.  She finished her run on “Runaways” about a month or two ago and she already booked another show.  She booked a pilot.  She is a badass.  It’s hard with our schedules.  I actually don’t know if they are fitting her in this season or not.  We would love nothing more.  Ariela Barer and I are like best friends.  If we don’t see each other for two days, we are like, “I miss you, why aren’t we seeing each other?”  It would be such a dream to work together again. Fingers crossed.  Fingers crossed we get to see that.

 

Q) “ODAAT” doesn’t shy away from topical issues, and this year we actually have an election coming up.  Now that Elena potentially will be old enough to vote, what issues would be important to her as a new voter, and is there a candidate she might lean towards?

 

A) I think she cares about so much.  I think top for her would be environment, gun regulations since we have talked about that before and with her mom.  Obviously, the Latinx and LGBT community would also be at the forefront of her list.  I think there is a lot she would care about and she would be incredibly picky who she would be voting for.  I am not sure who she would vote for, I don’t know yet.

 

Q) I feel like there would be a lot of progressive candidates who would check a lot of boxes for Elena.

 

A) Because it is so topical, I think there probably would be an episode about it, especially now that we do episodes week to week. I don’t know.  They don’t give me the scripts in advance.  I know nothing, probably for a reason. [laughs] I totally think (especially because Norman is so into that) it would be topical and using his shows for commentary I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t an episode where we discuss candidates and where people’s heads are at.

 

Q) Beyond “ODAAT,” what are the next projects that you are working on?

 

A)  I have a horror film coming out called Dembanger.

 

Q) How was working on a horror film?  Did it really push your boundaries?  

 

A) It’s very different from Elena. It’s going to be interesting, to say the least.  I actually never thought I was funny. I thought I was a dramatic actress.  So, I would say that a sitcom pushes my limits a lot more than horror. But it was hard in that we did a week of night shoots shooting outside in the cold covered in blood screaming our heads off sobbing for hours.  I had acute bronchitis and so it was a tough week, but they say always use what you’re going through for your art.  I have seen some early cuts of the movie and I think it came out really cool. It was an indie.  We did this whole film in two weeks and I am really, really proud of the work that we all did.  I know nothing really about the horror genre, so I don’t know how people are going to take it, but I liked it.

 

Q) Is there anything else about the season of ODAAT that you would like to make sure we mention?

 

A) We are going to be a weekday show instead of streaming.  If you want more of us, you have to watch!  You gotta put the thing on record or leave the TV running because it’s more than just our show.  Watching our show means a lot more than just watching our show. It means representation for a lot more people in a lot of communities and major decisions for studio heads.  Please watch our show. Watch “Gentefied” on Netflix.  Watch all of the Latinx shows.  Make sure that you are supporting the art that you want to see more of.