Jessica Pimentel – Orange Is the New Black

By starrymag | June 28, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe Season Four of “Orange Is the New Black?”

A) Every character went through some kind of trauma this year so it was a rough season to shoot, but it was juicy in a sense. We had a lot of stuff to sink our teeth into. It was all difficult subject matter and I think each character has to deal with some awful, awful things. We got through it and then watching it as a viewer is a whole other level of disgust.

Q) What did you think of the last episode of the season?

A) The last episode with the beautiful, happy scenes makes it so much sadder. You see this sweet, sweet wide eyed young girl who is open to the world. You know, before we see the flashbacks what she has been through. It’s well done.

Q) This season we finally came full circle with Maria’s backstory. What has been your favorite part of her character development?

A) I really just love the fact that they went all in with the Maria character. From day one, her focus has been her child. That’s the thing that keeps her going and her motivation every day. It’s reading baby magazines every day and keeping her hair the same way so the baby recognizes her. She makes sure when he is home he talks to her and reads to her. She makes sure that she is taken care of and everything is about the child. She stays low and stays away from the drama. On the sly, she’ll drop a little knowledge bomb on people. When the baby gets taken away, you see her slip into depression, which I think is absolutely natural. She goes through her grieving process and then realizes everything will be fine. Now, her focus is on getting out and making a little bit of money on the side to make the time to go fast. Unfortunately, that’s not the way things turn out. Her one shred of humanity is taken away from her by Piscatella (Brad William Henke). You see that nature vs. nurture come out and you see what is in her capability. Now, you see why Maria could be in jail. You see a little bit of that in the visitor room where Yadriel (Ian Paola) says they charged him a late fee at the bank and Maria’s way of handling it is to go to the bank with a bat. That was a funny moment, but then you see this was baby focused woman telling her big tatt’d up man to go back there with a bat. Then, you’re like, “Hmm.” Now that Piper (Taylor Schilling) pushed Maria up against the wall you see those claws come out and you see that gang mentality come out. She’s been around that gang force so you see that side of her come out.

Q) Has Maria become so hardened because of the circumstances within the prison or is she embracing her backstory?

A) I don’t think that anyone is cut and dry. You grow up. You may have the sweetest soul on Earth…She wanted to be a dental hygienist to help people feel good about themselves. She didn’t say it was because of the money or this or that. It was to make people feel good about themselves so you know she has a good heart. When she was growing up, at her birthday, they are waving around a machete. I’m sure she has been around plenty of violence and seen plenty of violence. I’m sure she had bodyguards and had to deal with people high on drugs around her. She tried to keep her sweetness and get away from all of that, but at the end of the day it is something that permeates in your being whether you like it or not. If you live in New York, after ten years, you’re going to start walking faster. It’s something that is in you without you knowingly absorb it. It’s from being in this environment that you learn these tricks and to be on your guard because danger is everywhere. You know that people are afraid of you or give you respect if you throw out a certain name or act a certain way. Her father is the king of the crew. He’s the President of the crew so she learned from the best, if anything. We still don’t know why she is in jail, but now it is easier to see that she wouldn’t be afraid to do things that are maybe illegal or considered not to be morally correct. If you grow up in that environment, you have kind of a different sense of what is right or wrong. She takes a brick of coke and threw it in her room. She didn’t run. She saved it. That is a ride or die broad. Her instinct wasn’t to run away; she went to investigate.

Q) What was the hardest scene to film this season?

A) The one with Piper in the kitchen with all of us was very difficult and filled with emotions. I’m pretty sure it came across on screen, but being in the room was something else. Because it was me participating, it is kind of different with us living it and Taylor really brought it to the limit. So, all of the actions and reactions were real. We were going through that experience to the point where they switched cameras and off camera I kind of started to break down. It was hard for me to watch her suffer. Me, Jessica, started to break down because it was really an awful thing we were doing. Then, when Crazy Eyes gets into the fight with Kukudio (Emily Althaus) it was just so brutal and devastating to watch. This character that is so quirky and loveable going to this violent, violent place…This was something else. With the guard provoking her and then treating her almost like an animal in a sideshow (whether they are groping us or pitting us against each other)…As we were going through that scene, we were all exhausted and Uzo [Aduba] was giving it 100%. Then, we were adding blood and we have really great actors on the show made it hard to distinguish hat was real and what wasn’t real. The hair, makeup, lighting, special effects, everyone – they all came together for this scene. It was really hard to stomach. Having scenes like that happen multiple times in the show was a pretty heavy experience.

Q) What was the change in Maria for you this season like?

A) It was wonderful getting to work with Taylor and Kate Mulgrew…You dream of working these top notch amazing actors. I still fangirl on Kate Mulgrew and Lori Petty. I’ve been a fan of theirs since I was a little girl. Being Captain of the Starship Enterprise is no joke, especially for a tomboy. These were my role models, these tough strong independent women who went toe to toe with any man that was thrown in front of them. So, I looked up to actresses and characters like that who didn’t go to for these sexualized cutesy realm. They always chose these poignant, flawed, epic roles. So, working with them has been really, really amazing.

Q) What was it like expanding the cast this season with a larger amount of men?

A) The men on this show this season crushed it! They crushed it! They really brought their characters to the next level. Nick [Sandow], Michael [Harney] and our new addition Brad – who is a pleasure to work with. I still get tense when I see him in real life. [laughs] The scene I did in Piscatella’s office is probably still my favorite of the season. He was just superb and we did so many versions of it that it was fun to see what takes they chose for each actor. It’s really cool how it all came together. He made me cry like a little baby. I appreciated that very much because he just let me have it. It’s really great working with actors that really go there to get you there, where you need to be and vice versa. It’s really, really cool.

Q) Is this a Maria we’re going to have to get used to?

A) Maria is a fish in water. She’s handing out instructions and game plans. She’s a chess player. She’s thinking ten moves ahead or fifteen moves ahead. Maria never gets her hands dirty. That’s a key thing to look at. Like every great boss, she never gets her hands dirty. Everyone says, “Maria brands Piper.” Maria doesn’t brand Piper. Maria tells someone else to brand Piper. I feel she is completely comfortable with it. I don’t see her breaking down or feeling guilty. I don’t see anything and I feel like if anything she may become even more ruthless now that all bets are off. The baby is not in the picture now. I did the Math and I said my baby will be in kindergarten when I get out. She was due to be in first grade, but then maybe I got some time off for good behavior. I think at this point the kid will be in junior high. [laughs] I was like, “No wonder I’m so mad!” That’s something to live for because no one else has visited her. We don’t know what happened to her mom. I don’t even know what happened to her mom. Then, she left her gang family. The only one that visits her is Yadriel. There is some talk about distant family, but they haven’t come visit. She’s in a unique situation that it really seems like she is alone. At this point, you’re like, “That’s it. This is my life now. I’m done. What do I have to lose?”

Q) What will be her greatest motivation going forward?

A) I can’t tell you. They haven’t written it yet. We know where we left off. Right now, I’m screaming in Daya’s (Dascha Polanco) ear to shoot the office. I think Maria is pretty much open for anything. I think Maria is down for whatever. [laughs]

Q) The cast is such a wonderful extended family. What has been some of your favorite behind the scenes moments?

A) There were times where we had to shoot twenty hours or scenes where there were hundreds of us. Sometimes we’ll pick a main dressing room and hang out and talk, play games or listen to music. Like jail, we’re literally killing time. So, we just use that time to catch up, hangout and meditate. I’ve had Danielle [Brooks] and Adrienne [C. Moore] come to my room and mediate with me. That was so nice and lovely. I’ve got the lights off, a candle lit and play some chill music. Some people are all about hype and having fun and making jokes. I’m just in my room with a candle, watching my breath. I needed to chill because Maria has no chill. Maria is so cutthroat this season that I just needed to relax. I was like, “I’m going to light a candle before I set this bitch on fire.” [laughs]

Q) That’s how you cleanse yourself though from an intense storyline.

A) We do have to cleanse ourselves from the story because it does stick with you and does hurt. We’re all really good people. I’m not trying to speak for everyone, but I feel alright saying we’re all good people. We’re all artists and sensitive people. To be exposed to these issues and stories and have to go there emotionally, mentally and physically it weighs on you. So, you need a ritual to go into it and out of it or it will seep into your personal life.

Q) Talk a little bit about like what it was like the last day on set when saying goodbye to Samira [Wiley.]

A) It wasn’t the last day of set, but it was our longest shoot. It was almost everyone on the show and I forget how many extras. That scene was grueling and was over twenty hours to shoot because we had to cover every angle and individual reactions. Then, we had to watch Samira do her thing while Uzo was doing her thing, going absolutely 100% crazy – as crazy can be – while trying to protect her friend. What was most heartbreaking is when Taystee goes over to the body because she knows at this point it is just a body. That one moment was just so hard to watching. It was very deep and very raw and very real. That was very hard to do to wrap that scene and say goodbye. Then, we had to work with “Samira’s body” after that. We came in two days later and had to work around this body for scenes. We were like, “Wow. What is going to happen with our friend that we’ve been working with for years?” The last scene we shot was the gun scene in the hallway. It was extremely intense because it was pretty much every one adlibbing the horrible, the most intense, angry things they could think of at once. I wanted to give it up to the Director of Photography for actually strapping on a hundred and something pound camera and running around us. It was not easy to get that shot, but it was just what was needed for the final result. I feel like even though a character did die in a violent way, probably the most tragic thing about the season was probably when Daya picked up the gun.

Q) Daya is finally becoming her own person in the prison since she doesn’t have family in there so she’s having to make hard decisions and all her mom wanted was for her to stay out of trouble.

A) That’s what she wanted, too. She’s a young girl and didn’t know any better. She is a rebellious teenager who really has the sweetest and caring heart. She has some moments, come on, get real, but when you see her actually become a criminal and ready to stake someone’s life…I saw it when we were going over the ADR and I saw that shot…I was like, “Oh my God. Stop it.” This whole season was basically things I couldn’t watch. [laughs] It just was heartbreaking. Not to take away from death of Poussey, which was tragedy on a completely different level. But this is really showing how a prison can change someone who was maybe a minor offender or who made a mistake into the criminals we are afraid of.

Q) You are a part of social media. What has the fan reaction been like to Maria this season?

A) Honestly, I was expecting a huge backlash. I was bracing myself for it and I’ve actually only seen two comments of people not upset with Maria. More people love Maria more than ever. They didn’t realize what a badass she was and that’s actually kind of turned people on. There has been an outpouring of love and support for not just the character, but the work which people understand. I’m overjoyed and humbled and overwhelmed. I need two phones because my phone is so hot all the time from people just showing love for Season Four and the character. [laughs] Literally, Alan Aisenberg and I were talking and we were like, “Who is going to be hated more: Maria or Bailey?” I was like, “I’ve got you on speed dial if I need you.” We were expecting people to hate us. A different kind of hate then hating Piscatella because you are supposed to hate Piscatella I think. We were expecting hate because people love these characters so much and we hurt their favorite characters badly. So, were just prepared for it. It has been exactly the oppose of that. It has been a wonderful time having people come up and talk and sending messages on social media. I am totally flabbergasted by the amount of love being thrown my way. It’s really cool and a lovely blessing.

Q) What do you hope viewers of “Orange Is the New Black” Season Four take away from watching?

A) You want them to remember what you did. That’s why we do it. We want to affect them and have them feel things, good or bad or angry. We want them to look at things in a new light. We want to open their eyes to things they’ve never thought of before. We want to make them feel why Black Lives Matter. We want you to feel like our mom or our friends would feel in a situation like that. We want you to feel what it is like when you walk out of prison with $40 and you are hundreds of miles away from home. When you have to start over again, you aren’t just free. It’s like, really are you? Are you really free? A lot of mentally ill people are incarcerated. They do bad things, but they aren’t of sound mind to know what is right or wrong. Suzanne doesn’t belong in prison, but someone lost their life because of her. It still should have been a mental health issue rather than a prison issue.

Q) Are there other recent projects that you are working on right now?

A) I’m so happy I got to be on “Person of Interest.” The POI fans have also been great. There are a lot of crossover fans from one to another. Right now, I’ve kind of just been focusing more on music. We start Season Five this week. So, I’ve got no guest starring roles now. We just have to get the wheels in motion for Season Five before we get anything in motion. I think it is very important to put all of my energy into Maria right now. We don’t know what is going to happen. Someone could wake up and it could have been a dream! [laughs] We never know what is going to happen because all of these things are feasible in the land of make believe. We did leave it in a dark place, but we may not start there. We may start a year later. Who knows! We’ll all find out together. Regardless of what it is, right now I’m focusing on Season Five and we’ll see how all that goes.