Marina Moreira – All For One

By starrymag | August 2, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) In Season One your character was really shrouded, and we only got to learn about her in bits and pieces. How familiar were you with the series and how much of a breakdown were you given about her?

A) I was aware of the series because I had auditioned for it way back when. So, when I got cast they had a table read, like a rehearsal day for all of us. So, I got my introduction to Monty as she is in this season and then I went back and watched the series just partly to get familiar with how the series works with the structure and what the chat was with the Inseparables. Then, I got bits of what Monty was in the first season and what was talked about her in the first season. They made Season Two Monty and then I built the rest by going back and seeing who Season One Monty was.

Q) When you were reading the scripts, what really stood out to you about the writing?

A) I don’t even remember because it’s been a really long time and also it’s meshed with actually seeing some of the series. I did really enjoy how directly they tackled a lot of topics, like everything that happened with Alex (AJ Simmons). To me, it was the way you kind of gently and firmly talk with your friends when something is going on. Something that struck me more so than any one event that happens in this season is the way they sort of got to it – got to the point. Monty has a really great way of just not seeing the formality of how you are supposed to talk socially, and I think that also gave them a platform where instead of having these characters dance around being together for a whole season they are just not together (literally and physically). She just goes off and says it.

Q) Also, what I loved about the series was in Season One we root against Monty and that continues in the beginning of season one, but then Monty morphs into this sort of not so self-aware goober who has no filter and becomes a really big fan favorite. [laughs]

A) It’s because they’ve written her in a way where she’s really blunt, but also still endearing. When you are watching it, Monty is kind of like the audience’s voice. There are some moments in an episode (that I don’t remember anymore – sorry) where Monty just kind of was looking at the scene around her of all these people and is like, “you’re screwed.” I know that as an audience member, I remember watching that episode and being like, “Oh shit! They are screwed.” [laughs] It’s nice that they found a device for them to just be like, this is happening. She’s just going to say what’s happening.

Q) Season Two she shows up and we don’t like her. She’s sort of inserting herself into everybody’s lives and she is absolutely blunt with no filter yet she’s so endearing when she does that you can’t really hate her for it. [laughs]

A) Shannon, the director, and I talked a lot about comparing Monty a lot to Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, who has a similar air. Everyone kind of finds it annoying, but years go by and she’s still around and suddenly you’re charmed by it.

Q) What was it about Monty that eventually charmed fans to the point she grew on everyone?

A) For me, reading the scripts, the episode where you kind of hear her backstory with Connie (Linnea Currie-Roberts). You hear how they really grew up together and came up together. It provides a bit of context for Monty and why she would suddenly show up at her ex’s college dorm. It’s probably that and probably that as the season progresses I think you see that Connie does have Monty’s best interest at heart and not necessarily her own. Even with her feelings set aside, she’s still going to go with what is best for her and Connie – not just what she wants. That selflessness can turn something from being suspicious and annoying to her just being that way. She’s not malicious or mean. I also think that RJ and Sarah are just really good writers in that they didn’t want anyone to hate Monty by the end of the season that they wrote it in a way that people wouldn’t hate her by the end of the season. [laughs]

Q) Monty has had this exceptional arc where she ingratiates herself to everyone at MST. She’s genuinely connecting with everyone and finds a place amongst them.

A) It’s all these different personalities coming together that just work. We all have a friend or have been that friend who showed up somewhere because they have this one connection with someone and then it’s been slowly, slowly built into a relationship. It’s really encouraging to see someone who is kind of annoying, kind of blunt and kind of doesn’t necessarily know what’s going on; even that person is able to build relationships, find community – a bunch of people who somehow adapt to her or she adapts to them.

Q) Did Monty become a part of the campaign as a way to keep herself busy while she is there, was it something that she was doing as a way to keep close to Connie or a little bit of both?

A) For starters, she doesn’t seem to have friends outside of Connie. She’s in a city where we don’t really know where she lives. [laughs] So, I think that her becoming part of the campaign is giving her something to do. You know what? I take that back. I think she’s just always around, so you might as well give her something to do and she ended up being really good at it. Who knew?!

Q) It was great seeing Monty have her moment(s) with coming into save Connie as her cohost during the live episode. Talk about working with Linnea and the banter you two have and then Monty taking over. How much did you work that out with Linnea or was it just written that way with what happened?

A) Oh, that was the writing. They are just really great writers. To be honest, I feel like Linnea saved me a few times or I might have lost my mind. We rehearsed a little bit and then when we found it would be mostly the two of us chatting we got together one day and chatted and went through the script. As far as the actual words go, most of it was scripted, but a couple of questions were improvised.

Q) Sure, depending on the election results.

A) Yeah. So, for the most part it was scripted. Also, Linnea is the best. She’s super fun. I really loved working with her and we got to hang out a few times. She’s like a bright little sunshine. I’m so glad that we got to have the live episode because she was so on it. She was great.

Q) Another awesome moment for me is the relationship between Monty and Dorothy that develops. They had a dynamic where they grow to respect each other and enjoy each other’s company after all. Talk about this great comradery that developed between the two this season.

A) I think it’s just because they are both quite blunt in their own ways. There is a lot of similarities between the two of them, especially in terms of energy and action. I think also at the heart of it are two people who love, respect and care for the same person and that person loves and cares for and respects these two people. If you really truly love and respect someone and they like someone who you can’t get along with or can’t imagine getting along with the only way for you to maintain that relationship is for you to look at the other person and say, “Okay…Clearly, Connie likes you for some reason.” It’s your job if you’re a person in a relationship like that to look at the other person and be like, “Okay, well, what are your good qualities? Let’s strip the loudness and all of this plaid. Okay, you look kind of familiar now. Let’s throw this multi-colored crop tank on you and a beret. Okay…I see myself in you. Whenever I have a moment where I wonder why you’re here, I’ll put the beret and crop top back on.” Because there is a certain amount of me in there, I just don’t see it all the time. But Connie does. I think it is a mutual respect or a person that grows to be a mutual respect for each other. If you don’t, it’s worse for you. With everything in our world right now, how can I look at this person who is so different than me and strip away all the outside stuff and somehow find whatever I have in common with them. And it’s hard. It’s hard to do. It can take the course of a year. It can take Monty really hating Dorothy (Gwenlyn Cumyn) and then something happening for that to turn around. I think if you’re a generous person (which I think RJ and Sarah wrote Monty to be) that you can somehow find that common ground. And even if you can’t stand on common ground for a while you can step in for the punch and then step right on out.

Q) Then, we see Monty at the end of the season getting ready for a date. Where do you think we go with her besides being more outgoing and seeing a person outside of the core? Do we see her (in your opinion) permanently moving to MST to become a sister?

A) I feel like she would go through the university’s medical school and become a doctor. Years in the future she would say, “I should go to medical school.” And someone says, “Were you not enrolled that whole time at school?” [laughs] I don’t know. I think that based on what the writers have written I think that she is sort of starting to find a place for herself in the world and develop relationships with her core group of (I guess) her friends. You step out of that and I don’t know. I think Monty could take over the world.

Q) What do you think Monty learned from her time at MST?

A) I think she learned a lot of patience and learned a lot of how to deal with other people. Based on what we learn from her she essentially dated her best childhood friend and then did what her parents wanted her to do. Then, she rejected that and was faced with an obstacle. So, I think that she learned how to deal with her obstacles and how to adapt a little bit since we kind of see her opening up throughout the season. I think she learned a lot of patience and how to see the world through Connie’s eyes.

Q) What kind of fan feedback have you received and what has it meant to you?

A) It’s been pretty positive. I think there were a couple of people who were like, “Don’t let Monty break up Dornie!” It’s been pretty good. People have responded pretty well. I’m the worst Twitterer in the world because I’ll go on for a week and then forget about it for months. I do really enjoy Twitter and I have enjoyed seeing the responses from the fans. They can get kind of creative. The response has been good. There were a couple of people who asked RJ and Sarah if Monty was on the Autism spectrum and I remember Twitter creeping that little thread. But someone said, “It’s cool if she is or isn’t, but it’s cool if they chose to represent someone that way.” It was someone who had a personal connection or experience. I know that a few people had asked that, and they directly tweeted Sarah and asked about it. They didn’t say anything specific, but if you want to put that into your head canon then they respect that perception of the character. Either way, it was a particular comment. It was someone who said they were excited to see someone who was on the spectrum represented since they knew someone who was on the spectrum and showed a positive side to that. The response has been positive is what I’m trying to say, and a lot of people have related to her in specific ways and specific aspects to her personality. That’s really all you want when you’re a part of a show like this – to see the positive and relate to the positive. They are able to get over what they thought their feelings would be for this particular character going into it.

Q) Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers or have taken away from your time on “All 4 One?”

A) Being a part of this has been great. I love being a part of “A4O.” Everyone in the cast and crew were great and so welcoming. I’m just glad to have been a part of the experience. It’s such a cool little show. And I’ve made friends out of being a part of it. I’m glad I got to be a part of the series.