Stephanie Hoston – Perry Mason

By starrymag | April 10, 2023

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us what is new this season on “Perry Mason.”

 

A) On this season of “Perry Mason,” you’ll get to know Perry (Matthew Rhys), Della (Juliet Rylance), and Paul (Chris Chalk) much better. We will get to see what makes these characters tick, what drives them to make the difficult choices they have to make. Audiences will also get a closer look into the Great Depression and the ways the poorest families suffered through it all. I think Season 1 was so much about establishing how Perry came to be a lawyer and how he formed his team. This season, we get to see whether they sink or swim.

 

Q) How was your character Sofía Gallardo described to you?

 

A) At first Sofía was described to me as the Spanish-speaking, devasted wife of Mateo Gallardo (Peter Mendoza), who has been arrested for murder. I knew she was a passionate mother who wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to getting Perry Mason to represent the boys in court.

Once we started filming, her story started changing. We’d get tweaks here and there from the showrunners and directors the more we discovered the story and the people living in it. So, when I was told Sofía actually speaks a lot more English than she lets on, I was so excited! It gave her even more opportunity to stand up for herself and her family in a society that has generally disregarded the plight of minority women.

 

Q) Was there something about Sofía or the series that really made you want to be a part of the show?

 

A) When I first received the audition, I immediately watched the first three episodes of the first season and fell in love with the storytelling and the characters. As much as I tried to suppress it during the audition process, I couldn’t help but want to be a part of this show. I enjoyed getting to watch Perry find his purpose amid the Emily Dodson case. I loved that we were getting a glimpse into the lives of minority characters like Paul Drake – a black man, Della Street – a lesbian woman and Lupe Gibbs – a Mexican woman (Veronica Falcón). As I dove into my research for the show, I came to realize depicting minority characters in period dramas is relatively new in Hollywood. I couldn’t find film/ tv references, so I hit the history books to better understand what life was like for Mexican American families in 1933.

More than anything else though, I think the thing that drew me to Sofía was her strength. Latin culture overall is so much about devotion to family and Latin mothers will do ANYTHING for their families. This makes them both admirable and occasionally flawed in their choices. But the love for family is KING. I saw my own mother in Sofía and that made me want to play her even more. Sofía enters every situation like a battlefield. She is constantly holding it together. When her husband and brother-in-law are violently arrested, she doesn’t waste time falling apart. She and Luisa Gallardo (Onahoua Rodriguez) immediately find a solution and fight for it.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get the chance to see life from Sofía’s perspective. It made me feel connected to my ancestors, like nothing I’ve ever done before. I am standing on the shoulders of all the Latin people that came before me, and it was an honor to share a piece of their story.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them?

 

A) Surprisingly, yes! The night before I booked the role, I happened to be checking my Facebook feed for the first time in months, when I saw that Peter Mendoza posted a Deadline article about how he’d just booked a season regular on the show (Mateo Gallardo). Peter and I had worked on a pilot about ten years before and had kept track of each other’s successes in the industry. We hadn’t really spent time together at that point, but seeing the Deadline article made me thrilled for him! I commented on the post, “This is AMAZING! I absolutely LOVE this show! I can’t wait to see you on it!!!” all while sitting in the kitchen of a family I was babysitting for at the time… hoping I’d book it. And the next day, I got a call I’d booked it. This whole process has felt so kismet.

 

Q) In what ways does Sofía seem to recognize that Della truly wants to help her brothers?

 

A) I think Sofía realizes Della’s intentions to help the Gallardos are true when she makes it out to the Hooverville. That verifies for Sofía what she’s been hoping, which is that someone sees the humanity in her and her family, even if their lifestyles and experiences are vastly different. She has this feeling that Della making that trek into her world is her way of reaching out. She has no choice but follow her own instincts to get Della to hear her out while she has her there. The fact that Della doesn’t dismiss her and allows her to finish is huge for Sofía. Somehow in that shanty, Sofía feels that Della is capable of “seeing” her and her experience, even just slightly. It’s a crack in the door, and Sofía takes full advantage of it.

 

Q) Which scenes were a challenge or most memorable for you to film?

 

A) Oooh! There were some WONDERFUL scenes that I can’t wait for audiences to see. If there’s anything I know for sure about this season of Perry Mason, it’s that they expand the scale and our understanding of Los Angeles during 1933 by far! We had incredible locations that I didn’t even know existed in Southern California. The most memorable shoot day for me was the moment when Sofía confronts Perry herself. She’s at this point where she is out of options. She’s desperate, but still finds a way to exhibit that strength. She’s not weak. She’s focused and determined. Exploring that with Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance and Onahoua Rodriguez was so exciting. It was also a very sobering experience, to walk out of that room every take and feel completely dejected by Perry’s reply. While we as the audience know, Perry is reeling from Emily Dodson’s suicide and the Gallardos have no awareness of this. In that moment, Sofía’s experiences as a Mexican woman in Los Angeles are all she knows and because of that she is disappointed to find Perry is just as dismissive as everyone else. On the other hand, I, as Stephanie the actor, had a few takes where just after they called cut, I remembered this was still true for so many of us, including myself. It was kind of devastating to experience. It really reminded me how vital this show and shows like it are, to bring awareness to the experiences we all have. The situations Sofía finds herself in are still so prevalent today.

 

Q) With such an intense storyline, how did you shake off a long day of filming?

 

A) Shaking off the intense highs and lows of this show, and it being my first ever major job, was a mental marathon for me. Because we were examining such dark sides of themes like racism, loss, and poverty during the Great Depression, I really made it a point to stay true to new healthy mental habits. It took a lot of trial and error though. One thing I always kept and still keep a part of my process is that I’d listen to music from a playlist I’d created specifically for Sofía before filming. At the end of the shoot day as I’d get out of my wardrobe, I’d give myself permission to listen to music Stephanie wanted to listen to. I’d even dance to party music if I had the energy. I literally had to shake her all off. I also had such a great support system in my co-stars, Peter Mendoza, Fabrizio Guido and Onahoua Rodriguez. They’d be their silly, lovable selves between takes on the easier days and we’d hold on to each other tight on the days when our characters were “in for it.” Matthew Rhys, Chris Chalk and Juliet Rylance were also fantastic in how willing and open they were to talk about life and joke around. From the cast to the crew, LOVED MY CREW, this was the perfect environment for me to undergo such an intense journey.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Perry Mason” that continues to make it such a fan favorite show?

 

A) “Perry Mason” is such a great SLOW burn! The showrunners do a fabulous job creating these exciting twists and turns throughout. As an audience member, I love watching shows where I don’t always know exactly where the story is going. Audiences all over the world are constantly getting smarter and smarter about the way they watch tv and films because we have so much access to it now. Because of this, the entertainment we consume is forced to keep up, and Perry Mason does that in spades. That’s why people love it. Plus, it’s gorgeous and the cast, performances, sets, wardrobe, honestly everything about it…are Incredible.

 

Q) What are the other projects that you have recently been working on?

 

A) I recently got the chance to play Maya Langhorne on CBS’s “FBI: International.” Each episode has LITERALLY been the biggest, best adventure because I get flown out to Budapest to basically be in a mini action movie each time. I also love that Maya is somewhat the levity of the show. After having been in Sofía’s shoes for about seven months, it was a nice break to be the lighter part of a scene for once. [laughs] I also think Maya is the first character that I’ve played who is closest to my own personality. That has been a different kind of challenge in trying to define exactly where we differ and where we are the same in each situation.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) First of all, THANK YOU! A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me along the way. Thank you to all my teachers, to my classmates, to my friends. Thank you to my acting friends who’ve helped me with every single self-tape. Thank you to my managers, agents and team who’ve helped me reach this point in my career. Thank you to my family for literally financially supporting me through the rougher moments in my career and allowing me to get to this point. Thank you all for watching and sharing the show! Thank you for being proud and excited. Finally, I’d say if you have been a fan or supporter, this is just as much your win as it is mine. I wouldn’t be here without you.