Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: Allen Maldonado, American Carnage, Bella Ortiz, Eric Dane, exclusive, immigration, interview, Jenna Ortega, Jorge Diaz, Jorge Lendeborg Jr, Saban Films

American Carnage: Bella Ortiz on Thriller Comedy, Acting & Medicine

Bella Ortiz is fortunate enough to embark on two possible careers: acting and medicine. She decided to chase her dreams on the screen, making her debut in the 2016 short Postpartum, and broke into the mainstream in NBC's Chicago Fire in 2017. She's since appeared in several other projects, including the TV movie Who Took My Daughter?, IFC Films' An Acceptable Loss, NBC's Chicago Med, and The CW's Our Ladies of Brooklyn. Ortiz spoke with Bleeding Cool about her upcoming thriller/comedy in Saban Films' American Carnage, why the film's message resonated so much, working with director Diego Hallavis and co-writer and brother Julio Hallivis, and her background in cognitive neuroscience. The film follows a group of children of undocumented immigrants who are arrested following an executive order from the governor but can potentially get their charges dropped for volunteering at an elderly care facility.

Bleeding Cool: What interested you in the 'American Carnage?'
Bella Ortiz: I am Latinx and became a citizen when I was 17 years old. The project appealed to me in terms of tackling the politics of immigration in the United States, but with a whole different spin that I was not even expecting. So I've always been a horror fan, and it had all those elements. It checked all the boxes.

BC: How do you try to describe the camaraderie on set? Was there anything you did to prep for the role?
Ortiz: The whole principle cast is all Latinx. It felt really great to work, come to set, and know that everybody was tied in like a beautiful underlying way from where we've all come from. Regarding preparation for the role, the production and the director were great about having an open line of communication. We had meetings that were set up to develop our characters. During our time there, if we ever had an idea, it was always very well received, and encouraged to approach the director and discuss it. So there was a lot of like brainstorming, throwing around ideas and different avenues of possibilities. So it was very collaborative in that way.

BC: How was it working with Diego and Julio Hallivis?
Ortiz: I was impressed. After I was offered the role and onboarded, Diego and Julio reached out immediately, and we started discussing the project and my character specifically. That was like well equipped with questions and images, like a mood board. Right off the bat, even before stepping on set, I had a feeling that it was going to be a collaborative project. My viewpoint of the character and my ideas were going to be acknowledged and embraced. It felt nice to be able to work with such a collaborative team. This industry is not just one person. It's not just about the actor. It's the lighting, the crew, the special effects, the makeup, the wardrobe. There are so many people involved in the creation of one character.

BC: Was there any particular aspect that was difficult to shoot, whether it be your character or the subject matter of the film? Or was it just kind of the same ebb-and-flow?
Ortiz: It felt pretty natural once we started. I think what was important was having all those discussions before filming the individual characters we were playing. When you set up a set where every player feels valued and their thoughts and opinions are heard, it is like a night and day difference in terms of the ease of filming.

BC: Before you decided you wanted to act, you also embarked on a medical career as well. Did it cross your mind to go back to medicine if you decided your acting career was done?
Ortiz: It was an easy decision because I was always fascinated by science and psychology. I've always felt like my purpose in life; however it is done, is to be of service to others. That's really how I see acting as like a vessel to tell important stories. With science and psychology, I really wanted to help people and understand more about mental health from a scientific perspective and the work that I did. I wanted to pursue it, but I just had a moment in my junior year where I missed acting because that's where I grew up doing theater. I just had a moment where I felt I would regret it if I didn't try. So after I graduated, instead of going on the path of applying to medical schools or graduate schools, I decided to go all for it. So at least I could know and have some sort of resolve that I tried, but I haven't really looked back since.

American Carnage, which also stars Jenna Ortega, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jorge Diaz, Allen Maldonado, and Eric Dane, comes to theaters, on-demand, and digital on July 15th.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!