Posted in: Audio Dramas, Casting, TV | Tagged: batgirl, How to Win Friends and Disappear People, Leslie Grace, QCode, Sophia Lopez

Leslie Grace Set for How to Win Friends and Disappear People Podcast

Published Thu, 15 Dec 2022 07:23:10 -0600

by Tom Chang

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While we'll never see Leslie Grace don the cape and cowl on the big screen in Batgirl, the actress has moved on to her next project in the podcast thriller How to Win Friends and Disappear People from QCode. Grace is set to executive produce the dark-comedy focusing on a young woman who's a centuries-old vampire living now living in modern New York City. Created, written, and directed by Sophia Lopez (Hightown), the series cast also includes Soni Nicole Bringas (Fuller House), Katrina Bowden (30 Rock), Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family), James Paxton (Eyewitness), and Carlos Jamie Alazraqui (Reno 911!).

The 10-episode series is set to premiere in early 2023 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. In How to Win Friends and Disappear People, a computer scientist Nancy (Bringas) becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, El (Grace). After discovering El's secret undead identity, Nancy pulls her into the social media-driven world of millennial NYC — leading them both down a rabbit hole of a toxic friendship, deceit, and murder.

"What a ride! The characters of El and Nancy really allow us to explore elements of toxic female friendship and hyperbolized co-dependence via this unlikely relationship between vampire and familiar," Grace wrote in a statement. "I'm so grateful to have been welcomed by QCode and Sophia in such a way that allowed me to contribute to this brilliant project both as an actress and producer. I can't wait to invite listeners in on the fun!" Before taking on Batgirl in the canceled Warner Bros project (which would see her act opposite original Batman actor Michael Keaton), she starred in the 2021 musical In the Heights (at least WBD didn't deprive us of her singing and dancing on the big screen).

Lopez, QCode's Rob Herting, Michele Zarate, Sandra Yee Ling, and Alexa Gabrielle Ramirez are joining Grace to executive produce. Parodying on Dale Carnegie's self-help book, How to Win Friends and Disappear People "uses the supernatural as a way of exploring identity, toxic power imbalances in relationships, and modern-day wolves in sheep's clothing while weaving in true crime elements and genuine scares," Lopez said. "QCode has been a true partner and has empowered me as a Latina creator to set the narrative around two powerful, though vastly different Latinas. While this podcast is pulsating with mayhem, murder, and deceit, at its core, our story is about female friendship and the incredible impact one true friend can have."

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