Posted in: Peacock, TV | Tagged: M.I.A.

M.I.A. Stars Gisela, Adebumola, Jackson on Bonding, Stunts & More

M.I.A.'s Shannon Gisela, Brittany Adebumola & Dylan Jackson spoke with us about the Peacock crime drama, bonding as a cast, and much more.

For any young core trio like Shannon Gisela, Brittany Adebumola, and Dylan Jackson, there's always a huge weight to carry a crime drama like Peacock's M.I.A., especially when you have creator Bill Dubuque (Ozark) and showrunner Karen Campbell (Dexter) guiding them along the way. Gisella plays Etta Tiger Jonze, a young woman who dreams of a life in Miami's glittering sub-tropical kingdom, but when her family's drug-running business shatters in tragedy, Etta embarks on a dangerous journey through Miami's neon-lit underbelly that will define who she is and what she's ultimately capable of. Helping Gisella along the way, leading her first series, are her more seasoned TV peers, Adebumola and Jackson, playing allies who help start her journey of revenge, Lovely and Stanley, trying to get into the criminal underworld, targeting those responsible for killing her loved ones. The trio spoke to Bleeding Cool about building rapport among Etta, Lovely, and Stanley, how Dubuque and Campbell helped make the process feel seamless and open as creatives, the kittens from the premiere episode, braving the local wildlife in South Florida, and navigating a major aquatic stunt.

M.I.A. Stars Shannon Gisela, Brittany Adebumola, and Dylan Jackson on Etta, Lovely and Stanley's Journey Through Miami Crime Drama

BC: As far as getting involved with the show, did you guys meet together beforehand to build that rapport before filming your scenes?

Gisela: We did, yes. I mean, and it was very organic. It started in the chemistry reads for Dylan and Brittany. It became clear that we had something quite palpable between the three of us, and then when we got to Miami, we found that our work ethic was aligned and that we all valued…I think of us as all one unit, that's why I'm saying. All three of us aligned on our work ethic, and we moved with such humility. We wanted to do a good job so badly that I think we bonded over that and linked arms in the experience, so it was this very natural progression.

Jackson: Absolutely.

Adebumola: Agree.

What's it like working with Bill and Karen as creatives, and is this one of those things they helped ease you into leading the show?

Jackson: Well, I'll just speak very briefly, because I remember right at the very beginning, someone who was driving had told me to get ready because everything that Bill Dubuque touches turns to gold. That's exactly what they said verbatim, and I'm thinking what a gift it is to work with a "Midas" of sorts. Someone who knows the art of drama and suspense in the way that he does and also has such a distinct fingerprint on everything he touches. It's been a masterclass.

Adebumola: Definitely, and I think working with Karen, specifically, as a showrunner, her writing is wonderful, and we were on the edge of our seats receiving every episode. Even beyond that, as a showrunner, she is so dedicated and warm. She is such a cheerleader to everyone on set. Being a showrunner is not an easy job. It is a very stressful job, and sometimes you can see it on showrunners. Never Karen. There wouldn't be any hints of stress, turmoil, or chaos on Karen's face. She's such an amazing cheerleader, and when she's on set, you're like, "Okay, I know I'm doing a good job. I know it's going to be a good day. We're all in this together." That's the energy that she brings to the set, which I think is one of her superpowers.

Gisela: Definitely, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Now, what's the story on those kittens [from the premiere episode]? Did anyone bring them on board, and do you get to keep them?

Jackson: I think one of our writers did take one home and did adopt it, so I'm very happy about that. I had to adapt the kittens because there were different batches that came in, and they had to stay the same age, so every single batch, I had to do a sort of ritual with them to make sure they were comfortable. Sometimes, it worked quite quickly, and sometimes I was getting scratches all to [Gisella laughs], so it definitely kept me immediate.

Shannon, obviously, there's a lot of pressure on you. I was wondering how you were weaved in, and how Bill and Karen helped you take charge? Was it someone you leaned on or any of the other talent as far as doing those more intense and involved scenes?

Gisela: Yeah, well, the thing between Bill and Karen, it was wonderful to watch Bill trust Karen so much and let her lead. That was just a beautiful exchange to witness, and then with Karen, you felt her believing in you. When she believes in you, you feel it, and it's palpable. It gave me the confidence to take risks and feel like, as long as I was being of service to her story and the world that she was creating, I felt safe, and she gave me, literally, I just felt like I co-authored it with her.

I did lean on her, and I would walk into her office sometimes and be like, "Karen, are you happy? Tell me you're happy." She'd be like, "I'm thrilled." I'm like, "Are you sure? Tell me again," and so it was definitely one of those things where I leaned on the people around me. Again, I'm so grateful to Brittany and Dylan, who are forces in front of and behind the screen, in the same way that Etta was leaning on their characters, [Lovely and Stanley]. I felt like I was leaning these two, and for it to happen so organically and resonate on the screen too, because I watch it and see the three of us being ourselves in some ways. You can't really fake that. That was something that, yeah, was quite special.

What did you enjoy about filming in South Florida, and what was the experience of being around the setting and the culture like?

Adebumola: The sun, when we flew to Miami to start preparing to shoot, I was coming from New York, and it was like 30-something degrees. I was ecstatic to be able to experience some warm weather. I was also introduced to some of the creatures, the insects that reside in Miami, specifically the no-see-ums. While my experience with the no-see-ums was not pleasant [Gisela laughs], it was nice to just get to know the creatures of Miami and the biodiversity that exists there.

Gisela: Very politically correct.

Final question, was there any standout sequence or maybe a difficult stunt that stood out during the season? I guess with spoilers in mind that stand out to you that might have been difficult to shoot.

Gisela: Yup. Yup. Hahahaha.

Adebumola: No, no, you go first.

Gisela: No, you go first.

Adebumola: In this first episode, Lovely's on a raft in the ocean. Brittany [points to herself] is not a person who goes into the ocean beyond, like at knee-deep. I'm used to the turquoise baby blue waters Now, for that scene, they had us jump off that raft in, the raft in deep blue, the "navy of the sea," meaning, "I don't know where the bottom of that water is," and that was very terrifying, but it was also really exhilarating. It wasn't until like maybe five minutes before we were supposed to jump off, that I was like [shivering]. I started to get really nervous, and I had to push Shannon off first, and then I jumped in, so it was nerve-wracking and exhilarating. It kind of helped me. I don't know if I'm over the fear of the deep ocean, but like I can confront it once more, that I know now.

Gisela: [Laughs] Yes, and she in that exact sequence Brittany's describing, [Lovely] truly carries Etta, and Brittany is carrying Shannon physically. Like, a lot of body weight on her, so she had the brunt of the bird in there. There's also a fight sequence that happens later on in the season that is a pivotal moment in the season. I committed really hard, and then after a long day, I was like, "God, bless our stunt team! Because dang! This is very involved in its intricate choreography and its cerebral, emotional, and all those things." On the page, it was reading so badass and awesome, and then to do it in actuality was like a real awesome exercise in having stamina and persevering through the difficulty of it all. Yeah, that one, but I was also similar to Brittany. I was thrilled by it, and I was like, by the end of it, on a high.

M.I.A., which also stars Cary Elwes, Danay Garcia, Alberto Guerra, Maurice Compte, Gerardo Celasco, and Marta Milans, is available to stream on Peacock.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

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