COWBOY BEBOP’S DANIELLA PINEDA ON HER JOURNEY AND BEING PART OF A MULTICULTURAL SHOW

BY IRVIN RIVERA

PHOTOGRAPHER: IRVIN RIVERA
Bustier: GRAHAM CRUZ, Rings: NINNA YORK

DANIELLA PINEDA stars as Faye Valentine, the bold, unapologetic, fierce, charming bounty hunter in Netflix’s stylized space western action series inspired by the popular cult anime COWBOY BEBOP.

Pineda’s Faye is unapologetic, bold, and charming- a bounty hunter with amnesia who would do whatever it takes to survive. She portrayed the character with enough charm and grace to bring the beloved animated character to life.

In 2022, Daniella will return as Zia Rodriguez in Jurassic World: Dominion opposite Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. Pineda’s character is a paleo-veterinarian with the Dinosaur Protection Group, recruited to help secure funds and find a natural habitat for the surviving dinosaurs.

From a journalism degree that led to first-hand experience covering the human condition on the West Coast, to a journey to the East Coast to focus on screenwriting and producing, Daniella Pineda seamlessly made the transition to acting- immersing herself in a range of characters that span all genres.

FASHION STYLING: ANDREW PHILIP NGUYEN, MAKE-UP ARTIST: JO STRETTELL @ WALTER SCHUPFER MANAGEMENT, HAIRSTYLIST: EDDIE COOK @ FORWARD ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHY ASST: MARK ASUMA
Bustier: GRAHAM CRUZ, Rings: NINNA YORK

Pineda was recently seen in Netflix’s new neo-noir thriller series WHAT/IF, starring Renee Zellweger, centered around a pair of newlyweds who accept a lucrative but morally dubious offer from a mysterious benefactor. The NBC military conspiracy series AMERICAN ODYSSEY as Ruby Simms, an assassin who poses as a freelance reporter (played by Jake Robinson). Her additional film and television credits include Netflix’s mystery thriller MERCY BLACK playing ‘Marina Hess’, a young girl who comes home from a psychiatric facility after stabbing a classmate to conjure an imaginary phantom, TBS’s comedy THE DETOUR, Showtime’s comedy film MR. ROOSEVELT, playing ‘Jen Morales’, which premiered at The South by Southwest Film Festival in 2017, a recurring role on THE ORIGINALS as ‘Sophie Deveraux’, HOMELAND, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, THE NEWLYWEEDS, THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS.

In this exclusive interview, PINEDA spoke about her role as Faye Valentine, her experiences and challenges throughout filming the show, her acting journey so far, the life lessons she learned, her dream project and more.

What’s up Daniella, how are you?

I’m well. I’m letting it all sink in.

How was your Cowboy Bebop journey so far?

It’s been really rewarding, it’s been challenging, it’s been really insightful. It’s taken a long time but it feels like the payoff was real.

How long was the process?

I was cast in 2019 and that’s when we started so it feels like the world has changed so much since then. I feel like the girl from 2019 was a little tiny baby who didn’t know anything compared to Danielle of 2021, which I feel like how everybody feels. I guess I’m really fortunate that I get to take that journey with an incredible cast, crew and set of creators.

What’s the most memorable experience for you?

I think what resonates the most was… in August of 2020 when we got to come back to work. I had done so much prep then we had to stop abruptly. So coming back from that second round was like ugh, thank god it’s happening. We’re doing this. This is real. Also, completing the series was just unreal. It felt like the world was trying to do everything to prevent us from making it, but we did it.

In terms of the process, how would you characterize Faye’s evolution throughout the whole series, and also, in line with that, Daniella’s evolution as well?

I would say that Faye’s whole mission is to find out who she is. I will say that her journey allowed her to crack that code...a bit. I think Faye is just trying to figure out not only who she is, but also what’s inside the core? Who is that person deep inside?

And for me, Daniella, I think this part is my first real showcase of who I am and that’s been a really big learning experience for me and my career. I know this is a really important moment so I’m just trying to absorb and soak everything in and learn as much as I can.

In terms of learning about the character, how much prep work have you done? Have you seen the anime prior to booking the show?

I always knew about Cowboy Bebop. It’s always been around but I didn’t really know a lot about it back then. But once I was auditioning for the part, I binged the whole series and I’ve done that multiple times since. I did a lot of prep merely becoming incredibly acquainted and familiar with the series. But also, going online, reading what fans wrote, listening to podcasts about anime and dissecting what everything means. Reading a lot of translations about what the original creators had in mind for the series and what was the intent. I definitely want to immerse myself fully into the Bebop world.

Outside the Bebop world, do you watch anime and other forms of animation as well?

When I was growing up, Sailor Moon was my thing. I was obsessed with it. I wanted to be Sailor Mars because I had long, dark hair. Also, red looks good on me even when I was a little kid. I love Tuxedo Mask. I wanted to marry him. I also love how the Sailor Soldiers change into their outfits. Sailor Moon was definitely my sweet spot.

How was it from the beginning up to now? Tell us a little bit about your acting journey.

I didn’t really catch the [acting] bug until I started working. My manager was the one who found me and said that I should be an actor. I was a little hesitant at first, because that wasn’t initially what I wanted to do. I wanted to write, I wanted to direct, I wanted to produce. I was mainly interested in making content- being a part of interesting content and never wanted to be an actress and I think the first real big sign for me that told me hey, you really can do this, was booking Homeland where I was like, whoa, I think this is real. This could be a thing. I could make money doing this. I just never thought I could.

The [acting] bug was weird. It just sort of appeared. I wasn’t summoning the bug. It just showed up.

**LEFT:** Jacket (worn over): BENCHELLAL, Top (worn under): BY THE ETHIQUETTE, Pants: ANGELIKA JOZEFZCYK **RIGHT:** Bodysuit (worn under): DULCE BESTIA, Dress (worn over): ONG OAJ PARIAM, Rings: NINNA YORK, Heels: ALEXANDERS BY DARIUS

What are the challenges and the highs that you have experienced so far?

We’re all so fortunate to do this if you can, because it’s such a crap shoot. It’s a numbers game. I’ve met so many profoundly talented people, especially in New York. I’ve met a lot of talented theatre actors in New York. They’re so incredibly talented but they can’t catch a break. So much of it is luck. So, when you do finally make it to that point, which is so incredible, the hard part is being away from family and travel, travel, travel. That’s the tough part because you wanna be there for weddings, for births, for parties.

I’ll never complain about getting work but at times it could be trying. And obviously, the highs are moments like this. Everyone on Bebop worked so hard. Finally being able to share it with everybody is such a high.

I think the high, also for me, is gonna come when I know I’ve been a part of something that’s allowed someone during the pandemic to just have total fun and just check out of the world. I like making entertainment knowing that for an hour or however long that show binges, I’ve been a part of something that can let someone fantasize, go somewhere and escape their problems and their life for a brief moment.

Is that an important aspect for you, as a creator, to be able to leave this impact to your audience?

Yeah, I think so. I mean, I find watching movies and watching TV so incredibly soothing and then I get to be the lucky one to kind of do that.

Also our show is different, new and slick. I like that we’re making content with such a multicultural cast. This show is so multicultural. I think it was really important for the creators to make a show that not only represents the future, but also represents the world, the fanbase. The fanbase is an enormous one. It’s a very diverse one, it’s global. So it was really important for the creators to have that reflected in the show.

Speaking of the fanbase, did you feel any pressure from the fans going into this?

Yeah. I think every single one of us felt that. You’re making something that is so near and dear to people’s hearts and their nostalgia and so it’s really sacred ground. I think everyone knew what they were doing and we did it all with a lot of love and a lot of care. People need to know that the people who made the show are huge fans of the show. They were already really big fans of the show. And so I think there was pressure but it’s more of the excitement of being up for the challenge to fulfill the journey.

Jacket (worn over): BENCHELLAL, Top (worn under): BY THE ETHIQUETTE, Pants: ANGELIKA JOZEFZCYK

You mentioned earlier that you also wanted to pursue directing, producing and writing. So what’s your dream project?

I have a script that I wrote. It’s a horror-thriller, a very meaningful movie that is really close to my heart. I feel like getting that movie made, getting my movie made, would be such a huge opportunity. Now that the world wants diversity, the world wants women, and people of color, I feel like now, more than ever is the time for me to express that part of myself. I’m on the hunt. I’m looking for people. Hit me up!

That’s exciting!

What is a lesson that you always carry with you throughout your entire journey so far?

Two things. One is that people bloom. Everything blooms. Flowers bloom. People bloom. Moments in your life bloom. No one is blooming 24/7, right? So blooming is a moment. And then that moment goes away. So when I finally understood life to be how things naturally happen and blooms, it sort of lets me ride the bumpy road a little easier. Things aren’t always hot. Things aren’t always easy. So I really relish these moments. I feel like if you really understand how life operates and blooms, it makes it so much easier.

I think the other thing, in particular to this business- you’ve never made it. Don’t ever assume that you’ve made it. If you feel like you’ve made it, it’s probably gonna end very soon. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Very well said.

Top & Skirt: ALERSUNDI, Rings: ROPE THE MOON

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

That’s a really good question. Let’s see. Oh man, You know the one that keeps coming into my mind? It’s a children’s book. It’s called, I Love You Forever... my baby you’ll be (By Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw). Oh my god. It’s very cinematic. It’s about a mother who has a son and he grows up throughout the book and ten at the end, now the mom’s old but he’s carrying the mother and now he’s the one caring for the mother. It’s a children’s book but it’s so beautiful. Most people can’t really read it without sobbing.

Also, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. It’s funny, it’s weird, it’s quirky, imaginative and loving. It’s also one of my favorite books when I was a kid.